Two foods that you can often find hanging out together are yogurt and granola. Where you wouldn't expect to see them? In a cheesecake. But I did it, because – why not?
Surprise, you get your Greek yogurt and your gluten free granola in the same bite, just in the form of a tasty little mini dessert!
These cheesecakes aren't your typical little cheesecakes though. I lightened them up a bit by using 1/3 less fat cream cheese and Greek yogurt. So they've got a great little protein boost (about 4 grams/serving) and they're lower in fat. Not only that, but they clocked in at just under 200 calories each. So these really are skinny mini blueberry cheesecakes. It's pretty much a win-win for dessert.
BUT the best part about these skinny mini blueberry cheesecakes? The crusts. The crust is made up of gluten free Van's Granola. In this cheesecake, I used the blueberry walnut granola since it paired perfectly with the fresh blueberry sauce. Van's granola is super delish and a great option for gluten free snacking. I added a bit extra granola for garnish, which is completely optional but it's a fun textural contrast from the soft cheesecakes and blueberry sauce.
I love making mini cheesecakes because they're so portable and they only bake a short amount of time. And by portable, I mean it's so much easier to pawn off bring extra dessert over to people without making it obvious they're getting leftovers.
I made these just before Easter and I was able to divvy them up between both parties without anybody realizing. I would not have been able to do that with a whole cheesecake. Second day leftovers and people would be like, "Uh, where's the rest?" Everyone's happy with skinny mini blueberry cheesecakes though since mini desserts always seem more personal. "Aww, you made these for moi?!" – you know it's true.
However, if you prefer a whole cheesecake over these cutsie little cheesecake bites, you could do that too. You'd just have to adjust your baking and cooling times (and you probably wouldn't get as many servings).
I really think I'm onto something here with the Greek yogurt and granola combo in a dessert. It's fun, flavorful and unexpected. Oh the possibilities… Enjoy!
Gluten Free Granola Mini Cheesecakes Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crust:- 1 1/2 cups van's blueberry walnut granola
- 3 tablespoons gluten free graham crackers, crushed into crumbs
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 16 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened (2 8-ounce packages)
- 1 cup vanilla greek yogurt, room temperature
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups blueberries, (fresh)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons water, plus 1 teaspoon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Directions
For the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line regular size cupcake pans with 18 paper liners.
- Add the granola to a food processor and pulse until the granola resembles crumbs, it'll be a bit bigger.
- Add the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter, pulse until combined. Divide the granola mixture evenly between the 18 paper liners. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the liners to form the crust. Bake the crust at 325°F for 5 minutes.
To Make the Cheesecake
- Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides and beat in the yogurt.
- Mix in the sugar, vanilla, almond extract, salt and cornstarch until combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Scoop the batter evenly over the 18 crusts.
- Bake 25-50 minutes. Cool completely and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- When the cheesecakes are cooled, make the blueberry sauce.
To Make the Blueberry Sauce:
- Add the blueberries, 3 tablespoons water and sugar to a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes to soften the blueberries.
- Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and mix until the cornstarch is dissolved. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the blueberries and stir as it thickens. Remove the sauce from the heat and spoon over the cheesecakes before serving. You can also refrigerate the sauce until ready to serve.
Recommended Equipment
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