Oh boy, do I have a treat for you. It’s an easy recipe for healthy Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bites with a twist. Instead of using cream cheese made from cow’s milk, I substituted soft goat’s milk cheese. I know, I know, you are thinking, I thought she is allergic to dairy. However, the problematic protein, casein, which is a common culprit in dairy allergies, varies among different milking animal species.
While we oftentimes associate dairy with only cows, we also get milk from goat and sheep. Since each mammal has different protein variants in their milk, it’s possible to be allergic to the milk of only one animal. Before getting to this yummy recipe, let’s discuss goat’s milk, shall we?
What’s So Good About Goat’s Milk?
Casein |
Casein is a protein variant found in all milk. Oftentimes, people with dairy allergies, have difficulty with the alpha S1 casein found in cow’s milk. Studies have found that goat’s milk is very low in alpha S1 casein and primarily contains alpha S2 casein. This is why some individuals allergic to cow’s dairy can use goat’s dairy products without ill effects. Structurally, the casein found in goat’s milk is sufficiently different from that found in cow’s milk.
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Lactose |
For those with lactose intolerance, goat’s milk is a great alternative as it is naturally lower in lactose than cow’s milk. This is one of the reasons goat’s milk may be easier to digest. Some research has found that the oligosaccharides present in goat’s milk lends to the digestibility as does the fat composition.
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Fat |
The major difference between the milkfat of the goat and the cow is the percentage and distribution of specific short and medium chain fatty acids. Goat’s milk has a higher proportion of these fatty acids which makes it easier to digest. Goat’s milk also has a higher proportion of capric, caprylic and caproic fatty acids. These fatty acids have strong antiviral and antimicrobial properties which help combat viruses, bacteria and yeast in the gut.
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Vitamins
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The vitamin and mineral content of goat’s milk and cow’s milk is generally similar, however, goat’s milk has 13% more calcium, 25% more vitamin B6, 47% more vitamin A, a whopping 134% percent more potassium. It also has three times more niacin and four times more copper than cow’s milk. Goat’s milk also contains 27% more of the antioxidant selenium than cow’s milk. Finally, goat’s milk contains higher levels of the serotonin precursor, tryptophan.
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This bite is topped with my Dairy-Free Coconut Whipped Cream whipped in an iSi whipper. Another delicious option would be to top with a tangy goat yogurt.
We are loving the Redwood Hill Farm plain unsweetened variety (see picture above).
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bites
Bake Time: 35 minutes
Makes: 18
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Soft Goat Cheese, Room Temperature
- 5 Large Organic Eggs
- 15 oz. Fig Foods Co. Organic Pumpkin Puree
- 3/4 c. Smart Sweet Non-GMO Erythritol Granules
- 1/2 tsp. NuNaturals Pure White Stevia Extract Powder
- 1 Tbsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Directions
- In a mixing bowl, with electric beaters on medium, mix together 2 eggs and goat cheese, until creamy.
- Add in pumpkin, sweetener, spice and extract and mix until smooth.
- To the mixture add remaining eggs and beat on low until just combined.
- Line regular size muffin tins with non-stick liners and fill with scant 1/4 c. of mixture.
- Bake at 350° F for 35 minutes.
- Let cool on rack then refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Recipe Notes
The goat cheese I used was from Costco. Although the package wasn’t labelled as such, it is often called “chevre”. It is soft and crumbly without a rind. You can see it in the picture above. I recently discovered these fabulous unbleached non-stick muffin/cupcake liners. They really truly are non-stick.
No comments ?!?!?!?!???
I am going to make these right now.
With the website transfer, I lost all my comments. Look forward to your review. I made these a second time with a little less sweetener.
OK, well that would make more sense. Something like this usually gets a “I want to make them” or “that sounds awesome” right away
Lost all of your comments ??? OUCH. Well. I have a very positive review to start off the new commentary – I just ate too much of this. It’s a dangerous slope no matter what, but I will say it didn’t make me go as crazy as if it was sugar. That said……… I don’t think they seem like cheesecake at all to me. But they DO seem exactly like pumpkin pie. Awesome pumpkin pie. My children (3 and 4) have never had pumpkin pie yet as they refused to try it at T-giving — but they have eaten pumpkin lately so they popped them right in and loved them. I topped them with some sour cream that I sweetened with NuNatural Orange Stevia drops. And I do not have the sweeteners you typically use, so I used Truvia. Now I just have to try two things when I try them for T-giving. #1-I need to half this recipe unless I’m taking it somewhere. #2-I want to try with more cheese in the cheese to pumpkin ratio.
There. I hope I made up some for the lost comments here. The space anyway
oh, one more tip for the readers. I worried about them coming out of the tin and/or not being covered if I didn’t use liners, but didn’t have or want to get special liners. I used the silver 2 ply kind of cupcake liners – and I sprayed them a bit with a cake release spray that I have (i know, not everyone might want to do that) but — it worked like a charm. I did it with regular and mini muffin tins. This recipe was great in both sizes !
So glad I can count on you to comment!
These are even better after being refrigerated overnight. Make a tasty breakfast alongside a hot cup of coffee.
My daughter and I just made these yummy fall treats! We can hardly wait the 8 hours to try them ;0)
They didn’t even make it an hour in the fridge!! Some family came over and devoured them all!!
Sounds like they were a hit!
Thank you for sharing re: goat’s milk. This has been helpful.