Description
This low carb Cinnamon Cheesecake has an amazing creamy texture and the best “brown sugar” pecan crust! It’s actually sugar free. THM S
Ingredients
CRUST:
1 cup pecan meal*
5 tablespoons oat fiber
4 tablespoons salted butter (softened)
2 teaspoons molasses
1 ½ teaspoons THM Super Sweet Blend
CHEESECAKE:
2 ½ 8-ounce packages reduced fat cream cheese (room temperature) – 20 ounces total
½ cup full fat sour cream (room temperature)
2 eggs (room temperature)
2 tablespoons THM Super Sweet Blend (or more, to taste)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon cinnamon (or more, to taste)
Instructions
*To make the pecan meal, grind pecan halves to a coarse meal texture in a coffee grinder (you could also use a food processor or mini chopper). Measure after grinding. It’s important to use freshly ground pecan meal because the oils released from the nuts help bind the crust together. If you don’t have a good source for pecans you could try using almond flour and some extra butter (as needed for binding) in place of the pecan meal in the crust, but I really like the pecans in this recipe.
CRUST: Mix the crust ingredients together with a fork or hand mixer. Press into a greased 8” x 8” glass pan. Bake at 350* F for 8 minutes.
CHEESECAKE: Make the filling while the crust is baking. Beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the rest of the cheesecake ingredients and mix until smooth. (It’s important that all ingredients are at room temperature so they mix easily without lumps.) Pour the cheesecake mixture onto the hot crust when it comes out of the oven, then return the pan to the oven and bake at 350* for 25 minutes.
I like the cheesecake under- rather than over-baked for a creamier texture. 25 minutes is perfect for me, but bake longer if you prefer. I like it set but still a little jiggly in the center. Chill completely to firm up before serving (overnight is great). Top with Reddi-wip or sugar free vanilla ice cream for serving! Cheesecake gets even better after a day or two in the fridge.
Notes
Cracking: This cheesecake cracks a little. I didn’t bother with baking in a water bath or cooling gradually with the oven door open, but you could try both of those. Room temperature ingredients and using all full fat ingredients also help reduce cracking.
Full fat vs reduced fat ingredients: I usually use reduced fat cream cheese and full fat sour cream because I’ve found that this gives me the best balance of good texture and calorie load. (This is how I’ve calculated the nutrition info.) Feel free to use all full fat or all reduced fat cream cheese and sour cream according to your preference.
Making a double batch: I have made a double batch of this Cinnamon Cheesecake in a 9″ x 13″ pan and baked it for 30 minutes. I recommend using a stand mixer to mix a double batch of cheesecake. A hand mixer isn’t really cut out for the job.
Oat fiber: This versatile low carb flour can usually only be found online. Not all brands are created equal, but I like LifeSource oat fiber. Use gluten free oat fiber for a gluten free option.
Molasses: This is the “brown sugar” flavor in the crust. Molasses is allowed on the Trim Healthy Mama plan in small amounts (1/4 teaspoon per serving) for flavor. I like Grandma’s brand molasses from Walmart or a local grocery store. Blackstrap molasses is recommended I believe, but the nutrition info isn’t that different from Grandma’s and I don’t like the taste nearly as well. Molasses IS technically a sweetener, but it’s not refined sugar and is only used in a small amount for flavor so I’m still calling this recipe sugar free. 😉 If you don’t want to use molasses, you could try using a small amount of maple extract in its place (I’d start with 1/2 teaspoon), but I can’t vouch for the results.
Sweetener: Use your favorite low glycemic sweetener in place of the THM Super Sweet Blend (to taste) if you prefer. Always taste and adjust, even if using the same sweetener I did! Taste buds vary a lot with alternative sweeteners. A lot of people like to use more sweetener than I do.
Allergy info: Use gluten free oat fiber for a gluten free cheesecake.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 33 mins
- Category: cheesecake
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: Healthy Fats, THM S, low carb, sugar free
