As soon as Maxi Nutrition sent me a bundle of their goodies to test and review, I knew EXACTLY what I had to make. I had a real craving for Nutella (somehow, this seems to happen most days) and I decided to proteinise one of my favourite cheesecakes ever.
Maxi Nutrition are one of my all-time favourite sports nutrition companies and produce only the best quality protein powders and supplements. Not only does it taste great (I highly recommend Promax Lean, which also contains guarana to help with energy, as well as the dark chocolate bars), but they also have top quality ingredients, which so many of the cheaper brands don't.
Anyway, the second I made this Nutella Protein Cheesecake, I knew that I had to share it with you guys today. I mean, we all need cheering up on a Monday, right? And what better way than with a slice of pure, utter deliciousness?
This cheesecake is about as "clean" as they get and is free from refined sugars and other nasties. Although it's not dairy-free, it can easily be adapted with coconut yoghurt (I wholly recommend Co-yo), so have a play with the ingredients and make it your own! Can't be bothered with making your own Nutella? Don't worry, just throw in some PB or almond butter instead!
I also made the base for this with the delicious Freeist sugar-free cookies. However, you can also make this Paleo by using my cheesecake base recipe here.
Basically, the world is your cheesecake oyster. Raid your kitchen cupboards, let loose and go!
Sam x
P.S If you have a go at making this cheesecake, don't forget to tweet me your creations!
NUTELLA PROTEIN CHEESECAKE
Ingredients:
For the base:
150g Freeist sugar-free chocolate chip cookies
100g ground almonds
1 tbsp Creative Nature raw cacao
3-4 tbsp melted Lucy Bee coconut oil
(or click here for a Paleo base)
For the Nutella filling:
400g homemade protein Nutella (click here for my recipe)
250g pot of Quark
250g extra light cream cheese
1-2 tbsp stevia (to taste)
1 scoop MaxiNutrition chocolate protein powder
100g chopped, roasted hazelnuts to decorate
Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 170C. Blend together the chocolate chip cookies, ground almonds and cacao until they form a crumb and start to come together. Slowly add in the melted coconut oil and blend until the mixture sticks together. Press into the bottom of a sprain-form cake tin and bake for 8 minutes, then leave to cool.
2) In the meantime, whizz together your homemade Nutella, Quark and cream cheese until smooth. Add in the protein powder and blend again. Add in the stevia, one tablespoon at a time, and blend until you get desired sweetness.
3) Pour the Nutella filling over the base, then smooth over the top with a spatula. Scatter over the chopped hazelnuts, then place in the freezer for a few hours to set. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer to let soften slightly, then cut into slices and enjoy!
