Low fat cheesecake

If you're like me and you grew up drinking whole milk and eating full fat cheese, you may shudder at the thought of low fat cheesecake. But fear not! I would never sacrifice flavor just to cut some calories. Life's too short.

This cheesecake may be low fat, but it is creamy, cheesy, and just the perfect amount of sweet; you won't be disappointed.

Image 1. Follow me after the jump for the recipe!

First thing's first, you gotta get yourself some reduced fat cream cheese. You may see this marketed as "neufchatel cheese" at your local grocery store, but that term is a bit of a misnomer. Nevertheless, I personally prefer American neufchatel over cream cheese on my bagel, as it is softer due to its higher moisture content and therefore easier to spread. Besides, the taste is virtually indistinguishable, and considering it has two-thirds the fat of regular cream cheese, it's basically a no-brainer.

Image 2. "neufchatel cheese"

Next is the star of the show - nonfat plain Greek yogurt.

Image 3. Greek yogurt, nectar of the gods

Greek yogurt -especially of the nonfat variety- has been all the rage these past several years as high-protein dietary fads such as the Atkins and the Dukan diet have been enjoying the spotlight. Personally, I prefer Greek yogurt to the normal kind because it isn't as runny, so if the mucus-like texture of normal yogurt puts you off, then Greek yogurt is the way to go.

Unfortunately, most commercial and individually packaged Greek yogurt is loaded with sugar, so you need to get the unsweetened plain kind. You can actually use this in place of sour cream - spinach artichoke dip, ranch dressing, even a dollop on your potatoes and tacos will taste like the real thing. Don't try to eat it plain though, because that's nasty - a drizzle of honey, on the other hand, really hits the spot.

As you can tell, I am obsessed with Greek yogurt, but I've spent enough time extolling its virtues for now. Moving onto the recipe - I find that adding chocolate or a hint of citrus in my cheesecake does a world of good. This time I went with key limes.

Image 5. I used the leftovers for key lime vinaigrette on my salad! :)

To make this delectable key lime cheesecake, you will need:

• two 8 oz packages of neufchatel cheese
• 1 c nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 c granulated sugar
• juice of 10 key limes
• (optional) zest of 2 key limes, plus more limes for garnishing
• powdered sugar for dusting
• graham cracker crust (you can make this, but the store-bought kind tastes the same). 

The recipe could not be easier; combine the first five (or six) ingredients and dump the cheesy slime into the graham cracker crust.

Image 6. Slimy goodness

Bake at 300 F for 1 hour, and then the most challenging part: wait for the cheesecake to set. Usually people keep it in the fridge for about 4 hours, but if you're me, you'll pop it in the freezer for two and then eat it while it's still goopy. Don't be like me.

Of course, feel free to garnish it to your liking once it's set.

Image 7. This is by far my most attractive kitchen creation.

Unfortunately, when I cut into it, this little beauty went to pieces - literally and figuratively.

Image 8. Still really yummy tho

Next time you're heading to a potluck, try whipping this one up; everyone will love it, and best of all, no one will know it's low fat.