Mini Ricotta Cheesecake Tarts with Apple Butter Topping (low carb)

A slice of creamy, delicious cheesecake is definitely one of my favorite desserts. Whether served on its own or topped with fresh fruit or fruit syrup, you really can’t go wrong.  I would eat cheesecake every day if I could.  The beauty of these Mini  Ricotta Cheesecake Tarts is that is can be made sugar and carb free, so I really can have cheesecake every day!

There’s just something about the scent of spiced apples that screams fall to me.  Apple butter isn’t the lowest carb choice when it comes to cheesecake toppings, but the concentrated flavor of the apples, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg in apple butter is a perfect complement to the light taste of this ricotta tart (and you only need a spoonful!)  You can easily make your own sugar free apple butter (my recipe-just replace the sugar w/ sugar substitute) or look for a no sugar added version.

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To reduce the carbs in this cheesecake recipe, I used whole milk ricotta cheese, (which has half the amount of carbs as low fat ricotta) my favorite sugar substitute and a nut crust instead of a graham cracker crust.  If the carb count doesn’t matter, then you can certainly use regular sugar and replace the pecans with crushed graham crackers.

Sweet treats are still my downfall and when I can, I try to use less sugar than what a recipe calls for (even when using a sugar substitute.)  I start off with half the amount of sugar and add more according to taste.  Many of my baking recipes use eggs, including this cheesecake recipe.  To be safe, I use Davidson’s Safest Choice™ Pasteurized Eggs in any recipe might be consumed uncooked/undercooked.  (The Safest Choice Eggs are pasteurized in the shell, so the threat of salmonella in the eggs is eliminated.)  Want to try them?  Print a coupon here.

Mini Ricotta Cheesecake Tarts

Recipe makes 6- 4.75 inch mini tarts

Crust:
Ingredients:

• 1 cup pecan meal* (Not pecan flour- pecan meal is pecans that have been ground up in a food processor. I buy mine at a local farmer’s market)  *Can substitute graham cracker crumbs
• 3 Tbs butter cut into pieces
• 3 tsp sugar/sugar substitute
• 1/2 tsp allspice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place pecan meal, butter, sugar and allspice into food processor. Pulse until combined and resembles dough.
3. Divide nut mixture and press into the bottom of a mini tartlet pan. (I use these. It’s amazing how the tarts just pop out after cooking!)
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, being careful not to let the crust burn.  Remove from oven and cool.

Cheesecake:
Ingredients:

• 1 cup Ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup Sugar/sugar substitute

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, beat together ricotta and cream cheese until smooth. Add in eggs, vanilla and sugar.
2. Pour cheesecake mixture into the mini tart pan. Bake tarts for 15 to 20 minutes or until the middle is just set. (Middle should still wiggle just a bit.)
3. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
4. Top with apple butter (or your favorite topping and enjoy!

Both of these can be made low carb:

This two are definitely not low carb!