Yield: 5–6 small jars Prep: 10–15 minutes Chilling: 30–60 minutes Difficulty: Very easy No baking required
Ingredients
Ingredient Amount
Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese 1 cup / 225 g
Plain nonfat Greek yogurt 1 cup / 225–240 g
Vanilla protein powder 1 scoop / ~30 g
Sugar-free cheesecake instant pudding mix 2 tbsp / ~16 g
Fresh strawberries 1 cup / ~150 g
Unsweetened almond milk 2–4 tbsp / 30–60 ml
Vanilla extract 1 tsp
Lemon juice 1 tsp
Zero-calorie sweetener 1–2 tbsp, optional
Salt Tiny pinch
For topping:
½ cup finely diced strawberries
2–3 tbsp crushed freeze-dried strawberries
Optional: a tiny amount of sugar-free whipped topping
The combination of Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, protein powder and sugar-free cheesecake pudding is commonly used to create this smooth, cheesecake-like texture.
K
ketols.com
+1
Step-by-step
1. Prepare the strawberries
Wash and hull the strawberries.
Pat them fairly dry—excess water makes the fluff thinner.
Reserve about ½ cup for decorating and put the other ½ cup into the blender.
2. Make the cheesecake base
Add to a high-speed blender:
cottage cheese
Greek yogurt
strawberries
vanilla
lemon juice
almond milk
optional sweetener
Blend for 1–2 minutes, scraping the sides once or twice.
Keep blending until there are no visible cottage-cheese curds.
3. Add the protein powder
Add your protein powder and blend for another 20–30 seconds.
Don’t add lots of extra protein powder to make it thicker—it can make the dessert chalky.
4. Add cheesecake pudding mix
Add the sugar-free cheesecake pudding mix.
Blend briefly, about 15–20 seconds.
The mixture should begin thickening.
5. Adjust the consistency
You want something between:
thick yogurt + cheesecake mousse
If it’s too thick → add almond milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
If it’s too thin → refrigerate it first for 20–30 minutes. You can also add a small amount of additional pudding mix.
6. Add strawberry pieces
Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Gently fold in some finely chopped strawberries.
Don’t aggressively mix at this point.
7. Fill the jars
Use approximately ½–¾ cup per jar, depending on your portion requirements.
For the look in your photograph, use small clear dessert jars.
8. Decorate
Top each jar with:
diced strawberries
crushed freeze-dried strawberries
For the photographed appearance, slice strawberries thinly and arrange them across the surface.
9. Chill
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
For the best cheesecake-like consistency, chill for 1–2 hours.
Approximate nutrition
Because protein powders, yogurt and cottage cheese vary considerably by brand, these numbers are estimates rather than guaranteed nutrition facts.
If you make 6 servings, a reasonable estimate is approximately:
Nutrient Per serving
Calories 100–140 kcal
Protein 14–18 g
Carbohydrates 8–12 g
Fat 1–4 g
Fiber 1–2 g
Sugar 4–7 g
The exact numbers should be calculated from the nutrition labels of your specific ingredients. Published versions of strawberry cheesecake fluff vary substantially depending on whether they use cream cheese, heavy cream, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, etc.
I
I Hacked Diabetes
+1
How to get even more protein
Use:
nonfat Greek yogurt
low-fat/fat-free cottage cheese
a whey or whey/casein protein powder containing ~20–25+ g protein per scoop
You can increase the protein without making the recipe huge by replacing some of the almond milk with additional Greek yogurt.
If this is specifically for bariatric eating
This recipe can be bariatric-friendly for many people, but “bariatric-friendly” doesn’t mean it’s automatically appropriate at every stage after surgery.
Bariatric nutrition recommendations generally emphasize adequate protein, spreading protein throughout the day, limiting concentrated/simple sugars, eating slowly, and stopping when comfortably satisfied. Individual postoperative programs can have different texture, portion and food-stage restrictions.
W
Wiley Online Library
+1
Important
If you’re recently post-op, don’t assume this recipe is appropriate just because it’s soft. Follow your surgeon/dietitian’s prescribed stage and portion size.
For someone who has already been cleared for foods of this consistency:
Start with a small portion and eat slowly.
Full Q&A
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes. Thaw them completely and drain excess liquid first.
Fresh strawberries give the best flavor and appearance.
Can I use strawberry protein powder?
Yes. Strawberry or vanilla both work.
Vanilla usually gives a more authentic cheesecake flavor.
Can I skip the protein powder?
Yes, but you’ll substantially reduce the protein content.
The recipe will still work, but it becomes more of a conventional strawberry cheesecake mousse.
Can I replace cottage cheese?
Yes.
You can use additional Greek yogurt, but cottage cheese helps provide protein and a thick, creamy texture.
Will I taste the cottage cheese?
Not if you blend it thoroughly.
This is one of the most important steps. Blend until completely silky.
Can I use cream cheese?
Absolutely.
For a more traditional cheesecake flavor, substitute approximately 2–3 oz (55–85 g) light cream cheese for part of the cottage cheese.
However, calories and fat will increase.
Can I use regular pudding mix?
Yes, technically—but it will generally add more sugar/carbohydrate.
For the lower-sugar version, use sugar-free instant cheesecake pudding.
R
recipes.bigzazoo.com
Can I make it without pudding mix?
Yes.
Try:
1 tsp gelatin powder, prepared appropriately, or
a little extra Greek yogurt + chilling
The pudding mix is mainly useful for thickening and intensifying the cheesecake flavor.
Can I use honey?
Yes, but if you’re specifically trying to keep the recipe low-sugar/bariatric-friendly, I’d use a suitable zero-calorie sweetener instead.
Can I make it dairy-free?
Yes, but you’ll need dairy-free yogurt, dairy-free cottage-cheese alternatives and a suitable plant protein powder. The texture will be different.
Can I freeze it?
I don’t recommend freezing it.
Dairy-based fluff can become watery or grainy after thawing. A comparable recipe also recommends refrigeration rather than freezing because of texture changes.
R
recipes.bigzazoo.com
How long does it last?
Keep it covered in the refrigerator and ideally consume within 2–3 days, particularly because it contains fresh strawberries.
Why is my fluff runny?
Most likely:
Strawberries contained too much water.
Too much almond milk was added.
Your yogurt was relatively thin.
You didn’t chill it long enough.
The protein/pudding ratio was too low.
Fix: refrigerate first. If still too thin, add a small amount of sugar-free pudding mix and blend briefly.
Why did mine become too thick?
Protein powder and pudding mix absorb liquid.
Add 1 tablespoon almond milk at a time, mixing between additions.
Why is my protein fluff chalky?
Usually too much protein powder.
Don’t keep adding powder to thicken it. Use chilling or a little pudding mix instead.
Can I make it sweeter?
Yes. Add your preferred sweetener gradually.
Remember that protein powders themselves can be quite sweet, so taste the mixture before adding extra sweetener.
Can I make it more “cheesecake-like”?
Yes. Add:
2–3 oz light cream cheese
1 tsp lemon juice
a little extra vanilla
sugar-free cheesecake pudding mix
The lemon is particularly useful because cheesecake has that characteristic slight tang.
My recommended “best texture” version
If I were making the jars in your photograph, I’d use:
225 g cottage cheese + 225 g Greek yogurt + 30 g vanilla whey protein + 16 g sugar-free cheesecake pudding + 150 g strawberries + 2 tbsp almond milk + 1 tsp vanilla + 1 tsp lemon juice.
Blend the dairy completely smooth, add the protein and pudding, then chill. Fold in diced strawberries only at the end.
That should give you the thick, pink, spoonable cheesecake-fluff consistency shown in the photo rather than a thin smoothie. Similar high-protein versions specifically rely on thoroughly blending cottage cheese until silky and then chilling to achieve that mousse-like texture.
F
food.familyfreshrecipes.com
+1
Optional toppings
For a prettier “jar dessert” version:
Fresh strawberry slices
Freeze-dried strawberry crumbs
Sugar-free white-chocolate shavings
A small dollop of light whipped topping
Crushed sugar-free cheesecake cookie
With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
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