Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake (THM-S, Low Carb, Sugar Free, Gluten Free)

This past Halloween was a busy weekend here at our house as I am sure it was at many out there. Not only was it full of fall activities we also had a ton of friends and family over to celebrate my little man turning seven. I just got teary eyed typing that, the years sure fly by too fast don’t they?  We have been looking forward to this weekend for over a month but we knew that along with all the party fun and loved ones that the house would be full of all types of food and sugary junk that we try to avoid them.

So with the threats of those upcoming temptations I set out on Friday (in the midst of already hectic day of baking and decorating 3 dozen cupcakes) to create a sweet treat that would help us stay the course.

 Thankfully, this cheesecake tart was a success and great a treat without feeling deprived!  The crust to this dreamy dessert is so simple that I should be ashamed to tell you about but I am not because I know most of my fellow Trim Healthy Mama’s and low carbing friends love simple just as much as I do. Just toss all your crust ingredients into a food processor and turn it on. Slowly drizzle the butter in as it mixes. Your done when it looks like graham cracker crumbs.  See I told ya…Easy Peasy!

Once your crust mixture is ready, you can spray your tart pan (or what ever pan you choose) and add your mixture. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Make sure you press the crumb mixture around the pan as evenly as possible and up the sides a bit.  Blind bake your crust for about ten minutes then set aside to cool.

For the filling you will also use your handy-dandy food processor or  a blender if your prefer.  I did neglect to take pictures of this part because I was a stressed mom…oops, sorry.  The filling (like the crust) is so simple and again you just add all your filling ingredients  EXCEPT the chocolate and mix it up really well.  Once your mixture is smooth, scoop out and reserve one cup of the filling in a bowl  and set aside. Add the rest of the vanilla filling your crust and spread it around .

Next comes the beautiful swirl of chocolate! That swirl comes from adding in the cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips into that reserved bowl of filling. Just add them in and mix it until the white mixture is chocolate and smooth.  I suggest tasting the mix at this point and adjust your sweetness as it may need a bit more powered sweetener.  Once your chocolate filling is ready place spoonfuls around in the vanilla mixture then swirl with a knife or toothpick. Careful, you don’t want to scrape the crust.

 

This beauty bakes on the top rack at 350 for about 30-35 minutes. Let it cool completely before  you try removing it from the tart pan if you went that route. Either way let the cheese cake cool completely before you cut into it. Now, if you are like my husband (okay and myself) you will want to cut into this beauty as soon as it is cool but let me encourage you to cover it tightly and refrigerate overnight or at least until it has chilled. Trust me it is worth the wait and you will forget all about the waiting the minute you take your first bite!

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my latest dish on our table and that you try it out soon. I can promise you that it will definitely be a treat and one hopefully you will want to keep around.

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Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake (Low Carb, Sugar Free, Gluten Free,THM-S)

Vanilla Filling Portion:

• 16 oz of softened cream cheese
• 1/3 cup of sour cream
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup Truvia or Pyure
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp of pure vanilla
• pinch of salt

*Set aside 1/2 cup of this vanilla filling.

Chocolate Swirl filling:

• 1/2 cup of reserved filling
• 2 Tbsp cup of unsweetened coco
• 1/4 cup of Lilly’s Chocolate Chips (or any sugar free chips you have)
• 2 Tbsp powdered Truvia or Pyure

For the Crust:

• 1 cup Trim Healthy Mama Baking Blend (or your favorite blend)
• 1 stick of melted butter
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened coco powder
• 3 Tbsp of Truvia or Pyure

Directions: Begin your crust by adding the baking blend, coco, sweetener into your food processor. Turn your machine on and slowly add in the butter until your mixture looks like course crumbs. It should stick together when you press it between your fingers. Press the crust mixture into your greased pan evenly and up the sides a little. Blind bake your crust for about eight minutes on the top shelf at 350 degrees. Next for the filling add in the eggs, cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sweetener, whipping cream, salt and sour cream. Blend all of these ingredients well until they are all smooth. Reserve 1/2 cup of the vanilla filling in another bowl before adding the rest of the filling into the crust.

You will use the reserved 1/2 cup of filling to make your chocolate swirl. Add the reserved  filling, 2 Tbsp of coco powder, the melted 1/4 cup of chocolate chips back to your food processor and blend well. You may need to taste and add in a couple more tablespoons of sweetener but that is up to you. If your mixture is really thick you can thin it with a splash of cream. Once you have it all mixed well add scoops of the chocolate filling into your vanilla mixture. Use a knife or toothpicks to swirl the chocolate around throughout the vanilla mixture. Be careful not to scrape the crust with your tool of choice when swirling the chocolate in. Bake on the top rack at 350 degree for about 25 minutes. It will be firm to the touch with no wiggle. Let cool completely before cutting. Best if chilled over night or at least a few hours.