Ketogenic lemon cheesecake

Lemon is one of those fruits which can be included in the ketogenic diet due to its low carb content. In this recipe, the tart lemon brings a nice contrast to the rich cream cheese filling.

Ketogenic cheesecake is otherwise very similar to a traditional cheesecake but instead of crackers, the crust is made with ground nuts and butter. Pecan nuts and walnuts work fabulously here.

The cake is sweetened with calorie-free erythritol. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol which is made with a natural fermentation process. Erythritol can be used like regular white sugar though it is not quite as sweet. The amount of erythritol used in this recipe doesn’t give the sweetest end result so feel free to add a bit more if you prefer a sweeter cake. Also use the amount of erythritol you prefer when making the lemon glaze – the one deciliter used in this recipe cuts off the sharpest sourness of the lemon but preserves its fresh flavor.

The cheesecake can also be made vegan by replacing double cream with a vegan whipped cream (e.g. soy whip), cream cheese with a vegan cream cheese and gelatin into vege-gel gelatin sachets (for example from Dr. Oetker).

The crust:

• 3 dl pecan nuts or walnuts
• 40 g melted butter

The filling:

• 2 dl double cream
• 400 g cream cheese
• 1 dl erythritol
• grated zest of one small lemon
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 gelatin sheets

The glaze:

• 1,5 dl lemon juice (the juice from two lemons)
• n. 1 dl erythritol (or the amount of your own preference)
• 1 ½ gelatin sheets

In addition, blueberries for decoration.

How to prepare:

1. Melt the butter with a mild heat in a saucepan. Grind the nuts in a blender into flour – but be careful not to overblend so that the flour doesn’t turn into a greasy mash.
2. Mix the nut flour and butter together and press the mixture onto the bottom of a 20 cm springform tin. Put the tin in the fridge to solidify while making the filling.
3. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 5–10 minutes. Grate the lemon zest.
4. Whip the double cream with an electric mixer and add the cream cheese, erythritol and the grated lemon zest. Mix until even.
5. Heat the lemon juice in a saucepan until it boils. Squeeze the water from the gelatin, add them to the hot lemon juice and mix them until the gelatins have melted in the juice.
6. Pour the gelatin mixture into the filling while whisking with an electric mixer. Pour the filling into the tin, even out the surface and put the cake in the fridge to solidify for a couple of hours.
7. Once the cake has solidified, continue with making the lemon glaze. Put the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water to soak. Squeeze the lemons and heat half of the juice in a saucepan. Once the juice starts to boil, take the saucepan off the stove and add the gelatin into the juice while mixing. Add the rest of the lemon juice and erythritol and let the mixture cool down until lukewarm. Pour the glaze on the cake with the help of a spoon and let the cake solidify in the fridge for another couple of hours.