This low-carb no-bake cheesecake is easy to make, and you can top it in many different ways. (The crust does require a few minutes in the oven, but you can also serve it crustless; see note below.) The easiest is to spread a jar of sugar-free jam over it. This would add about 2 grams of carb per serving to the basic cheesecake. Other options are to cover with fresh fruit in season, strawberry topping, or simply cook frozen berries with sweetener to taste until thickened. The cheesecake pictured here was made in this way with frozen blackberries. The crust is my easy almond pie crust.
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- one almond pie crust
- 10 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- zero-carb sugar substitute equal to about ½ cup sugar (or to taste)
- 1 cup heavy cream
Preparation:
1. Bake the almond pie crust, either in a deep-dish pie pan or springform pan (if using a pie pan, you don't need to spread the crust to the rim of the pan).
2. Combine cream cheese, vanilla, lemon juice, and sugar substitute very well. If you are using an electric mixer, fluff it up for a minute or two.
3. In a second bowl (if you have only one bowl for a stand mixer, just transfer the cream cheese and use the mixer again for this step), whip the cream to soft peaks - you actually want it slightly less beaten than you would for a dessert topping. (Tips for making homemade whipped cream.)
4. Mix about a third of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Then gently mix another third in, and then the rest.
5. Spread cream cheese mixture into crust. Smooth off and chill for at least 2-3 hours. Cover with topping and serve.
Crustless option: Chill cream cheese mixture in bowl, then serve in individual dishes with topping.
Lower-calorie options: Use low-fat or fat-free cream cheese (add an extra gram or two of carb), and/or nix the crust.
Nutritional Information: With crust, without topping: Each of 8 servings has 3.5 grams effective carbohydrate plus 2 grams fiber (6 grams total carbohydrate), 7 grams protein, and 370 calories. Without crust or topping: 2 grams carbohydrate (no fiber), 3 grams protein, and 230 calories.
Carb Profiles of Fruit for topping:
2. Combine cream cheese, vanilla, lemon juice, and sugar substitute very well. If you are using an electric mixer, fluff it up for a minute or two.
3. In a second bowl (if you have only one bowl for a stand mixer, just transfer the cream cheese and use the mixer again for this step), whip the cream to soft peaks - you actually want it slightly less beaten than you would for a dessert topping. (Tips for making homemade whipped cream.)
4. Mix about a third of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Then gently mix another third in, and then the rest.
5. Spread cream cheese mixture into crust. Smooth off and chill for at least 2-3 hours. Cover with topping and serve.
Crustless option: Chill cream cheese mixture in bowl, then serve in individual dishes with topping.
Lower-calorie options: Use low-fat or fat-free cream cheese (add an extra gram or two of carb), and/or nix the crust.
Nutritional Information: With crust, without topping: Each of 8 servings has 3.5 grams effective carbohydrate plus 2 grams fiber (6 grams total carbohydrate), 7 grams protein, and 370 calories. Without crust or topping: 2 grams carbohydrate (no fiber), 3 grams protein, and 230 calories.
Carb Profiles of Fruit for topping:
