Gluten Free Cheesecake

The other night some friends came over for dinner and one of them happens to be lactose-intolerant.  I kept trying to think of a dessert that was gluten-free for me and lactose-intolerant for her.  This is what I came up with.  There is nothing better than a rich, creamy cheesecake with a little strawberry coulis to make you smile.  It’s a great dessert to serve all summer long!  And the best part? It contains no sugar! Only a little bit in the strawberry coulis! 

The crust of regular cheesecake is what contains the gluten.  By replacing a traditional graham cracker crust with one made from gluten free cinnamon snaps, the recipe becomes gluten free! Also, by replacing the cream cheese and sour cream with the tofu alternatives, you get rid of the lactose. 

Gluten Free (Dairy Free) Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 package Mi-Del Gluten-Free Cinnamon Snaps

3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake:

16 oz. tofu cream cheese

3 eggs

1/3 cup agave nectar

½ tsp vanilla

Sour Cream Topping:

12 oz. tofu sour cream

¼ cup agave nectar

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

 

In a food processor, grind cinnamon snaps. 

When there are no more chunks, add the butter. 

Mix for a couple seconds longer until the mixture is well combined.

 Press into a springform pan (I like a little crust on the sides but it is personal opinion J). 

Cover and refrigerate while you make the cheesecake filling.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer, on low speed, beat cheese until smooth.

 Add the eggs, agave nectar and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix once more.  

Pour into crust and bake 45 minutes.  

Place a cake pan half-filled with warm water in the oven on the shelf under the cheesecake to moisten the air and prevent the cheesecake from cracking.

Remove from the oven and cool 15 minutes.

While pie is cooling, mix sour cream with ¼ cup agave nectar.

 Spread gently over the top and bake 10 minutes more.

Loosen the cake from the pan by running a sharp knife around the inside edge.  When cool, refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight.

Strawberry Coulis Recipe

Ingredients:

1 package frozen strawberries

1/4 cup sugar 

Instructions:

Place strawberries and sugar in microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes. 

Place strawberries and sugar in food processor and blend until smooth.

 

Strain through sieve to remove seeds. 

 Drizzle coulis over cheesecake slice and serve!

As I write this, I am licking my plate! It was creamy and delicious. Enjoy!

Note: For a non-dairy-free version or for those who fear tofu, use either regular cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese for a lower fat option. I have made this recipe with each of these and they are both great options.