Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie
Will you believe me when I tell you that this pretty little pink smoothie that tastes exactly like strawberry cheesecake is a healthy, high-protein smoothie??
Because it is. It is!
This smoothie is insanely delicious – I mean, STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE, hello – and it’s so creamy it can almost pass as a milkshake.
But it’s not a milkshake, there will be no bringing boys to the yard (sorry), because it is in fact a healthy smoothie. That tastes like cheesecake.
Cheesecake, just so you know, is one of my very favorite things in the entire world. I love the creamy texture, the subtle tang from the cream cheese, and the sweet graham cracker crust. I’ve been known to savor a slice for breakfast, but I decided to take my adored cheesecake flavors and turn it into another one of my obsessions: smoothies.
I have a smoothie for breakfast (and sometimes dinner) a couple of times a week, and even if I usually default to a green smoothie (spinach + almond milk + frozen banana + mango chunks), I pride myself on making other creative flavors that not only taste delightful, but are also quite nutritious. Flavors like Cherry Garcia (chocolate and cherry), Blue Velvet Smoothie (blueberries and almond butter), and Healthy Carrot Cake Smoothie.
Yes, they all taste like dessert. But you’re not surprised.
This Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie is in the same realm – tastes like an indulgent treat, but is actually pretty good for you. Each serving is pumped with protein because of almond milk (I used vanilla, of course, but you can use plain or unsweetened) and… cottage cheese.
Put your pitchforks down! I know there’s a Cottage Cheese Haters Club out there but I’m not in it because I never get invited to clubs and also because I’m a huge fan of cottage cheese. It’s creamy and low in fat and high in protein. My mom loves cottage cheese, too, so I got that from her. I eat it with crackers, in salads, stirred into scrambled eggs, layered into lasagna, I even snack on it plain.
In this smoothie, cottage cheese takes on the role of cream cheese in a regular cheesecake. It adds creaminess and that salty and tangy flavor. Blend it with almond milk, strawberries, ground flaxseed, a little vanilla, and graham crackers, and it’s perfect.
Yes, each smoothie serving has one graham cracker, so it’s not exactly the healthiest, but can we consider it our little treat? You can always decrease or omit it if you prefer, but the graham cracker adds good texture and sweetness, so I recommend keeping it. We’re already making a better choice by not eating actual cheesecake for breakfast.
Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie
Ingredients
8 oz vanilla almond milk
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup cottage cheese (I used 4% milkfat)
1 sheet graham cracker
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
honey and crushed graham crackers, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend well.
- If using garnish, rim glass with honey and roll in crushed graham crackers. Or just drizzle honey on top and sprinkle with crushed graham crackers.
I like making smoothies with frozen fruit because it adds creaminess and makes it cold (instead of adding ice) but you can use fresh fruit, too. You can also add 1 cup of ice cubes if you prefer thinner smoothies.
RecipeIf you want real cheesecake recipes, I have quite a few: Salted Caramel Turtle Cheesecake, No Bake Dulce de Leche Cheesecake, Coconut Cheesecake, and Mini Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Roasted Cherries.
For the record, I do not, in any way, think that eating actual cheesecake for breakfast is wrong. In fact it’s all sorts of right.
Hi! I’m Bianca Garcia. I love food, running, yoga, sangria, and my job. I'm an advertising professional, social media enthusiast, blogger, freelance writer, and obsessive list-maker. I think about dessert constantly. 
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