Healthy Cheesecake... For Breakfast?

This recipe is another of my favorites from Jess' cook book. It's named 'Birthday Breakfast Cheesecake' in the book as it's something we'll eat for breakfast on a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary - but it can just as easily be eaten for desert or an afternoon pick-me-up. It's decadent, endo-friendly, simple, and contains much of the same ingredients you'd find in other breakfast options, just presented as an indulgent cheesecake - that's the kind of endo-beating games we play around here!

The 'cheese' mixture is rich and tangy thanks for the dairy-free cream cheese and great for your gut health because of the yogurt. There's also no added sugar and the use of low-sugar berries like blackberries is a great way to keep inflammation at bay. Use gluten-free oat to make the recipe gluten-free, and sub out the walnuts and nut butters for more oats and a seed butter if you need a nut-free version, but the walnuts do add a great crumble to the base. This recipe is high in saturated fat, due to the coconut oil and coconut yogurt - so keep that in mind as you plan the rest of your meals. Like I said, this is one for those special occasions.

Start the day with a breakfast full of good-fats, slow releasing carbs, probiotics and vitamins, whilst eating cheesecake for breakfast - the definition of having your (cheese)cake and eating it too!

Prep time: 10 minutes (refrigerate overnight)
Servings: 2

Ingredients for healthy cheesecake:

For the base:

• 50g/1¾ oz gluten-free oats
• 25g/1 oz walnuts
• 1 tablespoon cashew butter
• ½ tablespoon of coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or a scraping of vanilla pod

For the cheese:

• 75g/2⅔ oz coconut yoghurt
• 75g/2⅔ oz dairy-free cream cheese
• Optional: a scraping of vanilla pod

Topping: 80g/3 oz of blackberries or other low sugar fruit

Directions for healthy cheesecake:

1. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts, oats, cashew butter, oil and vanilla till a pliable dough forms.
2. Divide the dough between two shallow glasses or ramekins, and press down with your fingers or the back of a spoon to form the cheesecake base.
3. Blend together the yoghurt and cream cheese. Add more vanilla to taste.
4. Divide the mixture evenly between the glasses and spread smooth. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. The next day, top with a few crushed low-sugar berries.