To kick off our weekend, my guy and I set aside our typical homebody plans for a spur-of-the-moment date night. We packed a couple of baskets overflowing with the essentials, loaded everything into the truck, and drove across town to a storefront we’d never visited before. The two of us strolled over to the door, pulled it open, and…
Washed our piles of dirty clothes at the laundromat.
With our broken dryer refusing to turn on for 2 weeks (compounded by a fairly unresponsive rental office and landlord), we tried to make the best of the situation and wandered around the shopping center while our t-shirts tumbled around the machines.
My guy stopped by an Asian restaurant for a teriyaki bowl before we amused ourselves by meandering around the grocery store aisles next door. Although quiet while my guy ate, my stomach started angrily growling as we passed by boxes of breakfast cereals and bags of Oreos, so I caved and bought a deli sandwich to munch on while the last load finished.
Okay, so not exactly the greatest start to our weekend… But these healthy Chocolate & Peanut Butter Breakfast Cheesecakes really turned things around! Smooth and creamy with a rich dark flavor, these individual portions taste like an indulgent dessert, but they contain no refined sugar and are packed with 15 grams of protein. What a heavenly way to start your day!
Just like with my other breakfast cheesecakes, these begin with an oatmeal crust. (Because everyone agrees that oatmeal is undeniably a breakfast food, right?) Made with just oats and applesauce, this crust is slightly chewier than your typical graham cracker variety, but it creates a hearty breakfast feel. And if you use gluten-free oats, the entire cheesecake is gluten-free too!
The low-fat cheesecake filling is fairly easy as well. It contains no eggs (so sneak as many spoonfuls from the bowl as you’d like!), and I thickened it with cornstarch instead of flour to ensure it stayed gluten-free. For the chocolate flavor, I turned to cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate, which helps lower fat and calories while still providing a decadently rich taste.
To eliminate refined sugars, I sweetened the creamy filling with agave. I only added 1 tablespoon—I much prefer slightly bitter dark chocolate over milk! If you crave a sweeter cheesecake, add another teaspoon. It shouldn’t really affect the baking time, and we want your taste buds to be happy!
Just like with a standard size cheesecake, you’ll bake these at a low temperature: only 300°F until the centers barely jiggle. It’s really important to avoid overbaking; nobody wants to wake up to rubbery cheesecake for breakfast! Cool them all the way to room temperature before chilling for at least 2-3 hours in the fridge. Although it feels like pure torture, this helps the cheesecakes set and preserves their thick creamy texture.
To avoid waking up at the crack of dawn, I usually bake these the night before and let them chill while I snooze. In the morning, with my bleary-eyed half-asleep state, all I have to do is pull one out and eat! Plus they’re perfect for make-ahead brunches and serving to company. You’d receive the most priceless surprised looks when you set down plates of cheesecake in front of your guests at the breakfast table!
But my favorite part? The peanut butter drizzle on top! It’s super simple—just warm some peanut butter in a zip-topped bag in the microwave, snip off the corner, and drizzle to your heart’s content. You can never have too much peanut butter when chocolate’s around!
So rise and shine to these skinny Chocolate & Peanut Butter Breakfast Cheesecakes! Their rich flavor will trick you into thinking that you’re throwing your mother’s rulebook out the window and eating dessert for breakfast, but the 15 grams of protein will keep you full and fueled all the way ’til lunch.
Mornings just got a whole lot better!
These decadent breakfast treats taste like dessert, but they’re packed with protein to keep you full! The recipe is easily doubled or tripled if feeding a crowd.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and lightly coat 2 jumbo-sized muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the crust, stir together the oats and applesauce in a small both until thoroughly combined. Press into the bottoms of each muffin cup. Bake at 300°F for 8 minutes, and cool slightly.
- To prepare the filling, beat the cream cheese and agave together until creamy. Mix in the cocoa powder, cornstarch, and vanilla until smooth. Spread on top of the cooled crusts, and bake at 300°F for 16-19 minutes, or until the centers barely jiggle. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before laying plastic wrap over the tops of each, ensuring the plastic wrap completely touches the entire surface. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.
- Just before serving, add the peanut butter to a zip-topped bag, and microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds. Snip off the corner and drizzle over the cheesecakes.
Note: These cheesecakes are fairly dark and not overly sweet. For a sweeter taste, increase the amount of agave by 1 teaspoon.
Cheesecake for breakfast?! Dream come true! I don’t have a jumbo muffin tin, just “regular” sized…would ceramic ramekins work?
Yes, those would work fine Kay! Your regular sized muffin tin would be great as well; you’ll get about 2 cheesecakes for every jumbo-sized. I really hope you enjoy them!
I just have a fast question – instead of drizzling the peanut butter on top after baking, do you think drizzling it on just before baking would work ok? The reason I ask is that my youngest is living about 5 hours away from home for work and he’s always trying to find healthy things to eat, And he’s the one in the family that needs a protein filled breakfast to get his day going and I’m pretty sure he;s getting fed up with eggs every morning. I think the peanut butter drizzle would just stick to the plastic wrap while being transported so that’s why I wondered about baking it on instead. I plan on making maybe 4 or 5 batches of this – some to take to him and some for myself. I’ve never been a breakfast eater, even as a child, but with something like this I’m sure I could get in the habit lol. Thanks in advance!
You’re so sweet to want to make these for your youngest, Jane! He’s so lucky to have you. 🙂 Yes, it’s fine to drizzle the PB on before baking to make transporting these easier! I can’t wait to hear what the two of you think of these!
Thanks so much for the quick reply! I’ll be making these in the next couple weeks and freeze what I will be bringing to him. I’ve never seen a fat free cream cheese around here but I’m sure using ‘lite’ will work out ok too – just wont be as low fat as the original recipe lol.
It’s my pleasure, Jane! I’ve found block-style fat-free cream cheese at Walmart, but it seems like most other stores near me are phasing it out. Light cream cheese should work, and I have a feeling that tub-style fat-free cream cheese should work as well (it’s easier to find than block-style!). 🙂
Just me again – sorry for the delay but life has been upside down lately! I did make these with lite cream cheese – apparently there’s no such thing as fat free here in Canada. Next time I think I’ll be adding a lot more sweetener though – whether more agave or honey or stevia. It came across as almost savory flavor wise with the heavy concentration of cheese. taste. I left off the peanut butter and had them with sliced strawberries instead. It was good and I love the idea of cheesecake for breakfast!
No need to apologize Jane! I can absolutely relate the life being upside down right now. 🙂 I think stevia would be the best option for increasing the sweetness in your next batch because it won’t really change the texture or baking time, whereas agave and honey will. I’d love to hear whether that turns out better for your tastes when you remake them!
Chocolate-Peanut-Butter Breakfast Cheesecake
Hi! I am excited to make these (and the banana ones too). However, I am allergic to apples. Could I substitute plain yogurt for the applesauce, or do you have a better idea?!
Many thanks!
I think that should work Alysse! Mashed banana would be another alternative, although that will impart a distinct fruity flavor. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these breakfast cheesecakes!
Thanks! Will report back 🙂
My pleasure Alysse! I can’t wait! 🙂
Hi Amy, as you can probably tell, I’m flipping your blog inside out to search for the next recipe to bake. I’m having trouble to find the block-style baking cream cheese here in Amsterdam, do you think the spreadable one would work? I’m not sure if I should adjust the proportion of dry/wet ingredients because of that.
Awww that means so much to me Char! My heart is about to burst — I’m so honored that you’d like to try so many of my recipes! 🙂 I actually haven’t tried using spreadable cream cheese in this recipe, but it’s worth a shot! I’d recommend a regular 1-for-1 substitution to start. You may need to slightly adjust the baking time, but I think the flavor and texture should remain the same. I’d love to hear how these breakfast cheesecakes turn out if you try making them!
What can i substitute for agave
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Kathleen! Both honey and pure maple syrup work really well as substitutes. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these breakfast cheesecakes if you end up making them!