Gluten-free
Refined sugar free
Nut free
Keto-friendly!
Best made a day or 2 before decorating and serving! Also freezes well.
Cheesecake is one of my absolute favorite desserts and there was NO way I was letting my sugar-free, Keto-style diet rob me of this treat! My family loves eating it for Valentines, Christmas and Birthdays (and believe me, we have a lot of birthdays every year in my family!) so I knew I had to invent a version which fit in with my lifestyle! I present to you, my triple chocolate cheesecake dream! The crust is a dark chocolate gluten and nut-free brownie crust, the filling is a creamy chocolate cheesecake which is topped with a dark chocolate ganache and garnished with the creamiest chocolate whipped cream ever! Talk about heavenly!
This recipe is for a 7 inch Cheesecake. Double it for a 9-inch Cheesecake! (yes, I know. Math. But trust me, it will be okay. Also, I know double 7 does not equal 9. But trust me again. It will be okay. Lol)
At first, it may look like this recipe has a lot of steps. But don't be overwhelmed! If you are new to all this, you can stick with just the crust and cheesecake filling and just one of the toppings! You can't ever go wrong with chocolate.
First: Soften 2 eight oz pacakages of cream cheese
Second: Heat oven to 350 degrees F
Third: Find a 7-inch springform cake pan (height of sides: 4-5 inches)
and optional: a rimmed tray big enough for it to sit in (the depth of this pan can be anwhere between 1/2 inch to 2 inches. It doesn't matter about the size other than that)
Note: This is an optional step for best quality of baking but is not necessary. See note at the end of recipe!
Dark Chocolate Brownie Crust:
This recipe will make a little extra brownie batter which is A Good Thing because you will have something to snack on while you wait for the cheesecake to bake :)
Butter a 7-inch springform cake pan and line with parchment paper.
Beat together for 5 minutes:
3 eggs
1/2 cup coconut sugar (or 1/2 cup plus 1 TB xylitol or a mixture of both sugars)
1/2 tsp stevia (if you hate stevia, trust me this camouflages well. You will not notice it)
Add:
1/4 cup Coconut flour
1/3 cup almond flour
1/2 cup plus 1 TB melted coconut oil or butter
6 Tablespoons raw organic cacao powder
Mix all ingredients gently together and spread 3/4 * of the mixture into 7'' Springform pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes until the top is set but not hard. At this stage, it's better for it to be undercooked than overcooked! Remove from oven and wrap 2 pieces of aluminum foil around the bottom of the springform pan. Sit it in the previously mentioned 1/2 inch-2 inch deep pan and set aside while you prepare filling.
*Note: the thickness of the crust is totally up to you. I use 3/4 of the mixture, but you can use 1/2 or even all of it. (cook for an extra minute if you use all) If you have extra, simply bake it separately in a muffin cup for snacking!
Cheesecake filling!
2 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened (at room temperature)
2 TB plus 1 tsp tapioca starch (or arrowroot powder)
2 eggs
1/4 cup plus 2-3 TB xylitol (NOTE: can substitute coconut sugar but it will be sweeter)
1 1/2 tsp stevia (I use the most natural green, powdered kind. Again, if you hate stevia don't worry. You will not notice it in this delightful chocolate dessert!)
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 cup melted coconut oil or ghee or butter
1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
Beat first package of cream cheese, xylitol, stevia and tapioca or arrowroot powder until whipped.
Add one egg, beat thoroughly followed by second cream cheese and second egg.
Beat until combined and whipped.
In a separate small bowl, mix cacao powder and oil or butter together.
Add to cream cheese mixture, mixing just until combined. You don't want to over mix the batter or it won't rise as much! Gently add cream, folding and mixing in until just combined.
Pour mixture into prepared brownie crust and gently smooth out the top.
Optional: Your last step is to pour some water into the tray on which the springform pan is sitting. This water will ensure an even baking of the cheesecake and a beautiful smooth top. You do not HAVE to do this step, but I recommend you try it at least once in your cheesecake making! I love the results.
Place cheesecake (on tray with water) in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, until top is set.
After baking, simply remove cheesecake from oven, take off of tray and let it cool for about 2-3 hours. Do not try to remove from pan until entirely cooled.
When cheesecake is cooled, gently remove springform pan sides and base. Chill cheesecake for at least 1 hour (or longer! I have great results with freezing the cake and thawing it for later)
To serve:
Chocolate Ganache:
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate (preferably organic)
6 Tablespoons heavy cream
Optional: 1/3 cup raw cacao nibs
Finely chop chocolate, place in heat resistant bowl.
Heat cream in a pot until scalding hot but not boiling
Pour cream over chopped chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes.
Gently mix to combine and spread over chilled cheesecake with spatula! You can choose to spread the ganache perfectly smooth over the top and sides (or skip the sides) or make designs by swirling your spatula back and forth throught the ganache after spreading it.
If you covered the sides of the cake, press cacao nibs into the sides as desired. Let chill.
Chocolate Cream, for decorating
1/2 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
2 tbsp powdered xylitol (in blender, blend 5 TB xylitol with 1 TB tapioca or arrowroot powder until powder consistancy is reached)
1 1/2 tbsp raw cacao powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Whip all ingredients together until peaks form. I like it to be rather stiff, but not too buttery.
You can spoon cream onto top of cheesecake in any patttern or style you wish! I like using a cake decorating nozzle/piping tool to make lovely shapes.
Optional: also decorate with melted chocolate, raspberries, berries, chocolate curls or shavings, cacao nibs, cacao powder, and or squares of sugar-free chocolate!
Of course, ideally, you should use organic ingredients including raw unpasteurized cream cheese, organic raw grass fed butter or ghee, organic raw cacao powder, etc. I like using the powdered stevia which is a natural green color! Some people still hate the taste of stevia. I think you can grow accustomed to it, and chocolate flavor really masks the taste of stevia. Plus, in this recipe you don't notice the stevia at all!
