Medjool Date Cheesecake
Rich and decadent cheesecake that’s lower in fat and made with natural sweeteners. It will stun any crowd at a gathering.
If someone were to ask me, what’s my favorite dessert? Hands down it would be cheesecake. I just love the harmony between the richness, tanginess and sweetness of it all present in every bite. But being a health nut, I can only indulge in this treat sparingly. Cheesecake can be one of the worst desserts for your health. This is mainly due to the high concentrations of saturated fat and sugar. So being that cheesecake is my favorite dessert, i was determined to discover how i can still get my cheesecake fix without having to pay the price with my health.
After searching and trying out different recipes, i finally discovered how i can make this decadent dessert a bit healthier without necessarily sacrificing taste.
How is this healthier than other cheesecakes around?
First, the name of this blog post gives it away. I took dates and replaced it with sugar. Dates make a great substitute for white sugar because they are high in nutrients, fiber and antioxidants. For those of you who are following a zero to low added sugar diet like myself, you will be pleased to know that dates are also low on the glycemic index. Eating them will not cause a sudden spike in blood sugar.
Second, I replaced half of the cream cheese with Greek yogurt. They both have a similar texture, so it works as an great substitute for baking. Replacing cream cheese with Greek yogurt helps lower calories and saturated fat while increasing the amount of protein and calcium of the recipe.
Last but not least, this recipe includes fresh lemon juice, which balances out the fatty taste of the cream cheese while thickening the cheesecake. The acidity of the lemon juice reacts to the milk and cream, causing the casein (milk protein) to curdle.
How to prevent cracks in your cheesecake?
1. Bake in a water bath. The spring-form pan is wrapped in aluminium foil and then partially immersed in water. Baking in a water bath helps to control the temperature changes so that it is slow and gradual.
2. After turning off the oven, crack open the oven door about one inch and leave the cake in there for one more hour. Again, we want to avoid sudden changes in temperature.
- Times
- Description
- Image
- Ingredients
- Method
- Notes
- Nutrition
Medjool Date Cheesecake
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total time: 2 hours
- Serves: 16
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 3/4 cups graham crackers, (about 15 crackers)
- 4 tsp unsalted butter, (if using salted butter, omit the pinch of salt)
- Pinch of salt
Filling
- 1 pound cream cheese
- 1 pound Greek yogurt
- 16-20 Medjool dates pitted, (depends on your sweetness preference)
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- juice of one lemon
- pinch of salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Equipment
- High speed blender
- 9-inch, 2 & 3/4-inch high spring form pan
- Heavy duty, 18-inch wide aluminium foil
- A large roasting pan
- Electric mixer (optional)
- Food processor (optional)
Instructions
Preparation
- 1)
Prepare 3 pieces of the tin foil. Cut each piece 18 inches X 18 inches. This will be used to wrap the pan to prevent leakage in the water bath
Prepare the crust
- 1)
With a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until crumb-like. Place into a large bowl and mix in the salt and soften butter. Mix until well incorporated
- 2)
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C)
- 3)
Press the cracker crumbs into the bottom of a spring form pan until it forms an even layer
- 4)
Bake the crust in the middle rack at 350F (175C) for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. While the crust is cooling prepare the filling.
- 5)
Once the crust is cooled, coat the sides of the pan with butter
- 6)
Triple wrap pan in heavy duty foil. Place the pan in the middle of the foil and gently fold up the sides around the pan. Make sure you do not puncture any holes into the foil while doing this step. Repeat this process 2 more times, until the pan has been triple wrapped.
Filling
- 1)
Beat together the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, sour cream and salt until well incorporated
- 2)
In a high speed blender, blend dates, milk and vanilla until smooth
- 3)
Pour the date mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Mix until well incorporated.
- 4)
Add the eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition.
- 5)
Add in the heavy cream, beat until well incorporated. Periodically scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula so that all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
- 6)
Add in lemon juice. Mix until well incorporated.
- 7)
Prepare the water bath. Boil about 3 liters of water.
- 8)
Lower your oven rack to the lowest level. Preheat the oven to 325F (160C).
- 9)
Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust. Smooth the top with a spatula.
- 10)
Place the roasting pan into the oven with the spring form pan in it. Slowly pour the hot water into the sides of the roasting pan. Careful not to splatter. Pour water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the spring form pan.
- 11)
Bake at 325F (160F) for 1 1/2 hours
- 12)
Turn off the oven and crack open the oven door 1-inch, to let cheesecake cool slowly, for 1 more hour
- 13)
Chill for at least 4 hours in the fridge before serving. Cheesecake is best served after chilling overnight.
Notes
The cheesecake will last up to five days in the refrigerator. Store refrigerated in tightly secured plastic wrap.
I hope you’ll like this recipe and please if you make it, snap a pic and hashtag it #healthysuelutions – I’d love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter! Please stay in touch with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram for all the latest updates.