Description

These Lemon Cheesecake Yogurt Cups are a light and tangy dessert combining reduced fat ingredients with fresh lemon flavor and creamy yogurt. Perfectly portioned with a vanilla wafer base and topped with fresh blackberries, they offer a delightful treat that’s lower in fat than traditional cheesecakes while still indulgent and refreshing.

Ingredients

Scale

Base

12 reduced fat vanilla wafers

Filling

8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt (such as Chobani)
2 large egg whites
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Topping

24 fresh blackberries
Powdered sugar (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cheesecake cups.
Prepare Liners and Base: Line a cupcake tin with paper liners and place one reduced fat vanilla wafer at the bottom of each liner to form the base.
Mix Cream Cheese: Using an electric mixer, gently beat the softened cream cheese with sugar and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Add Remaining Ingredients: Gradually beat in the fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt, egg whites, lemon juice, lemon zest, and all-purpose flour. Mix until just combined to avoid overbeating which could affect texture.
Fill Cups: Pour the cheesecake filling evenly into each cupcake liner, filling them about halfway over the vanilla wafer base.
Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the centers are almost set but still slightly jiggly.
Cool and Chill: Allow the cheesecake cups to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for several hours to fully set and develop flavor.
Garnish and Serve: Before serving, top each chilled cheesecake cup with fresh blackberries and a light dusting of powdered sugar if desired for extra sweetness and visual appeal.

Notes

Do not overbeat the filling mixture to maintain a creamy texture without air bubbles.
Using reduced fat and fat-free ingredients helps lower the calorie and fat content but still provides creamy consistency.
The vanilla wafer base adds a subtle sweetness and crunch contrasting the smooth filling.
Chilling the cheesecake cups sufficiently is crucial for proper set and to enhance flavors.
These cups can be made a day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator.
For a gluten-free version, substitute the vanilla wafers with gluten-free cookies.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: lemon cheesecake, yogurt cups, light dessert, low fat cheesecake, lemon dessert, healthy dessert, no crust cheesecake