I love the tart sweetness of lemon desserts, and the recipe below delivers. It’s a creamy cheesecake with an almond flour crust and a burst of bright citrus flavor. The best part about it is that it is low carb and sugar-free. I could seriously eat this every day -- in fact, I might just do that!
I use freshly squeezed lemon juice and grated lemon zest, but if you don’t have lemons, just use bottled juice and add ½ teaspoon of lemon extract in place of the zest. Serve this chilled cheesecake for dessert after a summer lunch or as a refreshing ending to a spicy dinner.
Low-Carb Lemon Cheesecake
8
20 minutes, plus overnight to chill
1 hour and 5 minutes
1 hour and 25 minutes, plus overnight chilling
Butter for greasing the pan
1 ½ cups almond flour
¼ cup low-carb granulated sweetener (such as Swerve)
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
20 ounces cream cheese
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup low-carb granulated sweetener (such as Swerve)
3 large eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 to 1 ½ lemons)
¼ to ½ teaspoon stevia extract
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter.
In a food processor, combine the almond flour and sweetener. Add the butter and egg yolk, then pulse until the mixture comes together.
Transfer the crust mixture to the prepared baking pan, pressing it firmly into the bottom and partway up the sides of the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl cream together the cream cheese, butter, and granulated sweetener. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition just to incorporate. Add the lemon zest, juice, and stevia extract, then mix to incorporate.
Pour the filling mixture into the prepared crust and bake in the preheated oven 40 to 50 minutes, until the center is almost completely set. Let cool and then refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled.
