Pumpkin Cheesecake: Because Basic White Girls Like Protein, Too

Fall would not be complete without something pumpkin.  I make pumpkin pancakes and waffles on the regular, but that cheesecake I made a few months ago really had promise for pumpkin makeover.  I've been meaning to make a pumpkin version foreva, but I needed to restock on my Ultra Peptide Cinnamon Roll before I proceeded.  Luckily, GRN once again saved the day, and I was finally able to create some deliciousness.  This did not disappoint, y'all.  Seriously.  It tastes EXACTLY like the inside of a pumpkin pie.  I'm even contemplating feeding this to my parents to see if they can tell that it's a healthy treat.  The recipe is pretty much identical to the protein cheesecake recipe that I posted previously, with only a few simple substitutions/additions.  So, here you go, my fellow pumpkin lovers.  Behold the pumpkin protein cheesecake:

Ingredients:

12 oz 0% Greek Yogurt

12 oz fat free cream cheese

2 scoops Ultra Peptide 2.0 Cinnamon Roll protein powder

1 1/2 c pumpkin puree

2 eggs

3/4 c splenda

Pumpkin pie spice (I don't measure this - I just dump a bunch in.  Who cares?)

1 t vanilla extract

1/4 t salt

1/4 c almond milk

Mix all ingredients together with a hand mixer for about 2-3 mins.  Do not overmix.  Spray a 9" circular cake pan with cooking spray and pour the cheesecake mix into the pan.  Bake at 325 for 30-35 mins and then drop the heat to 200 and bake for an additional 50-60 mins.  I'm still playing around with cooking times on this, as the pumpkin adds extra moisture.  I cook it a little longer than the regular cooking times, so I would suggest keeping an eye on this after you hit the 60 minute mark at 200.  Let the cheesecake cool completely before you cut into it.  It'll be hard to resist, but you'll ruin it if you cut into it too early.  I'd even recommend putting it in the fridge overnight.  But I realize some of y'all out there have shitty willpower.  

Protein Cheesecake, Where Have You Been All My Life??????

So I was farting around on the interwebs last week, trying to find a new and fun recipe to try, when I stumbled upon a few protein cheesecake recipes on bodybuilding.com.   Protein cheesecake, you say?  How good can that taste?  I started to read the ingredients and my interest was definitely sparked.  It seemed pretty legit, but I was still skeptical.

I was skeptical, because, let's be honest here: protein baking usually tastes like shit, especially when people try to to fat free protein baking.  News flash: egg whites + protein powder = shit.  Honestly, I'd rather just have the real thing than be super depressed by something that feels and tastes like a friggin frisbee.  Additionally, most people truly have no concept of what a really good protein powder actually tastes like. Optimum Nutrition, come on.  That stuff is sawdust, so stop lying to yourself.

Enter the God of all protein powders, Xtreme Formulations Ultra Peptide 2.0.  If you've never had UP 2.0, please don't talk to me until you've tried it.  Here's what it looks like:

You can get it from my favorite online supp store, GetRippedNutrition (www.getrippednutrition.com).  Tell them Beth sent you when you checkout :)  Anyway, UP is the nectar of the Gods.  It's thick and creamy and wonderful.  I'm convinced it's made with rainbows and fairy dust.  It has a higher fat content than most other powders, which yields a much better mouth-feel (TWSS), especially when baking.  I use UP all the time, and I have almost every flavor sitting in my house right now.  Lemon cream pie is, HANDS DOWN, BY FAR, the best-tasting powder you will ever consume.  If you don't agree, I'll buy your tub from you.  I am not a lemon person, either, folks.  But it's the bomb.

So I decided to make a lemon protein cheesecake to see if I could actually produce a decent finished product.  Friends, I have to tell you, it is heaven.  Look, even Trotter is 'mirin.

The texture is pretty on point; when I make this again, I will probably be cooking it just slightly longer as I felt it was just a tad under-cooked.  But, really, who cares?  It's all going to end up in the same place anyway.

Ingredients:
12 oz 0% Greek Yogurt
12 oz fat free cream cheese
2 scoops protein powder
2 eggs
3/4 c splenda
1 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
2-3 T Jello sugar free/fat free pudding mix (optional)
1/4 c almond milk (optional if you use the jello)

Mix all ingredients together with a hand mixer for about 2-3 minutes.  Be careful not to mix too much, otherwise you'll end up with cracks all up in yo' cake.  Spray a 6 or 9" circular cake pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.  Spray your paper, too.  Bake at 325 for 30-35 mins and then drop the heat to 200 and bake for an additional 50-60 mins.  The internal temp should be about 165, or bake it until the outside is pretty done but the middle still jiggles a little when you wiggle the pan.

The macros are pretty awesome on this: about 130 cals/slice with over 20g of protein, < 11g carbs, and <5g fat.  Not too shabby :)