Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes with Chia Cinnamon Crust (Sugar Free, No Cream Cheese)

Faux cheesecake is not to be trusted! That was my firm belief up until 48 hours ago, when I went against my belief and messed with my classic cheesecake recipe. I had a craving, and the only thing that would satisfy it was thick creamy delicious cheesecake. I’ve tried to make an alternative cheesecake that was free of sugar and cream cheese and I did come up with something, but it tasted more like a custard and not a cheesecake. And that was when I decided not to mess with it again…that is, until I came across how to strain greek yogurt! My life has changed forever. Making desserts that are sugar free and health conscious isn’t easy. Sometimes you strike gold, sometimes (most times) you’re left craving things even more than when you started. This time, I struck gold and I’m begging you to try this recipe! I can’t believe how smooth this cake is!

This will require a bit of patience and prep. I’ll start off by re-posting the method for making the “cream cheese”. You absolutely must do this in order for the cake to come out right. There are a ton of variations on how to do it, but here’s what I did:

Cream Cheese
Prep: 24 hours

You will need:
Large container with tight lid
Cheese cloth
(1) 32 oz container of plain greek yogurt (I uses Fage 0%)

Instructions:
Scoop the yogurt out onto the cheese cloth, and strain it over a large bowl for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Suspend the yogurt above the bottom of the by using a bowl with a lid and closing the cheesecloth up into the lid. All the water will drain out of it and you’ll end up with a very thick consistency like cream cheese.

IMPORTANT NOTE!! ** This recipe contains xylitol. Xylitol is deadly to animals. Keep it far far away from your pets!**

Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes with Chia Cinnamon Crust
Yields (3) 4” mini cheesecakes.
Shapers this is P1 FT
Prepping: Prep time is 1 hour, cook time is 25 minutes, plus 24 hours for the cheesecake to set/chill.

Crust (Adaptation of Shape Muffins by Jessie Pierce Crites):
1 c. freshly ground flax seed
½ c. chia seeds (don’t soak them)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple pie spice
½ tsp cloves
¼ tsp of ginger
Pinch of salt

2 eggs
¼ c. xylitol
1 ½ tbs melted coconut oil
¼ c. plain greek yogurt
¼ tsp vanilla

Crust Instructions:
Mix the dry ingredients together and set aside. Mix the wet ingredients together and add it to the dry ingredients. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and scoop the batter into it. Bake at 350 for about 20 mins or until done. When finished, set aside and let cool while you make the filling. After the crust has cooled, break about half of it off and pulse in a food processor with about 1 tbs of coconut oil. Press the crumbs to the bottom of your cheesecake pans. You’ll likely have leftover crust.

Topping:
1 package of melba toasts
½ tsp apple pie spice
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 tbs melted coconut oil
1/8 c. finely ground xylitol (use coffee grinder for this if you have one)

Topping Instructions:
Grind all ingredients together in a food processor. Pulse until the melba toast is coarse and set aside.

Filling:
1 1/2 cup homemade cream cheese (the greek yogurt you strained)
1 ½ egg
1 cup xylitol
¼ – ½ frozen raspberries, cooked down

Filling Instructions:
Cook the raspberries down in a small sauce pan over medium and add a bit of xylitol to sweeten it if you wish. Set aside.

Mix the cream cheese and xylitol on low until combined. Add one egg until incorporated, then add in the other ½ egg. Fold in the raspberries gently. Don’t over beat it, but make sure everything is mixed thoroughly. The batter will be runny.

Scoop the filling into the cheesecake pans and sprinkle with the topping.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until the filling is not jiggly. You may see a little bit of browning on the sides. Let cool on the stove top, then chill in the fridge for 24 hours like you would a real cheesecake. Do not skip this step, trust me. I know it’s hard to wait, but it makes a huge difference! Top with fresh or frozen fruit and serve chilled, and with a cup of coffee. 😉

This faux cheesecake will do. Given how smooth it is, and the fact that it didn’t crack, I probably won’t make another cheesecake with cream cheese again!

I hope you like it!

Kayla