HAPPY NATIONAL CHEESECAKE DAY! July 30th! I want to celebrate this made up holiday too…without feeling bad about it!
Anybody can make a cheesecake with cream cheese, sugar, butter, graham crackers + an F-load of fat. Try making it TASTY without such luxuries. Unfortunately, a slice of original cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory sets you back 450 calories + contains 28g fat + 32g sugar.
Challenge Accepted. Here’s your dairy, gluten + refined sugar free recipe. We’ve cut 200 calories, 50% fat + 70% sugar! Guess what, it’s also high-protein. Each slice has 15 grams protein!
Clients tested. It’s officially delicious + as luxuriously creamy + decadent as actual cheesecake, despite not having a speck of cream cheese in it! There’s no shortage of dairy free paleo cheesecake recipes online + many yield tasty treats, but I’ve yet to try a healthy one that actually yields the rich texture of cheesecake. My secrets:
#1 Don’t Skip the Eggs. In fact, use more! We’ll make up for some of the volume lost removing fat without losing body + gratify this as a high protein dessert! WHY? Read:
#2 Bake It. Genuinely love the idea of a no-bake cheesecake that firms up in the fridge. Yummy, but call it something else. It’s not a cheesecake. The baking process seals the deal, eliminating the wateriness inherent in the no-bake desserts.
Mouth watering yet? Make a guiltless cheesecake!
INGREDIENTS
As always, please choose organic ingredients for YOUR health!
CRUST
1/2 cup raw pecans
1/2 cup vanilla dairy free protein powder, or 2 Tbsp gluten free oat flour. Avoid straight pea protein or blends with greens. Try: Orgain, Plant Fusion, Garden of Life or Aloha
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp molasses
1/4 tsp pure stevia powder
pinch sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
CREAMY CHEESECAKE BATTER
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in boiling water (at least 1 hour)
1 cup full fat coconut milk
16 oz riced cauliflower. Can’t beat Via Familia from Costco
1 Tbsp pure stevia powder
1/2 cup pure erythritol powder
3 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract. I swear by Neilsen-Massey’s!
2 Tbsp coconut flour. Or if tummy can tolerate a smidge of 96% lactose-free whey protein, try: Natural Force
5 large eggs
5 egg whites
4 cups boiling water
DIRECTIONS
CRUSTPrep 9” springform pan. Remove ring + place parchment paper on bottom. Reposition ring + clamp shut. Very lightly grease side of pan with coconut oil. Center pan on a large piece of aluminum foil + fold excess foil up around side of pan. Place foil wrapped pan onto rimmed baking sheet or flat roasting pan. Set aside.
Place pecans in high-powered blender or food processor. Pulse until ground. Add remaining crust ingredients. Pulse until mixture has texture of coarse crumbs. Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Use fingers to firmly press evenly along bottom of pan. Set aside.
CHEESCAKE BATTER
Preheat oven to 300F.
Roughly chop cauliflower into chunks + place in clean blender. Pulse until cauliflower resembles “rice.” Place cauliflower in microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plate. Microwave 5 minutes on high to soften.
Rinse cashews + place in blender with coconut milk. Puree until silky smooth.
Add cauliflower. Puree til smooth. Add stevia, erythritol, honey, salt, apple cider vinegar + vanilla extract. Blend again til well-mixed. Add eggs. Blend on medium to get light + airy. Pour cheesecake batter over crust.
Cover top of cake with another piece of aluminum foil. Carefully, pour boiling water onto baking sheet or roasting pan surrounding cheesecake pan. This is going to allow cheesecake cook via steam (vs straight convection), delivering the creamy unctuous texture cheesecake lovers crave (vs rubbery crud reminiscent of best-intended high protein baking recipes).
Bake for 25 minutes on middle rack. Drop temperature to 225F + bake for 40 minutes.
To prevent center from “falling,” turn off oven + crack open door. Leave for an hour or so. Place covered cheesecake in fridge to allow to thoroughly cool. Promise, it’s worth waiting for!
Recipe yields 16 slices. Nutrition Info per Slice:
F+F Cheesecake 255 cals, 14g fat, 9g sugar, 15g protein
Cheesecake Factory 450 cals, 28g fat, 32g sugar, 7g protein
VARIATIONS
Almond. Sub almonds for pecans in crust. Reduce vanilla extract to ½ tsp. Add 1 tsp high quality almond extract. Highly recommend Neilsen-Massey’s! Decorate top of cheesecake with 2 Tbsp slivered or 1 Tbsp ground almonds tossed with pinch of erythritol.
Chocolate. Sub 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder into crust + skip cinnamon. Blend 1/3 cup cocoa powder into filling with sweeteners, omit coconut flour or protein powder.
Berry or Cherry Compote. Top with a tangy no-sugar added berry topping. Puree 2 cups of berries of your choice + zest + juice from half a lemon + in blender. Microwave: Pour into a heat-safe bowl + cover. Heat on high for 2-3 minutes or until reduced to desired consistency. Stovetop: Place in small saucepan + raise to boil over medium heat. Stirring regularly. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until desired consistency is reached.
