Cheesecake is definitely one of my favorite desserts to take to parties when I know I’ll be feeding both health nuts and “normal” people. My healthy version of my Grandma’s famous cheesecake (you can also find it on page 352 of my cookbook)
is always a hit, so I used it as the base for this turtle cheesecake with its interspersed chocolate chips, thick layer of caramel topping, and chopped pecans. Don’t want to make caramel (my recipe below is super easy, I promise) or don’t like nuts? Just leave those off and enjoy a simple chocolate chip cheesecake!
AMAZING TURTLE CHEESECAKE
THM:S, low carb, sugar free, gluten free
INGREDIENTS
Crust:
¼ c. + 2 T. Briana's Baking Mix
3 T. oat fiber (use gluten free if necessary)
1 tsp. THM Super Sweet Blend
¼ tsp. xanthan gum
¼ tsp. salt
-5 T. salted butter, softened
2 T. Greek yogurt
Cheesecake:
20 oz. cream cheese, room temperature*
3 T. oat fiber (use gluten free if necessary)
2 T. THM Super Sweet Blend
1 T. THM Gentle Sweet
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. salt
1 pint sour cream, room temperature
6 eggs, room temperature
½ c. sugar-free chocolate chips
Caramel topping:
1 c. heavy whipping cream
½ c. salted butter
2½ tsp. THM Super Sweet Blend
2 tsp. molasses
½ tsp. vanilla extract
⅜ tsp. xanthan gum
Additional toppings
Chopped pecans
Sugar-free chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the crust. Whisk the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients and mix well. Press into a greased 10" spring-form pan and bake at 350* for 6 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325* to prepare for baking the cheesecake.
Make the cheesecake filling. Beat the first six ingredients (cream cheese through salt) together until smooth. Add the sour cream and beat again. Add the eggs and beat well until everything is thoroughly incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the cheesecake batter over the hot crust. Place a large piece of tinfoil around the bottom of the spring-form pan and set the pan in a larger pan with a lip. (I use a pizza pan with sides.) Fill the larger pan with ½"-1" of water. Put the whole contraption in the oven and bake at 325* for 1 hr. and 5 min. or until the cheesecake is set. Turn the oven off, crack the door open, and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the oven.
Make the caramel while the cheesecake is cooling in the oven so both will still be warm when you're ready to use the caramel. Heat the cream and butter in a nonstick pan; whisk in the rest of the ingredients while the butter melts. (Add the xanthan gum while whisking so it doesn't clump.) Bring the mixture to a slow boil, then cover and cook for 7 minutes or until thickened, adjusting the heat downwards as far as possible while still retaining a slow boil. Doing it this way produces a lot of caramel sauce without as much intense caramel flavor. If you'd like more flavor and less sauce, leave the caramel uncovered and cook longer if necessary until the caramel reaches your desired caramelization. Whisk occasionally to keep the caramel from burning, especially if you decide to cook it longer.
When the cheesecake and caramel are both done, top the cheesecake with your desired amount of chopped pecans and sugar-free chocolate chips. Pour the caramel sauce over the cheesecake. (The warm caramel will melt the chocolate chips a little, which I like.) Garnish with additional chopped pecans and chocolate chips. Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight to chill and set completely before removing from the pan, cutting, and serving.
NOTES
I use a combination of reduced-fat and full-fat cream cheese. The more full-fat ingredients you use, the less likely your cheesecake is to crack on top. Using room temperature ingredients also helps with this.
The only actual source of nuts in this is the pecans, so if you leave them off, people with nut allergies can enjoy a chocolate chip cheesecake with caramel sauce (provided that you can handle the coconut flour in my baking mix and find certified nut-free sugar-free chocolate chips).
If you don't have my baking mix on hand, you can try THM Baking Blend in its place. You'll probably need an extra tablespoon or two since my mix is drier and soaks up more liquid.