Low-carbohydrate cheesecakes, or low-carb cheesecakes, are a dietary alternative for individuals who wish to enjoy the dessert cheesecake in a more healthy manner. These types of cheesecake make use of ingredients with a low amount of carbohydrates, such as artificial sweeteners and almond flour. They are usually baked, but no-bake varieties are available as well.
Cheesecake is a dessert food that has a consistency and texture somewhere between a cake, a pie, and a custard. It usually has a thick crust base that is topped with a firm sweet mixture. This mixture contains cream cheese or another cheese product like ricotta as the featured ingredient, along with additives like cream and eggs.
A low-carb cheesecake is part of a low-sugar diet that specifically restricts the carbohydrates ingested and stored by the body. Carbohydrates are a primary energy nutrient found in foods. They are prevalent in sugars and breads, so a low-carb diet will limit these foods while promoting foods with a high protein content like meats and nuts. This type of diet is often implemented to facilitate weight loss or to help individuals for whom a high-sugar diet poses a health risk. The theory behind low-carb foods is that they reduce sugar amounts in the body by simply restricting the substance, and that they may foster weight loss because fat is used as an alternative energy source by the body in place of absent carbohydrates.
The base crust of a cheesecake will typically contain ingredients like flour, sugar, and margarine, or whole prepared ingredients like biscuits or graham crackers. Since pure sugar has one of the highest carbohydrate contents, it is best to substitute this ingredient with a sweetening alternative for low-carb cheesecakes. Many manufacturers produce artificial sweeteners that resemble sugar for this purpose. The sugar will also need to be replaced in the cream cheese mixture, as might other ingredients like vanilla. Most such products are offered in sugar-free varieties, which would work effectively to decrease carbohydrate amounts.
Grains can present another obstacle for low-carb diets, so an alternative should be found to grain-based flour. Soy flour and coconut flour are two options, but each has drawbacks like difficulty in rising or dryness. Non-grain almond flour is another option in many low-carb cheesecake recipes. If crackers, biscuits, or other whole products are to be used, low-carbohydrate versions should be sought.
Otherwise, low-carb cheesecakes will retain much of the ingredients and taste of an average cheesecake. The cream cheese portion is still created by mixing the cream cheese with other ingredients, and then spooning or pouring the mixture onto the crust base. If the cheesecake is covered in a topping, low carbohydrate berries are a good choice, as are chopped nuts.
Baking is the typical method of cooking for low-carb cheesecakes. This step includes placing the cheesecake on a baking container like a sheet pan. The cheesecake is then baked until the cream cheese mixture becomes firm. Typical low-carb cheesecakes may bake for around an hour to an hour and a half, after which they are refrigerated for an additional period of time. Some no-bake recipes forgo the baking and simply rely on a prepared crust and refrigeration to firm the cheesecake.