Although not much of a picky eater growing up, I hated when foods touched on my plate. I only classified a few combinations as “acceptable”: butter and mashed potatoes, maple syrup and pancakes, chocolate sauce and ice cream. But I nearly threw a tantrum if…
-
Turkey touched the mashed potatoes.
- Fresh fruit fell into the maple syrup.
- Birthday cake became soggy from the melting ice cream.
(My mom actually bought me one of those divided-up plates for Christmas last year. Only 20 years too late!)
So the brilliance of Neapolitan desserts was completely lost on me. I couldn’t fathom why people actually wanted their chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry all mixed together in a single milkshake or scoop of ice cream! Wouldn’t that just be a muddled sugary mess?
It took me until adulthood to come up with a compromise: combine the three flavors but still keep them separate. How?
Bake a vanilla cheesecake studded with strawberries and chocolate chips! I could easily pick out the bits if necessary to eat each flavor individually. But after my first bite, I definitely didn’t want to!
Drizzle a little chocolate syrup on top for an extra little treat!
- Preheat the oven to 300°, and lightly coat a 9” springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the crust, add the graham crackers to a food processor, and pulse until they turn into fine crumbs. Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and 1 egg white in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake at 300° for 6-8 minutes, then cool completely.
- To prepare the filling, cream the cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl. Add in the remaining egg whites, flour, and vanilla, mixing well. Add in the Greek yogurt, mixing just until incorporated. Fold in the strawberries and 2 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips.
- Spread the filling on top of the cooled crust, and bake at 300° for 45-50 minutes, or until the center barely jiggles when shaken. Cool to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap, ensuring that it touches the top of the cheesecake, and chill for at least 8 hours.
Note: If you can’t find chocolate chunk Greek yogurt, substitute 2 cups (16 oz) vanilla low-fat Greek yogurt and another 2 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips.
Don’t forget to “Like” the Foods for the Soul Facebook page to get your free copy of my Favorite Healthy Chocolate Recipes cookbook!
Can I use a dairy free yogurt in this?
We really appreciate your interest in this recipe, Amy! We haven’t tried using dairy-free yogurt in this recipe, so we’re not personally sure and don’t want to lead you astray! If you decide to try this recipe, we’d love to hear how your cheesecake turns out!
Ty for your response. I will let you know, if I try it.
We’re happy to help, Amy!