🍮 High-Protein Salted Caramel Crunch Cheesecake Cups

🥄 Ingredients — 4 servings

Cheesecake filling

• 1 cup (225 g) low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 cup (225 g) nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 scoop (30 g) vanilla protein powder
• 1 small box (about 30–40 g) sugar-free cheesecake or instant pudding mix
• 2 tbsp sugar-free caramel syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1–2 tbsp milk, only if needed for blending
• ¼ tsp sea salt

Crunch topping

• 4 small pretzel twists, crushed
• 2 tbsp chopped sugar-free or regular caramel/toffee pieces
• 1 tbsp chopped peanuts or almonds
• Pinch of flaky sea salt

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Make the cheesecake base: Add cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, protein powder, cheesecake/pudding mix, caramel syrup, vanilla and sea salt to a blender.
2. Blend for 1–2 minutes, scraping the sides once or twice, until completely smooth and thick. Add a splash of milk if the mixture is too thick.
3. Prepare the crunch: Mix the crushed pretzels, caramel/toffee pieces and chopped nuts.
4. Divide about half of the cheesecake mixture between 4 small cups.
5. Add a layer of the pretzel-caramel crunch.
6. Top with the remaining cheesecake mixture.
7. Refrigerate for at least 1–2 hours so the cups become thick and cheesecake-like.
8. Just before serving, drizzle with a little sugar-free caramel syrup and sprinkle with the remaining crunch and a tiny pinch of flaky salt.

💪 Approximate nutrition per cup

Using nonfat Greek yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese and a protein powder containing ~24 g protein per scoop:

• Protein: ~25–30 g
• Calories: ~250–300
• Carbs: ~20–25 g
• Fat: ~5–8 g

Tip: For an even higher-protein version, use 1½ scoops protein powder and add a little extra Greek yogurt to maintain a smooth texture.