Primal Pumpkin Cheesecake

I hope everyone had a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!  I definitely did, and mine was complete with homemade pumpkin cheesecake.  I will warn you, this recipe contains CREAM CHEESE.  Therefore, it is NOT paleo….technically it’s primal.  However, I always say that there’s no paleo substitute (at least that I have found yet) that mimics pizza or cheesecake.  Once a year, this is a huge treat for me, and I can thank my mom for going to all the trouble.  Cheesecake can be kind of complicated to make, so I would never take the time myself.

She adapted her original vanilla cheesecake recipe that I posted years ago to a pumpkin version to fulfill all my pumpkin desires.😉 This cheesecake is not overly sweet, which is how I like it.  However, if you wanted a little more sweetness, making some homemade coconut whip to go over the top would be a wonderful addition.  I am all about tasting the delicious pumpkin pie spices and having that unmistakable creamy texture.  If you wanted it to be super cheesecake-like with a hint of pumpkin, you could decrease the amount of pumpkin or maybe do a cheesecake layer followed by a pumpkin layer on top.  Experiment to your hearts desire….and get it just the way you like it before Christmas!

In addition to my mom’s amazing pumpkin cheesecake, we had bacon Brussels sprouts, organic mashed potatoes, a baked ham that I paired with a mango chutney, and a couple nostalgic requests from my brother.  I told my mom she should try and doctor them to make them a little healthier and see how they turn out, but it’s hard to mess with something when people wait all year to have it exactly how they remember. ;)  I didn’t have any, but I certainly had enough of the other good stuff!

 

 

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients:
Crust:

1/2 cup almond meal

1 cup pecans, finely chopped

1/2 stick grassfed butter

1 Tbsp coconut sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or plain ole cinnamon would work, too)

Filling:

3 packages of organic cream cheese (1 1/2 lbs)

1 15oz can pumpkin puree

3/4 cup coconut sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp tapioca flour

2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

4 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place all your crust ingredients into a food processor and blend until they begin to meld.  Press the crust onto the bottom of a springform pan and bake for 8 minutes.  (If you like a lot of crust, you could easily double it!)

Beat the cream cheese until smooth and then add the rest of the ingredients one by one in the order listed (eggs have to be last to ensure the cheesecake doesn’t crack, although it’s still edible if it does!). Pour over crust and place the pan in a water bath.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Then turn the oven off and leave it in for another hour.  Cool slowly.


Primal Vanilla Cheesecake

You all know how I feel about cheesecake. It’s my favorite dessert, I have it about once a year on my birthday, and there’s no substitute for the real thing. I also never make it because it seems really complicated. However, I had a friend that was having a birthday dinner and I told her I would make her dessert. I asked her what she would like to have. She said she didn’t care. I was thinking maybe carrot cake would be a good idea! She told me that carrot cake and cheesecake are her favorites. Then she says….I kind of want cheesecake. That’s all it took. I was off at my first attempt to make cheesecake!
This recipe is not strict paleo because of the cream cheese, but everything else is.

Primal Vanilla Cheesecake

Ingredients:

 Crust:

  •  3/4 stick of grassfed butter
  •  2 1/4 cup nut flour
  •  1 tsp cinnamon
  •  1 Tbsp honey
  •  1/4 tsp salt

Filling:

  •  3 blocks organic cream cheese (ROOM TEMP)
  • 2 Tbsp coconut milk
  • 2 Tbsp arrowroot powder
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 vanilla bean, seeded
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 4 eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all the crust ingredients and pour into springform pan. Bake until the crust browns slightly, which should be about 10 minutes. Get it out and let it cool. Lower the oven temp to 325F and place a dish with water on the bottom rack.
While the crust is cooling, whip the cream cheese until its creamy and smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients one at a time until it’s all combined and pour over the crust. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Then turn off the oven and let it continue to sit in the oven for another hour. Get out of the oven and let cool to room temp before placing in the fridge to set and cool. Serve!


Coconut Blueberry “Cheesecake”

I’m the first one to say that you SHOULD NOT CALL IT CHEESECAKE IF IT DOESN’T TASTE LIKE THE REAL DEAL!  However, that doesn’t stop me from trying some of the recipes out there.  Who knows, what if the next one is ACTUALLY like REAL cheesecake?!  I’ll say that this one does a pretty good job of the texture being the same…but don’t think it will taste exactly like cheesecake.  If you don’t like coconut, this one is not for you because while the blueberry flavor shines through, you can still taste that lots of coconut products were used.  I use coconut oil and coconut butter regularly, so this doesn’t bug me at all!

The filling for this “cheesecake” is a no-bake filling.  If you want a no-bake crust, use my mousse pie crust.

Coconut Blueberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 stick butter, melted
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp of honey or maple syrup

Filling:

  • 1 1/2 cups raw honey
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut butter
  • 1 cup coconut oil
  • 5 cups frozen blueberries
  • 6 TBSP tapioca starch
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions for crust:

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all the ingredients and press into the bottom of a springform pan.  Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool.

Directions for the filling:

Combine the honey, coconut butter, coconut oil, and frozen blueberries in a pot over low heat.  Stir occasionally until the mixture is warmed through and all the berries are thawed. Use an immersion blender to get the mixture smooth or place in the blender. Add the tapioca starch, vanilla, and salt. Blend until smooth. Pour over your crust and let set in the fridge for 12 hours.