Refined Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cheesecake
This peanut butter cheesecake is absolutely delicious and is made with natural, whole food ingredients that you can feel good about.
Equipment
- 8" spring form pan
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup dates pitted, about 8
- 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil
Filling
- 24 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Ganache
- 3 oz dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line 8" spring form pan with parchment paper, set aside.
- Add almond flour, butter, and dates to a blender or food processor. Pulse, scraping down the sides as needed until combined. Texture will be crumbly but hold together when pressed.
- Pour crust mixture into spring form pan and press to form crust, allowing it to go up the sides of the pan about an 1".
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely.
Filling
- Place one oven rack in the middle and one on the bottom of your oven. Place a tray in the bottom rack and fill with water. Preheat oven to 325F.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth.
- Add room temperature eggs, maple syrup, sour cream, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Mix together until smooth.
- Pour mixture into cooled crust. Gently bang on the counter to release air bubbles.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the sides are set and slightly puffed up and the middle is still very jiggly.
- Cool for about an hour before placing in the fridge to chill for the next 24-72 hours.
Ganache
- After the cheese cake has chilled for at least 24 hours, release the cake from the spring form pan.
- Place dark chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl, or the bowl of a double boiler.
- Microwave for 30 seconds on high, then whisk until smooth.
- Pour over the cheesecake and spread the ganache allowing some to pour over the sides.
- Return to the fridge for 10-15 minutes to allow chocolate to set.
Whipped Cream
- In a large mixing bowl beat together whipped cream and maple syrup until thick then spread onto cake.
- Top with chopped homemade peanut butter cups and serve.
Notes
*This crust is soft. You can reduce the almond flour to 1 1/4 cup, though it won't be near as crunchy as a traditional graham cracker crust.
*Make all the parts of this cake over the span of several days. For instance, make the cake on day one, homemade peanut butter cups on day two, and the ganache and whipped cream can be made right before serving on day three.
*These homemade peanut butter cups go perfectly with this recipe.