Carb Friendly Cheesecake

I watched a cooking segment on the Today show during which Valerie Bertinelli showed how to make her Sugar Free Cheesecake.

It looked amazing and delicious, but I've had bad experiences with recipes using sugar replacements, so I have adapted her recipe into my version, which is not sugar free, but is very carb friendly. I did this because I was concerned about the aftertaste of the sugar replacement, Swerve. My goal was to add just a few additional ingredients in small amounts to help offset that aftertaste a bit. I've never used Swerve before, and as I tasted it right out of the package as I was using it, I immediately realized it was much better than any other brand I have used before in baking.  

Here's how I did it, and the entire list of ingredients and directions are listed below the images.

The crust, pressed into the pan and ready for the oven.

The filling, ready to pour into the crust.

The cheesecake, baking in a water bath.

Cooling, out of the bath and unwrapped.

Optional toppings.

My little trick to get the glaze drizzled on in nice straight lines.

It's creamy, with a subtle flavor and cuts nicely! The crust is not overly sweet. True, it can't compare to all my fancy cheesecakes that I love to bake, but overall, I'm pleased with it and think it's a great option for enjoying cheesecake without consuming way too many carbs! I didn't find myself complaining about any undesired aftertastes at all!!

Side view, showing how the crust looks!

Spoon City Kitchen Carb Friendly Cheesecake

(Adapted from Valerie Bertinelli’s Sugar Free Cheesecake recipe)

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 ¼ cups almond flour

½ cup pecans

¼ cup Swerve powdered sugar replacement sweetener (not granulated)

6 tablespoons butter (NOT unsalted), melted

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 Biscoff cookies

Filling:

5 (eight oz.) bricks room temperature cream cheese

2 cups Swerve powdered sugar replacement sweetener

1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 tablespoons apple butter

1/3 cup sour cream

3 large eggs

Optional Toppings:

Glaze:

Combine ¾ cup Swerve powdered sugar replacement sweetener, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon apple butter, and 2 tablespoons whipping cream (not heavy) into a bowl and vigorously stir or whisk until smooth.  Gradually add small amounts of water at a time with a teaspoon and whisk until you get it to the consistency you desire.  Ideally, it should drizzle off the tip of a spoon easily without the thread breaking.   Drizzle in a criss-cross fashion over the surface of the cooled cheesecake.

Crumb Topping:

Combine a heaping handful of pecan halves, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 Biscoff cookie in food processor and process to a medium fine crumb.  Sprinkle around the top of the glazed cheesecake in a circle around the edge. 

Directions:

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare a 9 inch springform pan by spraying generously with butter flavored non-stick spray, set aside.

Add the pecans and cookies to a food processor and process to a fine crumb.  Add almond flour, cinnamon, and Swerve sweetener and process again until well combined.

Pour into a medium bowl and add melted butter. 

Mix vigorously with a fork until it becomes well moistened and begins to clump together.  Make sure to scrape across the bottom and see to it that all dry ingredients are moistened before pouring mixture into the center of the prepared springform pan.

Press mixture from the center outward to the edge as evenly as possible by hand, then use a flat-bottomed ¼ cup measuring cup and press from the center out evenly to smooth and as you do so, press up the edge of the pan about 1 ½ inches.

Bake 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  You can let it cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes and then place it in the freezer to finish cooling.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Set cooled crust aside.  It’s ready for the filling.

Filling:

Combine all ingredients except eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Hand mix together with a spoon, then mix on medium speed until smooth, stopping the mixer several times to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. 

Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. 

Remove mixing bowl from mixer base and scrape sides and bottom of bowl, then give the filling a stir with the spoon for a minute.

Place filling into cooled crust and gently spread surface smooth and even.  Leaving the pan on the surface of countertop, gently spin back and fourth side to side to bring air bubbles to the surface.  Pop air bubbles with a toothpick.

To use a water bath method that does not leak into pan and ruin crust, place a crock pot liner on countertop, spread open.  Put springform pan in center and pull liner up to just beneath the turned down upper edge of the pan.  Pull excess to one side and twist to tighter, secure with a twisty tie.  Then sit lined pan in center of aluminum foil sheet and turn up all the way around, to the top edge of the pan.  Use the heavy duty size foil, as it is wide enough to use only one sheet, thereby preventing leaks.

Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour (all ovens vary), until slightly jiggly in the center and lightly browned on the top.  Turn oven off and wait 12 minutes, then crack oven door open and allow to cool in oven an additional 20 minutes.  Remove pan from water bath, remove foil and liner and place on wire rack to cool to room temperature.  Loosely cover the cheesecake, not allowing anything to touch the surface, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

If using optional toppings, once cheesecake is cooled completely to room temperature, before placing in refrigerator, prepare toppings and apply.  Then refrigerate the minimum 4 hours before serving.

Carb Count:

Entire cheesecake, no toppings:  68 net carbs, which equals 8.5 carbs per serving if cut into 8 servings, and 6.8 if cut into 10 servings.

Entire cheesecake, with toppings:  88 net carbs, which equals 11 carbs per serving if cut into 8 servings, and 8.8 if cut into 10 servings.