Ready to add something back to your life that gives you joy? Me too. I’ve missed baking!
I have been doing a low-carb diet recently, so I made a low-carb cheesecake for Thanksgiving. Pumpkin cheesecake is one of my favorite varieties (though I have never met a cheesecake I didn’t love).
Leave it to me to try to lose my baby weight during the holiday season… 😂 😱
Low-Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust:
1 cup pecans, ground
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Filling:
3 pkgs. Cream Cheese (I used the 1/3 less fat variety), room temperature
1 can organic pumpkin
1/2 c. erythritol
1 tsp. cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp. cardamom, ground
1/2 tsp. nutmeg, ground
1/4 tsp. allspice, ground
1/4 tsp. cloves, ground
3 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
Caramel Topping:
1/2 c. butter
8 Tbsp. erythritol
1 Tbsp. molasses
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
Pinch sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Instructions:
Prep (worth it, I promise):
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Spray oil (or use butter) into a 10″ springform pan, then line the sides with parchment paper.
Set springform pan atop a cookie sheet to catch drips.
Set up water bath in cookie sheet (pour water around the springform pan- it will create a humid environment to prevent cracks in the cheesecake). You could skip this step if it seems too fussy.
For the crust:
Put pecans into food processor and pulse until finely ground. Then, add cinnamon and butter; pulse again until crumbly. Press into bottom and halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
For the filling:
Beat the cream cheese until very smooth in a stand mixer. Add in pumpkin slowly and mix. Once well mixed, add spices and mix. Then, add eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, and beat on a medium setting to fluff the eggs slightly. Add the vanilla. Slowly, also add the heavy whipping cream- and mix very slowly (so it doesn’t slosh out!). Pour into pecan crust.
Bake at 350 F for 1.5 hours; turn oven off. Let it cool in the oven for 1 hour (again to prevent cracks). Then, pull it out of the oven and let cool completely. Once completely cool, may cover and transfer to the fridge.
For the caramel:
Melt the butter over low-medium heat in saucepan; stir with wooden spoon until browned. Add the erythritol and molasses and stir continuously for about 5 minutes (or until it drips off of the spoon into small balls of caramel, rather than drips- this is the “soft ball” stage). Take off the heat and add whipping cream- stir quickly. Return to heat; add xanthan gum, vanilla, and sea salt; boil 1-2 more minutes. Pour into serving dish (if served beside cheesecake) or pour directly over the cheesecake itself before serving.
Garnish with whipped cream and pecans, if desired!
The sunset was gorgeous on Thanksgiving evening, right about the time we ate the cheesecake- it was a sweet end to our day.
XO