A Decadent Holiday Cherry Pie Topped Cheesecake Made Skinny

Beautiful chunks of ruby-colored cherries top this divine vanilla cheesecake.  This dessert will be the crowning glory to a magnificent holiday meal. It’s so rich, creamy and taste so decadent.  Each slice has 270 calories, 9 grams of fat and 8 Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS. Cheesecake Factory’s Original Cheesecake has 500 calories and 36 grams of fat per slice. You can enjoy every bite of this skinny cheesecake, guilt-free!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Bake Time 35 minutes
Refrigerate for 6 hours*

Ingredients for Crust:

1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons reduced-fat butter, melted

Ingredients for Filling:

2 (8oz) packages reduced-fat cream cheese (I like Philadelphia 25% less fat)

2 egg whites

1 large egg

1 cup sugar

½ cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Ingredients for Topping:

1 (21 oz) can Comstock cherry pie filling

Instructions

1. To make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch spring form pan with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter.  Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside.

3. To make filling: Using an electric mixer, or a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy and smooth.  Slowly mix in the egg whites, egg and sugar until smooth. Stir in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Pour the mixture over the crust and spread evenly. Using a rubber spatula makes it easier to spread.

4. Bake for 35- 40 minutes or until the center is set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

5. To make topping: After the cheesecake has been refrigerated, remove from spring form pan and place on a serving plate.  Top the cheesecake with the cherry pie filling Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 12 servings

Food Fact
Cream cheese may be America’s oldest packaged food. Philadelphia brand cream cheese went on sale in 1885. Before then, this cheese was so perishable, it was bought only near the dairies where it was made.

Baking Tips
Always beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy before adding all of the other ingredients. Once the cheese is fluffy, slowly add the rest of the ingredients. If you beat too much air into the batter the cheesecake can fall during baking

Cheesecake needs even heat in order to rise properly. It’s best not to open the oven to peek for the first 30 minutes. Drafts can cause the cheesecake to crack.  But don’t worry if it does crack because the top is covered  with cherry pie topping.

Storage Tip
Keep covered in the refrigerator for several days. This cheesecake also freezes great. Cut into single servings, wrap and freeze. When ready to unfreeze, unwrap and defrost on top of the counter.

Weight Watchers (old points) 6
Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS 8

SKINNY FACTS: for 1 slice 270 cal, 9g fat, 43g carbs, 7g protein, 1g fiber, 342mg sodium, 33g sugar

FAT FACTS: for 1 slice of Cheesecake Factory’s Original Cheesecake 500 cal, 36g fat, 42g carbs, 9g protein, 1g fiber, 310mg sodium, 34g sugar