Cheesecake of summer freshness, stat!
Now you know there’s nothing like the freshness of berries straight from the farmer’s market or your garden, combined with fresh whipped cream, to make a dessert so delectably delicious and refreshing that everyone will love it. And I do mean everyone.
In fact, when I recently hosted my Hebrew National party, I made this cheesecake specifically to bring in a fun, fresh dessert aspect and to make my original recipe so much better and easier that even I’d jump at the chance to make it again and again. I serve this dish up to diabetics and their loved ones alike to the same response: “Damn girl. Give me that recipe and nobody gets hurt.”
In fact, it’s so fresh, you might even slap its little face and say, “I know you just didn’t.”
This cheesecake is so popping with flavor and freshness, no one would ever guess it’s sugar free and gluten free.
Ready to go? Well, let’s talk for a minute before you start making this confection and getting your fork ready. We always have this little chat, just the two of us, don’t we?I want to make sure you know everything you need to know before you bring the magic.
- I use Ideal/Kroger co-brand of sweetener in the purple bag, but you can use whatever floats your boat. I just love the Ideal/Kroger No-Sugar Baking Blend because it measures cup-for-cup like sugar and I can find it locally.
- It doesn’t matter if you use greek yogurt/Fage or sour cream for this recipe. I went with Fage because I knew I was going to use fresh fruit, and there’s nothing quite like fresh fruit and yogurt. This is like breakfast for dessert, which means you can eat this for breakfast. Bam! Problem solved. No go back to being your fabulous self.
- For the nut crusts, keep a bag of frozen, processed nuts always ready to go. Freezing the crumbs keeps them fresh and ready for use.
- Keeping a shallow pan of water in the oven on the shelf underneath the cheesecake prevents the top of the dessert from cracking. And we all know the world needs a little less crack.
- Fresh fruit doesn’t require any special preparation. Don’t bother soaking it in sweetener-water or any foolishness like that. Go fresh or go home, honey.
- You can freeze this recipe once baked, but don’t add the whipped topping and fruit until after thawing.
- This recipe is delicious and deserving of its only 7 net carbs, and is sugar free, gluten free and ready for your kitchen.
Simply Delicious Sugar-Free Cheesecake
For the Filling:
5 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar equivalent substitute
3 eggs
½ cup Fage Total Classic Plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
For the crust:
1 cup almonds, whole
2 Tbsp sugar equivalent substitute
4 Tbsp butter, melted
For the topping:
1 cup unsweetened, heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp sugar equivalent substitute
Fresh fruit
Making the crust:
Process nuts together until resembling coarse crushed graham crackers. Mix almond meal, butter and sweetener. Press in bottom of a 9-10” springform pan. Place in fridge.
Making the Filling:
Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a mixer, beat cream cheese with sweetener on medium for about one minute. On low, add eggs, one at a time, until just blended. Finally, add Fage, lemon juice and vanilla and beat just until blended (10-30 seconds).
Pour into crust. Place a pan of water in the rack below the cheesecake. Bake until set, 1 hour 15 minutes-90 minutes. Cool on rack for 15 minutes before moving to chill in the refrigerator.
Making the Topping:
Combine whipping cream with sweetener and beat in a mixer for 3-5 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. With a spatula, gently frost the top of the cheesecake with topping. Cover with fresh fruit.
Makes 16 servings.
Nutritional Information for one serving without whipped topping and fruit (as shown): Calories: 351, Carbohydrates: 8g, Fiber: 2g, Net Carbs: 6g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 8g
Nutritional Information for one serving with whipped topping and fruit (as shown): Calories: 382, Carbohydrates: 9.6g, Fiber: 2.3g, Net Carbs: 7.3g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 10g
Do you think using light cream cheese would be OK?
Hi, Jean! I would say yes, but use caution. The lower fat cream cheeses tend to bump carbs with sugar to mask the flavor change from fat removal. You might be adding a carb per ounce to save a little fat, so definitely look to the brands and label shop for your best option!
This looks and sounds so fabulous. I just made the cheese cupcakes into a cake yesterday.
That sounds so nice, Helga!
Seriously, this is magazine cover worthy! Gorgeous! I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you so much! I am working to learn the camera schtuffs. I hope you love this dessert as much we have!
Hi Jamie Looks really good, but just a little confused on the topping instructions. Do you just mix the heavy cream and sweetener together without beating the cream at all? It looks like it is slightly thickened??
Sorry to be my usual mixed up self!
Nancy
Well, doop! You’re right. You whip up the cream until stiff. Can’t you read my mind yet? How long have we known each other?
Thanks Jamie, I should be able to read your mind, after reading your recipes for so long, but sometimes my mind is somewhat vacant!
Mine too! We can host a party in ours sometime?
Sure, lots of room here! After all this I am now off to the store to buy some lovely strawberries and blueberries.
Hi there! I am new to your site and really looking forward to trying this recipe – YUMMY! One question though – under “Making the Crust” it says “Mix flour, butter and erythritol”. I am assuming this is a typo but I just want to clarify before I begin mixing.
Thanks!
Rhonda
What the WHAT?! Getting rid of the specific sweetener mention now. Thank you!! And of course I mean almond flour where I say flour…
havent tried this but the pretty party cheesecake was to die and it didnt need crust or topping
When you say sugar substitute – any one that is powder or can you use the liquid .. Or is this something the bulking stuff in the powder ones is actually important ?
Hi there! You can use either, though there are definite benefits to any bulkier sweetener in powder form (will help bulk the recipe and keep it solid). Maybe you can do half liquid/half solid, or use a very concentrated liquid sweetener and make a tiny cheesecake and see what you think? I am a huge fan of smaller recipe portions when testing something for the first time. That way, worst-case, you didn’t lose much if you weren’t happy with the results. I sometimes thing the more concentrated the sweetener, the scarier. I have had some bad stevia moments on occasion with baking! lol
Thanks I will Use the powdered – I just get confused with the powdered and liquid and like I’ve said I’m so not a baker but you are so making me try with the cheesecakes recipes 😉
Try? There is no try! You ARE a baker! Trust me. If I can do it, so can you!
For the topping:
1 cup unsweetened, heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp cup sugar equivalent substitute
Fresh fruit
What is the second ingredient measurement? 2Tbs cup?
*sigh* I swear… Sorry about that! My head’s been in the clouds today. It’s Tbsp and not a cup. I am smoking crack or sumpin.
For the crust, does almond meal mean the processed almonds? Or do you mean almond flour? How much flour?
Yes! Sorry for the confusing terms. Almond flour is a finer meal. For the crust, I prefer the meal, but the flour would work, too! I think the more coarse the nuts, the more reminiscent it is of an actual graham cracker crust!
“And we all know the world needs a little less crack.”
Yes! Less butt crack and other kind too!
Preach!
This is similar to one I make except mine doesn’t have a topping or the lemon juice and it uses more eggs. (https://bit.ly/z5hGsC)
(Plus I specify the sweeteners to help with the carb counting, though I do like your way of leaving it up to the baker.)
Your recipe is slightly lower in carbs than mine if you make it without the crust (and count 1/2 c blackberries as the fruit). That would drop your carbs to about 1.4 g with 0.2 g fiber for 1.2 g net carbs.*
The way I set it up (no crust, no topping), mine comes to 2.4 per slice. It is rich and creamy and truly delicious, but I plan to try yours and see how it goes. =)
BTW – I’ve found that if you can hold off eating a cheesecake for about 24 hours, the flavors meld and grow and are soooo much better than eating it right away.
Thanks for the recipe! I look forward to making it tonight. =)
One more thing: how do you feel about mixing artificial sweeteners? In my experience, using two or more types produces a sweeter taste than sticking to just one. Have you experienced / heard of this claim and what do you think about it?
Cheers!
New John
—–
* Of course, this depends a lot on the sweetener you choose to use and how you count those carbs. For example, I don’t count carbs in Truvia because it’s rebiana and erythritol, but I count 0.5 carbs per packet for Splenda, Equal, and the like because of the bulking agents they use. If I use a spoonable artificial sweetener, I go with the count on the package since they all use bulking agents. In my opinion, losing the “bulking” offered by spoonable sweeteners isn’t that big a deal. YMMV.
Hi, John! I have found that more than one sweetener is typically needed to get the best results. Example: xylitol has a cooling effect, but put it together with sucralose (as with the Ideal/Kroger co-brand) and there’s no cooling effect and the bulking of the sucralose helps the product and the sweetness without causing me the typical cravings I experience with sucralose alone and is measured cup for cup like sugar. I will also combine xylitol and erythritol together occasionally, and keep those on hand as well; both erythritol and xylitol tend to have a cooling effect, but placed together they behave more like sugar. Truvia is a combination of stevia and erythritol and a nice, even flavor without the massive bulking (3/4 tsp = 2 tsp sugar). I’ve just found that no one sweetener is as good as combining two and reaping the benefits of both.
Heating any aspartame-containing sweetener isn’t a good idea. If you’ve ever tasted a Diet Coke that’s been left in a hot garage, it is pretty horrible–and for a reason. “Any heating, even at the end of cooking will cause diketopiperazine and free phenylalanine to quickly form. Significant amounts of DKP are formed when aspartame is stored in liquid form at room temperature. Heating will speed that process considerably. See Tsang (1985) discussed above.” source
It is nice to meet you! I loved seeing your take on cheesecake, and I love how you also have a tendency to combine nut meals for a more authentic crust!
Thanks for the thoughts on mixing sweeteners and the information about heating aspartame. =)
What size pan did you use for yours?
Hi, Mary! I used an 12″. I had more people coming for dinner, so I wanted more surface area.
I am thinking about splitting this into large muffin size cheesecake. How long do you think I should bake them?
I’d say 30 minutes?
This looks so good!
Hi,
I am trying to avoid eating sugar. What would you say is the minimum amount of sugar that I should use (I do not really have sweet tooth)?
Thank you.
Hi, Alina! I would avoid sugar altogether and use the equivalent in replacement sweeteners. I really personally like the Ideal/Kroger co-brand.
Hey Jamie, I tried your cheesecake. I actually messed it up the first time because I had two recipes out at the same time; the other one needed 4 eggs at room temperature, and that’s what I ended up using in THIS cheesecake! When I made it the right way, I decided I actually liked it better with the extra egg; the texture seemed maybe a little lighter or something I dunno. It probably would have worked best as 2 cakes though because it did get really big and crack on the top, but everyone still raved about it. I also used the juice and zest of one whole lemon. it was SO delicious!! Keep doing what you’re doin! Love ya girl!
I love it when a plan comes together! I believe the texture was probably lighter. Did you try the pan of water in the bottom of the oven? It seems that the steam keeps the cracks from being obnoxious. I had one crack one time that looked like a Zelda Tri-Force.
I made the cheesecake last night and it wasn’t cool enough to eat yet…so I had some for breakfast! OMG it is soooo good! For the crust, I used Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal, which turned out to be just the right texture. I put frozen blueberries on mine, because it’s what I had on hand.
I am so glad you liked this, Debbie! I am making another one today for my daughter’s 16th Birthday–requested by her. Isn’t it so great to know you’re eating something that won’t make you hungry minutes later? And for breakfast? Yes, please. I love your additions.
Hey Jamie
I would like to make this for a ladies luncheon I am having next week. Do you think if I made 1/2 recipe that it would serve 5? Everything is easy to halve, except the eggs – do you think 2 would work? Thanks for your help (again)!
Hi, Nancy… If you halve the recipe, are you using a smaller pan? Otherwise you might almost end up with a cheese omelet. Is there any way you can make the full cheesecake and freeze half? That way, you could serve the other half to guests.
I have an 8″ springform pan, I thought would probably work. I could make the whole thing and promise myself that I would freeze half, but sometimes those promises don’t work out very well!
Well, maybe I will make the whole thing and send the rest home with my friends as a little
gift.
Thanks for all your help.
I made this recipe with Stevia, which I think was a mistake because it turned out salty tasting. Next time I’ll make it with xylitol. Otherwise, the crust was amazing. I ground up an additional 1/2 C almonds so it would cover the whole bottom with a normal amount of crust.
Awesome, Penny, on the crust! I feel you on the stevia. I tend to use sweetener mixes because I’ve rarely been happy with just one.
I didn’t have a springform pan, so I used a large, round cake pan…it turned out fantastic! So yummy!!!!! The whipped topping really made it top notch!
Anne, that is a great idea! I am glad you like this. Thanks so much for letting me know what your process is and for taking the time to write!
When you say cook until set….what does that actually mean? lol how will it look when I set? I’ve never made cheesecake haha
Hi there! I totally get what you’re saying. Cook until the center doesn’t jiggle. It should be lightly firm to the touch and not liquid, with a slightly dull color. I hope that helps. Cheesecake is so wonderful! I hope you try it!
I did make it and it was wonderful! Im making another one today for all the ladies at my work as a thankyou for all the baby gifts they got me when I had my baby. I can’t wait for them to try it!
I am so happy you like this. Yay!
I made this for a party. People were literally hovering over it and fighting for a bite!! At least 4 propel asked for the recipe? I only got 2 bites! These people don’t eat sugar free either!!
Teresa– that is hilarious! I am so sorry you didn’t get more, though… Sheesh. It’s a testament to your terrific cooking!
I made this tonight for my Diabetic wife (who loves cheesecake) and it was much better than my last attempt at sugar free cheesecake, but not quite there. I used Truvia and she felt it wasn’t sweet enough. I liked it but I’m not a big fan of cheesecake. Here are my questions, I see above where adding an egg makes it lighter, which is good but if I add more Greek yogurt will that make it creamier? Also according to my calculations (2/3tbs Truvia to 2tbs Sugar) I should have used 9tbs of Truvia which I did. Do you think 11 would be too much next time? (BTW she didn’t stop eating!) I also used a nut mixture and thought it turned out very good, pecans, peanuts and almonds. FYI I omitted the topping for the lower overall carb count.
Dave, I would say that sour cream would make this dish creamier probably than even Greek Yogurt since sour cream is easier to liquefy than a dense yogurt. Per the sweetener, I would taste the batter to know for sure whether the batter is too sweet, if you don’t mind tasting where a raw egg is concerned. Start with 9 Tbsp and then add by Tbsp until you are happy with the amount of sweetener taste in the batter.
I tasted before the eggs and it was grainy. I thought about tasting it after but shied away because of the eggs. Next time I will. Thanks for the feedback.
For the crust it says “1 cup almonds”. Are the almonds measured before they are processed, or do I measure 1 cup of the processed almonds? Thanks! I’m trying this as an alternative for my baby girl’s 3rd birthday. She is on a low carb diet to help control her seizures.
Hi, Heather! It’s just the cup of almonds that you then process. I will work for more clarity! Thank you.
I made this last night for my birthday today. I used sour cream instead of the yogurt which has a lower carb count but my calculations come out to 10 carbs per 16th/slice.( I used splenda)?????Even if I deduct the fiber in the almonds, the carb count is still higher. I’m going with the higher carb count so I do not completely mess up my numbers for the day. I tasted a small chunk that fell off (what? it could happen) and it taste amazing. Looking so forward to this tonight. 🙂 Thank you for the great recipe
Hi, Jamie, and Happy Birthday! I will look at the numbers again, but I was pretty cautious calculating. It is probably our different software. Each calculates numbers slightly differently.
I looked online and in the books and on the labels. I was actually hoping to cut crabs with the sour cream. I am suspecting that the cup and a half of splenda is the culprit here. Not sure what sweetner you used . Im not “calling” you out. I was just a little surprised. I cannot wait to dive into this tonight! THANK YOU!
It’s most likely the Splenda. The filler/bulking agent adds carbohydrates to the sweetener.
I’ve been on a quest for a sugar-free cheesecake recipe to make for my brother for our family’s post-Christmas Christmas dinner, and just discovered that I’ve emailed this recipe to myself twice. 🙂 Can’t wait to make it, & thanks for sharing! I’m a bit of a novice in the sugar-free/low-carb world, although with PCOS, I really should learn more…
I made this cheesecake for my hubby’s birthday & it was to-die-for! Subbed sour cream for the yogurt, added more nuts to the crust & made a blueberry sauce thickened with chia seeds instead of the fresh fruit. No one even knew it was sugar free/low carb! Also, my mom is a national cooking contester…she has been to the Pillsbury Bake-off three times, won finalist prizes in National Beef, won a prize at the Build a Better Burger cook off, etc. She tried this last night and was so impressed! She couldn’t believe the texture/consistency of the cheesecake & said it was better than a traditional cheesecake. She also said the nut crust was so good she could eat it plain. Thanks (once again) for a great recipe Jamie…didn’t even need to “cheat” on a special occasion!
P.S. I also made the cauliflower tots with a cheese sauce – another big hit!
Hi, Hayley! What a wonderful testimony! I so appreciate it! You have made my morning. It means so much when discerning palates find something positive in my work. I am such a fan of cheesecake…
Just made this, and I give this cheesecake 10 out of 10! Jamie, seriously, thank you for posting this recipe! Made this a few days ago, strictly adhering to your recipe and it turned out amazing. I’ve never made cheesecake before, but this was crazy-easy. I mean it, this is as good as or better than any cheesecake I’ve ever had, and the fact that it’s sugar-free and LCHF, too?! Is my jumping-up-and-down disposition coming through in this message?!
Just a couple of questions: (1) have you experimented with flavors? I’m tempted to play around with the lemon on this to see if I can make a lemon cheesecake for spring, but don’t know what effect the acid will have. (2) Also, I’m trying to bump up my egg yolk consumption (planning to get pregnant in the next few months), and want to know if you think there might be any issue in adding 2 or 3 yolks to the recipe. I’m thinking the texture might be a little less fluffy, but other than that…? Thx!
I am so glad you like this recipe! I am such a fan of cheesecake that I make them as often as I can. It makes m so happy to hear your personal experience with the dessert.
To answer your questions: 1. I do have about 12 recipes on the site for various flavors/types of cheesecakes, but I haven’t tried anything schnazzy in terms of adding flavorings (save for the Kahlua). 2. I think you could add a couple of yolks to the recipe. Maybe you can use one less whole egg and add in 3 yolks instead.
I am just getting into eating low carb, is it actually healthier to eat low carb? Does the higher fat content that we’ve been told to eat less of actually make us healthier? I’m confused on how to eat and have found that when I eat more veggies and meat and fruit that I feel better. I love cheesecake and want to try this one but am wondering if I should try and make it with less fat?
This was amazing !!!!! I recently started dating a diabetic and my normal thing is so win them over with my baking lol… but of coarse he cant have all the carbs … my friend introduced me to ur site.. I made him this and he loved it1!! And so did I lol I will def b making this again.. I would love to c your take on a protien powder cookie 🙂 thank you ..keep it coming ur awesome!!
I am wanting to make this for a family get together. I don’t bake sugar free. Can I use only xylitol for the sweetener? Thanks
Yes!!
I do hesitate to try this, I made one other lo carb cheesecake, expensive and not at all good tasting. I think it was from using splenda and I think it called for way too much. I would not like to toss over half of it away like I did with the other one.
Did you have a recommendation for a sugar substitute? I tried Stevia but people complained about the aftertaste.
This delicious-sounding recipe is NOT sugar-free. Lemon has sugar. Cream cheese has sugar. So does yogurt.
Rather, this is a LOW-CARB recipe.
This cheesecake has no cracks due to the bain Marie
beneath the cake. NO CRACKS YA HEAR ME?
It’s creamy and light with a fabulous nut crust.
The fruit decor was beautiful. There was nothing
left except the springform bottom to take home.
OMG! This is so delicious. And it looks beautiful too.
I used sour cream (as you mentioned as a variation) instead of Greek yogurt (there is no Greek yogurt in Russia!). And I also used different berries (actually raspberries and black currants, cause that’s what I was able to find here in Russia during the season).
I don’t know if there is a way to post a link to my picture just to show you my beautiful cheesecake. I’ll give it a shot:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dddE4tulOz_kKb2CwCwpcSD6sdT72-xFiXhmVpoGfyE?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pleJGuUfZ5jYR5cJEFeYniD6sdT72-xFiXhmVpoGfyE?feat=directlink
Just wanted to thank you!!!! I’m your biggest fan!
Yours looks so good, Yulia! I love it! I am so glad you enjoy the recipe, and I so appreciate you sharing your pictures!