Lord! Heaven in a muffin tin! Sweet tooth issues? Don’t know what to take to a potluck without crashing your own diet? So much went through my brain when I tasted these…. There are SO many great keto recipes out there that are free of sugar and can be part of a healthy lifestyle… This recipe just brought me back to the moment I decided to start sharing the recipes I like… the whole reason for me was to share the recipes that make me feel great, keep me healthy and will make it easier for everyone else to adjust their diet, even in these crazy times. Go and make cheesecake today guys, there’s always a good reason to eat cake 🙂
Ingredients (makes 6 mini cheesecakes)
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup powdered erythritol + 2 teaspoons
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 F.
- Line the middle 6 wells of a muffin tin with liners of your choice. I usually use reusable silicone liners, but for these, the thin, slightly translucent white liners work best since cheesecake breaks apart easily and with these thin liners you are in full control when unwrapping them.
- Stir almond flour, 2 teaspoons of erythritol and melted butter in a bowl until combined (you might need to use your hands).
- Divide almond mixture among prepared muffin tins and press to cover the bottom, make sure to create an even layer.
- Bake 12-14 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool while making the batter.
- Using a hand or stand mixer (I use my stand mixer with paddle instead of whisk), beat cream cheese and lemon zest on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce speed to low and add the remaining 1/3 cup of powdered erythritol and salt. Mix until incorporated and scrape the sides of the bowl when needed.
- Increase speed to medium and add egg, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat until smooth (took me about 1 minute).
- Divide the batter among the muffin wells, they will be full. Bake until set, about 20 minutes.
- Let the cheesecakes cool in the tin on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Wrap the muffin tin with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the cheesecakes are chilled and firm. The original recipe stated to chill at least one hour, but mine were cool by then but not set. I tried one again after a night in the fridge and they were perfect! (yes… that means I had cheesecake for breakfast…. it pairs well with coffee 😉 )
- Optional: Serve with some sugar free whipped cream (I make my own, but always have a canister of Walmart sugar free whipped cream on hand!) and fresh raspberries or lemon zest curls if you feel fancy.
What I’ve learned…
- When the cheesecakes are done baking, they look like they will overflow. They will not, but they ARE very liquid still then. When you take them out of the oven and transfer them to the wire rack, use caution and try not to shake or put the tin down hard. It might mess up the final shape of your cakes.
- The fresh lemon flavor really makes these cheesecakes pop. Don’t omit the lemon zest or fresh lemon juice. (you CAN however use orange zest and orange juice instead).
- Patience is key. I would make these a day before you want or need them, they taste WAY better and the consistency will be on point.
- Sugar alcohols… they do not count towards your net carb intake count, but our bodies CAN respond to them. My stomach doesn’t like them and if I have a day that I eat too much of them I bloat and have stomach cramps. 9 g of sugar alcohols in this recipe isn’t much, but if you avoid them like I do, your tummy might let you know it’s less happy than it usually is. 1 serving was fine though, no stomach upset here 🙂
Stats per serving (1 cheesecake):
Calories: 190
Fat: 17 g
Protein: 5 g
Total carbs: 13 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sugar alcohols: 9 g
Net carbs: 3 g
Source: “Easy Everyday Keto” from America’s test kitchen with Alicia A. Romano
My Keto Test Lab 