Cheesecake is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, but it's hard to be pleased with the fat in many classic versions -- usually more than 30 grams a serving.

A delicious lighter cheesecake is possible, however.

Typical cheesecakes contain as much as three-quarters of a pound of fat, most of it from the cream cheese and heavy cream or sour cream in the filling. In addition, a traditional graham cracker crust can add an entire stick of butter.

Making a healthful -- yet still satisfying -- cheesecake is just a matter of choosing the right ingredients.

Nutritionist Ellie Krieger, the host of the Food Network show Healthy Appetite , recommends reduced-fat rather than nonfat ingredients because they significantly cut fat, saturated fat and calories without sacrificing taste and texture.

In most cheesecake recipes you can, at the very least, replace regular cream cheese with Neufchatel (reduced-fat cream cheese) which has fewer calories and about a third of the fat.

Additionally, you can replace about half the cream cheese with a smooth puree of reduced-fat cottage cheese, which will cut fat and calories even more.

If you're adapting a recipe that calls for a graham cracker crust, you can cut fat and calories a lot by using a small amount of canola oil rather than a lot of butter to bind the crumbs together.

In her recipe for ricotta cheesecake with fresh raspberries, Ms. Krieger uses a blend of Neufchatel and pureed part-skim ricotta cheese. The resulting cake is creamy and has the delicious cheese flavor you would expect.

This recipe further reduces calories and fat by eliminating the crust. A bit of flour added to the batter forms a golden-brown "crust" on the sides and bottom as the cheesecake bakes.

The serving size of Ms. Krieger's cheesecake is a nice big wedge, heaped with fresh raspberries.

"We eat with our eyes," she says. "If the slice looks small, you'll be dissatisfied before you even take a bite."

RICOTTA CHEESECAKE WITH FRESH RASPBERRIES

Start to finish: 1 hour 10 minutes (15 minutes active) plus 3 hours 20 minutes cooling time

Servings: 8

15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

4 ounces Neufchatel (reduced-fat cream cheese), softened

3 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup all-fruit seedless raspberry jam

1 tablespoon orange liqueur or water

Two 6-ounce containers fresh raspberries

Heat oven to 325 F. Coat a 9-inch, leakproof springform pan with cooking spray.

In a food processor, puree the ricotta until smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream, Neufchatel, eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, orange zest and salt and process until well blended. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the center is just set, 50 to 55 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before removing it from the pan. The cheesecake will be about 2 inches high. In a small saucepan, bring the jam and liqueur to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Brush the top of the cheesecake with the jam mixture, then top with raspberries, flat side down.

The cake should be stored in the refrigerator. It will keep for 2 to 3 days.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: 295 calories; 13 grams fat (8 grams saturated); 127 milligrams cholesterol; 36 grams carbohydrate; 10 grams protein; 3 grams fiber; 375 milligrams. sodium.

Recipe from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave (Taunton Press, 2008).