Description
This Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake is a special sugar free dessert that has the best of both flavor worlds. It combines creamy pumpkin and warm spices with rich chocolate. You will love serving this very decadent finale to any Holiday meal.
Ingredients
Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 2 cups sifted fine milled almond flour
- 1/2 cup of dark or black cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup sugar substitute
- 2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder *optional
- 1 teaspoon chocolate extract *optional
Cheesecake
- 3 packages (8 oz. each) full fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar substitute
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly mixed with a fork
- 1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree'
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup sugar free chocolate chips
Instructions
Crust
- Combine all dry ingredients in a medium size bowl.
- Pour in the butter and extract, if using. Stir well.
- Lightly spray pan with baking spray.
- Place crust dough into the springform pan and spread out with your fingers or a spatula. It should cover the bottom and approximately halfway up the sides of the pan. *
- Poke a few fork holes in the bottom to help prevent air bubbles in the crust.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 5-10 minutes until it looks lightly toasted. Remove to cool while making cheesecake.
Cheesecake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Boil about 4 -6 cups of water. Pour into oven safe pan and place it on bottom of oven floor. (The cheesecake pan will go on the rack above it.)
- Melt the chocolate chips in microwave in 30 second intervals until completely melted.
- Beat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar substitute, spices, vanilla and flour in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Scrape bowl with spatula.
- Add beaten eggs to the batter and mix to combine about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat another 10 seconds.
- Remove 1 cup of the batter to a bowl. Stir in the cooled, melted chocolate.
- Beat in pumpkin puree about 30 seconds or so into batter that is still in the mixing bowl.
- Pour the pumpkin batter over the crust in the pan. Smooth with knife or spatula.
- Spoon large dollops of chocolate batter over over the pumpkin batter. Use a knife to swirl the chocolate in through the pumpkin. Don't over swirl or it will just mix together and won't be marbled.*
- Bake cheesecake for 45-50 minutes. Test the cheesecake at 45 minutes with a toothpick or thin knife about an inch from the edge of pan. It should be set at the edges but the center will have a bit of jiggle and not fully set. *
- Remove to cool in pan for 30 minutes. Carefully unlock and remove the pan, leaving cake on the bottom of pan. Lightly cover the cheesecake and refrigerate until cold. *
- When ready to serve, you can cut slices right from the pan bottom. Or slide a long metal spatula under cheesecake to loosen and use two large spatulas to transfer to a serving plate.
Notes
*The espresso is optional. It just gives a little deeper chocolate flavor. You can also use 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee.
*You can use the bottom of a drinking glass or small measuring cup to press down on the crust to help it spread out evenly.
*For the swirl, you can make a large "S" design, then turn the pan and make another. Turn again and make another. You can use the knife to make little tiny swirls in some of the larger chocolate sections. But the key is less is more for the swirl.
Don't wrap the cheesecake air tight or moisture will accumulate on the top.
It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.