Nothing screams ice cream better than cheesecake! That’s right, we made these icy cheesecake bites with one of our favorite products, Lifeway Farmer Cheese. Adding Farmer Cheese to any cheesecake recipe allows for more protein, probiotics, and overall gut heath. These cheesecake bites are the way to make your holiday a guilt-free one!
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for better gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it triggers the release of GLP-1.
Lifeway Kefir also contains a variety of nutrients that are vital for healthy bones and overall health: vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Along with our kefir, we also offer our artisan-made Farmer Cheese, a creamy high-protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support a healthy microbiome that’s easy to spread and contains no added salt for optimal heart-health benefits.
Prep Time: 4 hours Servings: 8-10Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1/2 cup dates
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 pecans
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
For the Cheesecake Base:
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut cream
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 4 oz. Farmer Cheese
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla bean
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 4 tbsp. butter
For the Topping:
- fresh berries
Directions
- In a food processor, add dates and blend until it forms a sticky paste. Remove dates, and add in oats, pecans, coconut flakes, and salt and blend until smooth. Add in remaining in coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and dates and blend until wet and sticky.
- In a muffin pan, add a small amount of parchment paper to each muffin hole.
- In a bowl, mix cream cheese, farmer cheese, and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add confectioners sugar, lemon juice, vanilla bean and full fat coconut cream. Beat on low until smooth, then turn the mixer to high and beat until fluffy stiff peaks form.
- To assemble, place a good spoonful of cheesecake filling in each shell, freese for 4 hours.
- Top with berries and enjoy.
