No Bake, Low-Carb Cheesecake

Personally, I find the most difficult part of maintaining a low-carb lifestyle is the fact that I have a sweet tooth. Not only do I enjoy such sugary delights as chocolate and candy, I have a hard time turning down any kind of baked good, whether it is a savory croissant or a sweet, icing topped cinnamon bun. For anyone else that finds the thought of moving to a low-carb lifestyle, or maintaining one daunting because of the lack of delicious and easy dessert options, there is a solution.

One of my favourite desserts, whether low-carb or not, is cheesecake. I prefer the no-bake variety, because it tends to be more creamy and also because without the baking process, it seems to be easier to infuse a rich flavour (if you are feeling racy) to the cake. This is the perfect solution to the conundrum of living in a world without sugar and/or carbohydrates. A tasty, satisfying cheesecake absolutely does NOT require any sugar and it does not have to include high carbohydrate content. The only thing you are skipping out on is the crust and when it comes down to it, who eats a cheesecake for the crust? I know I don’t…

The ingredients are incredibly simplistic. All that you need is cream cheese, whipping cream, gelatin and a sugar alternative. (I prefer to use Splenda, not only because it is made from sugar and tastes like sugar, it also remains sweet at high temperatures, unlike other chemically produced sweeteners that leave a chemically flavoured after taste and don’t maintain sweetness after heating.) It depends on how adventurous you want to be but instead of using a plain gelatin, you can opt for a box or two of flavoured, sugar-free Jello. If you opt for the flavoured Jell-O, it is important to note that it is sweetened, so you will require less in the way of sugar alternative. I love using a lemon Jell-O, adding the juice of a couple lemons to the mix, as well as some zest for additional flavour and texture.

In one large mixing bowl you will cream together your cream cheese and sugar alternative. In the meantime, boil your water for the gelatin/Jell-O and once the water has completely dissolved the gelatin/Jell-O, add the mixture to your cream cheese. At this time I would add my lemon juice and zest. In another mixing bowl, whip your cream until it forms peaks and fold the whipping cream into the cream cheese and gelatin/Jell-O. Once the mix is completely combined, pour it into a serving dish of your liking and pop it in the fridge. That’s it.

The cheesecake will require some time to set in the fridge, but within a couple of hours you will be eating a velvety smooth and creamy cheesecake that took a maximum of fifteen minutes to put together, requires no baking time, and is completely low-carb. What a wonderful after dinner (or anytime of the day really) treat!

The recipe that I use is rather loose. I usually use three packages of cream cheese, two cups of whipping cream, two boxes of Jell-O (or two small pouches of gelatin), Splenda to taste and the juice and zest of two lemons. If you are using gelatin, I would recommend adding about a cup to a cup and a half of sugar alternative, depending on how sweet you want the cake. Enjoy!