Summer is fast approaching. The days are still cool in London, but we’ve already had a week of heat earlier in the month. This time of year, a lot of us start craving fruity, refreshing desserts. A lot of people also choose lighter snacks, making sure they’re in shape when summer starts. The no-bake cake I’d like to share with you today will satisfy both needs. The delicious, strawberry flavour is perfect for warm days, and thanks to the high protein content, you can enjoy this strawberry cheesecake without worrying about your waistline! Plus, if you prefer more indulgent treats, I’ve included some suggestions for altering the recipe.

Ingredients for high protein strawberry cheesecake

For a 20⌀ cm round tin you’ll need:

• 300g natural skyr
• 400g strawberry skyr – I used one with no added sugar
• 3 packets of jelly crystals* (each for making ~500ml jelly) – I used sugar-free jelly
• 350g fresh strawberries, leaves removed

* If you use jelly crystals by a different brand, aim for the amount needed to make a total of 1.5 litre of jelly.

How to make high protein no-bake strawberry cheesecake

Preparing the tin(s)

First of all: if you’re using a quick release spring tin, make sure it can hold liquid without leaking! Place the tin in the sink and fill it with water. If you notice water leaking out, that’s not good.

But fear not, there are a few options.

You can line the tray with greaseproof paper, tin foil or cling film – just make sure the lining is in one piece, with no holes or gaps.

You can also use a regular, deep tin without a removable base. It might be tricky to get the first slice of the cheesecake out in one piece, but otherwise, a regular tin is perfectly fine.

Alternatively, you can make this high protein strawberry cheesecake in single portions, using bowls or small tupperware containers as trays.

Making the base of the no-bake strawberry cheesecake

Prepare 130ml of hot water (1/2 cup) in a glass. Add half of your jelly crystals (in my case, it was 1.5 packets) and stir until dissolved. Make sure to get rid of any lumps. Set aside.

Place the natural skyr and strawberry skyr in a large bowl and whisk until combined, using an electric mixer on low speed.

Stir the jelly mixture again to double check that there aren’t any lumps and pour it into the yoghurts. Whisk again with an electric mixer on low speed.

Chop up 220g of fresh strawberries and add them into the mixture. Stir with a spatula.

Pour the mixture into your tin(s). Refrigerate for around 1.5 hours to set.

Making the top layer of the high protein cheesecake

Take the tin out of the fridge and gently touch the surface of the cheesecake to make sure it’s set. Slice the remaining fresh strawberries and arrange them on top of the base layer of the cheesecake.

In a large vessel, dissolve the remaining jelly crystals (in my case, another 1.5 packets) in 375ml (1.5 cups) of hot water. Stir until the jelly crystals have fully dissolved. Add 300ml cold water (1.25 cups), stir.

Pour the jelly mixture into the tin. Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Tip: if you pour all of the jelly into the tin in one go, the strawberry slices might float to the surface. If you want to preserve the pattern you made with the strawberries, start by adding a small amount of jelly liquid – just enough to fill the spaces between the fruit slices. Refrigerate the cheesecake for ~15 minutes. After that time, the slices should be locked in place. You can add the remaining jelly liquid and refrigerate the cheesecake for 3 hours.

Serve straight out of the fridge. Enjoy!

How to store high protein strawberry cheesecake

This no-bake high protein cheesecake should be kept in the fridge. It will last a few days… unless you devour it all in one go. 🙂

Nutritional value of high protein strawberry cheesecake

The whole recipe has approximately 668 kcal, 3 grams of fat, 57 grams of carbs and 92 grams of protein. Assuming the recipe makes 6 large slices, each of them will have 111 kcal, 0.5 gram of fat, 9.5 grams of carbs and 15.5 grams of protein.

The above nutritional values are based on the products I used.

How to make this fit cheesecake more indulgent

If you’re not too worried about your waistline and would like to make this strawberry cheesecake more indulgent, here are a few tips.

You can line the bottom of the tray with ladyfinger biscuits to add a soft base to the cake.

For a creamier yoghurt layer, swap the natural skyr with full-fat Greek yoghurt.

Other fruit to try

You can experiment with other flavours of jelly and other fruit. Berries generally work great – feel free to use raspberries, blackberries or blueberries. Canned peaches with orange jelly make a delicious combo too!

Make sure to avoid fresh pineapple, kiwi, mango, passion fruit and papaya. They contains enzymes that prevent jelly from setting! If you’re in doubt, make sure to Google if your chosen fruit can be used in jelly.

What is skyr

If you’re wondering what skyr is, it’s a type of dairy product, traditionally from Iceland but now popular all around the world. It’s thick, low in fat and high in protein, making it a great product for those trying to maintain weight. Skyr resembles yoghurt, but formally, it’s actually a type of cheese!

If you can’t get hold of skyr, you can replace it with other high protein, low fat yoghurt.

Bon Appetit!

So there you have it – a delicious, refreshing, high protein strawberry cheesecake. Perfect for the summer. Enjoy!

Also see:

• Food
• Sweet