10 Tasty Substitutes for Cream Cheese in Cheesecake

If you are looking for a dessert that is decadent without being too unhealthy, then cheesecake might be the answer.

The cream cheese in most cheesecake recipes can be a bit high in calories, which means that it may not make the best choice if you are trying to watch your weight.

Luckily, there are some great substitutes for cream cheese out there that will still give your cheesecake all of its creamy texture while having fewer calories. Here are 15 different substitutes that you can use to get delicious results with less guilt!

Tasty Substitutes for Cream Cheese in Cheesecake

1. Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is something that you might have tried before, but perhaps not in a dessert.

One of the best things about cottage cheese as a cream cheese substitute is that it has many benefits for your health.

Not only does this make it one of the tastiest substitutes out there, but also one of the most nutritious if you are trying to make a healthier cheesecake.

Cottage cheese is high in protein, calcium and vitamin D. It also has a pretty mild flavor that will work well in most recipes.

You can use it as-is or you can mix it with other ingredients to create something new.

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2. Mascarpone

The next cream cheese substitute that you can try is mascarpone. This one will give your cheesecake something similar to the same consistency as traditional cream cheese, but it has fewer calories and fat than regular cream cheese does.

This makes this an especially good choice for people who are watching their weight or have certain dietary restrictions when it comes to what they can eat.

Mascarpone is an Italian cheese that has a slightly sweet taste to it, which works well with most types of cheesecake recipes out there.

It might be the closest thing you will get to having traditional cream cheese in your recipe without actually using cream cheese!

You should know that mascarpone does not have a long shelf life, so you might want to make it just before you are going to use it in your recipe.

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3. Ricotta Cheese

Ricotta cheese is another creamy and delicious option.

It has a little bit of an interesting flavor that will allow you to experiment with it in different ways, but this can also be one of its drawbacks if you are trying to use it for something specific like cheesecake.

In order to get the texture just right when using ricotta, you will need to blend it with something else.

You can mix in some eggs and sugar, then bake the mixture like a normal cheesecake recipe.

If you want to avoid adding extra ingredients that might affect your health (less than favorably), then this cream cheese substitute is an option worth considering.

It won’t make the best choice if you are trying to reduce calories or watch your weight though!

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4. Neufchatel Cream Cheese

Neufchatel cheese is similar to cream cheese in many ways, which means that it makes a great substitute. It’s a bit lower in fat and it also carries a slightly different flavor.

Neufchatel cheese tends to have more of a tangy taste than cream cheese, which means that you might want to add an extra ingredient if you are looking for something closer to real cheesecake. It is delicious all by itself though!

This type of substitute will work best if you are looking for something that doesn’t have a lot of extra calories.

If you want to make a cheesecake that is lower in fat and calories, then neufchatel cream cheese might be the perfect option for you.

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5. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is known for having more protein than regular yogurt.

This makes it a good option if you are looking to add something extra into your cheesecake recipe while reducing calories.

You can reduce the overall amount of sugar that goes into this type of substitute, which will be helpful since Greek yogurt has such a strong flavor on its own.

When using Greek yogurt as a cream cheese substitute, you should make sure to use a thick variety. If it is too thin, then it might not work well in your recipe.

This type of yogurt will add more moisture to your cheesecake, so you might need to adjust the baking time or temperature if you are using this particular substitution.

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6. Coconut Milk, Coconut Butter, and Yeast

If you are looking for a substitute that is mostly made from dairy-free ingredients, then this might be the perfect option.

Coconut milk is a great substitute for cream cheese, especially if you are looking to make vegan cheesecake.

Coconut butter has the same sort of texture that makes it work well as an alternative ingredient in this recipe too.

Yeast can be used as another dairy-free option because it contains no milk products at all!

You might not want to use yeast though since its flavor can overwhelm other ingredients quickly and easily.

It’s definitely something worth considering even if you don’t like the taste much yourself!

7. Tofu, Lemon Juice, and Margarine

This is another interesting option that might be worth trying. You can use tofu as a substitute for cream cheese if you are vegan, but it’s important to note that the flavor of this one will not be exactly like traditional cheesecake.

If you want something light and fluffy instead of dense and creamy, then using tofu in your recipe is a good idea.

This might be one of the best cream cheese substitutes for vegan cheesecake recipes, but it could also work well with other types as well if you keep an open mind about the flavor.

Also, make sure that you are adding just enough lemon juice and margarine to give your tofu mixture some tanginess without making things too oily.

8. Sour Cream

Sour cream is a perfect option if you want something that has the same texture as traditional cheesecake. You might not realize it, but sour cream is actually a very common ingredient in cheesecake recipes.

This means that you can use it as a cream cheese substitute without having to worry about the flavor or texture too much.

One thing to note, however, is that sour cream does have more calories than traditional cream cheese so you may want to watch your portion size if you are using this substitution.

9. Hummus

The next substitute that you have for cream cheese is hummus. This might not sound like it would be a great choice, but there are some really great recipes out there that use this as a replacement ingredient in cheesecakes.

Humus has the same sort of texture as cream cheese and they both tend to lend themselves extremely well towards having a creamy consistency.

The flavor of hummus is a bit different than cream cheese, but it’s something that can be worked with if you are looking for a healthy option.

You might have to experiment a little bit to get the right taste, but it’s definitely worth trying out this option.

10. Yogurt

This is another vegan-friendly option that you can use if you are trying to reduce the calorie content of your cheesecake. Not only can you use yogurt, but Greek Yogurt is a great choice as well.

Greek yogurt has double the amount of protein than regular yogurt does and it can also help to thicken your cheesecake mixture.

If you are looking for a delicious and healthy substitute for cream cheese, then yogurt is definitely the way to go.

Just make sure that you are using a type of yogurt that doesn’t have too much-added sugar so that the flavor isn’t too sweet.

There are plenty of other substitutes that you can try if the ones listed above don’t sound like they will work well for your recipe.

Just experiment until you find something that you like and that will give you the results that you are looking for. With a little bit of creativity, it is definitely possible to make a healthier cheesecake that still tastes amazing!

Reasons to Substitute Cream Cheese for other Ingredients in Cheesecake

Tofu can be blended together to create a cream cheese substitute that is light and fluffy.
Sour Cream has the same texture as traditional cheesecake which makes it another good option for substitution.
Greek yogurt provides more protein than regular yogurt does, making it an excellent choice if you are looking for a healthier option.
Hummus also provides the same creamy texture as cream cheese does, but it’s worth experimenting to find out if this is something that you actually enjoy eating!
You can use lemon juice and margarine instead of whole fat cream cheese in your cheesecake recipes if you want a guilt free treat!
There are plenty of other substitutes that you can try as well, such as peanut butter or cottage cheese. Learn more about these and other options in this blog post!

What Ingredients should I use to Substitute Cream Cheese?

Tofu can be blended together to create a cream cheese substitute that is light and fluffy.
Sour Cream has the same texture as traditional cheesecake which makes it another good option for substitution.
Greek yogurt provides more protein than regular yogurt does, making it an excellent choice if you are looking for a healthier option.
Hummus also provides the same creamy texture as cream cheese does, but it’s worth experimenting to find out if this is something that you actually enjoy eating!
You can use lemon juice and margarine instead of whole fat cream cheese in your cheesecake recipes if you want a guilt-free treat!

Conclusion

There are many substitutes for cream cheese in cheesecake. You might not like one of the options we’ve provided, but it is worth experimenting to find what you do enjoy! The more time and effort you put into making these substitutions, the better your outcome will be.

Do some research on different types of vegan or dairy-free ingredients that can work well with this recipe if you want a healthier dessert option.

It’s important to know exactly how much calories each substitute has before deciding which ones to use too so make sure that there aren’t any hidden surprises lurking among them!