With short winter days and snow covering the ground, I was craving a little punch of spring which I found in these gluten-free cheesecakes. These sweet little things pack a healthful and beautiful dessert punch. They can be made into little poppers (mini-muffins) or full-sized muffins as pictured.
The base contains gluten-free graham crackers which are quite easy to make at home or store bought varieties can be used in their place. They look like they took all day to make – when they’re actually quite simple to assemble.
At approximately 20 carbs per cheesecake, they’re a delicious low-carb and gluten-free alternative for dessert.
How to – Gluten Free cheesecakes
Crust Ingredients:
Approx. 9 large gluten-free graham crackers (think the gluten kind in size) = 4.8 ounces
2 tsp. coconut sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. melted Kerrygold butter
Filling Ingredients:
2 (8-oz.) packages of softened organic cream cheese
3/4 cup of organic sucanat (natural cane sugar)
2 tsp, vanilla extract
1 tbsp grated lemon rind (or less to taste)
a dash of salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
Topping:
Fresh organic raspberries and mint leaves
Instructions for Cheesecakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Line muffin tins for either mini muffins or regular size muffins.
- Recipe makes approx. 18 regular size muffins or 36 mini muffins
- Using a Vitamix or food processor pulverize crackers, sugar and salt. Add in melted butter until combined – the mixture will be moist and crumbly.
- Press 1 1/2 Tbsp. of the mixture firmly into the bottom of each cup and up the sides as desired.
- Using a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar for a few minutes until combined and fluffy; add in vanilla, salt and finally the eggs beating them in well. Don’t forget the last ingredient – add in the heavy cream.
- Bake about 20 minutes for full size muffins and about half that time for mini-muffins. They’re ready when set with a slight cheesecake movement on top.
- Set to cool in the tins on the counter for 5-10 minutes, then cool on a wire wrack in the muffin wrappers. Let sit in refrigerator for an hour, remove wrappers carefully and then garnish with the fruit and mint.
{Recipe amended from Good Housekeeping August 2014}