Caramel Apple Cheesecake (Low-Carb/Sugar-Free)

This Caramel Apple Cheesecake has layers of almond flour crust, creamy, mildly sweet-tangy filling, and is topped with soft apples, crunchy pecans, and a luscious caramel sauce. You can enjoy the best New York-style, low-carb cheesecake without spiking your insulin! 

Why you'll love this Caramel Apple Cheesecake Recipe

• Easy to make
• It has a buttery shortbread-like almond flour crust!
• The cheesecake filling is dense, smooth, creamy, and slightly sweet resembling a New York-style cheesecake.
• In addition, its topping has soft apples and crunchy pecans with a rich low-carb caramel sauce. 
• Our low-carb cheesecake has just 26.4 grams of net carbs per slice. This means it contains a third of net carbs of a regular cheese which has about 77 g net carbs!
• It's low-carb, sugar-free, high-protein, and gluten-free!
• Super delicious and indulgent without all the carbs of a regular cheesecake.
• Moreover, it's perfect for Fall baking! 

Is cheesecake low-carb?

The classic cheesecake recipe is not low-carb. But our caramel apple cheesecake is!

Is this cheesecake keto?

No, because apples are not a keto-friendly fruit! However, you can adapt our recipe to make a keto cheesecake simply by skipping the apple topping. It will become a keto caramel pecan cheesecake! Nevertheless, our cheesecake recipe is both low-carb and sugar-free. 

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make this low-carb caramel apple cheesecake, you'll need:   

FOR THE LOW-CARB CHEESECAKE CRUST:

• 2 cups blanched almond flour (if not on a low-carb diet, you may use the same amount of graham cracker crumbs for a cracker crust)
• 3 tablespoons Swerve Brown ( or allulose, monk fruit, or erythritol if you prefer. You can use granulated sugar or brown sugar if not on a low-carb diet though)
• 1 teaspoon apple pie spice (or ground cinnamon). If you want, you can add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (Make sure to measure the butter solid and then melt it)

FOR THE LOW-CARB CHEESECAKE FILLING:

• 24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature. Moreover, it must be full-fat! ( or 3 blocks of 8-ounce cream cheese)
• 1 cup allulose, granular, or monk fruit if you prefer (You may use white granulated sugar if not on a low-carb diet)
• 1 tablespoon xanthan gum (or the same amount of cornstarch, or 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour if not on a low-carb diet)
• ¾ cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature (It makes a richer cheesecake with a hint of tanginess)
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature

APPLE PECAN TOPPING:

• ⅓ cup sugar-free spiced apple cider tea, prepared according to the directions in the package (or brewed spiced apple tea). If you're not on a low-carb diet, use regular apple cider, or apple juice with an extra ⅛ teaspoon apple pie spice!
• 3 tablespoons Swerve brown sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon apple pie spice (or ground cinnamon)
• ½ tablespoon cold butter (must be unsalted)
• 1 large fresh apple, peeled and thinly sliced (Fuji or Honeycrisp preferred. For a tangier topping, use Granny Smith apples)
• Pinch salt
• ⅓ cup pecans, roughly chopped

FOR THE LOW-CARB CARAMEL SAUCE:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoon Swerve Brown
• 3 tablespoons allulose (TIP: Do NOT use another substitute! Why? Because, unlike other sugar substitutes, allulose will caramelize and thicken without crystalizing when cold though)
• ½ cup heavy cream, or coconut cream if you prefer
• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (or the same amount of cornstarch)
• A pinch of sea salt 
• 2 tablespoon water

How to Make Caramel Apple Cheesecake

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C). Then, wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil (the bottom and sides have to be completely covered so water won't penetrate the cheesecake when baking in a water bath).

2. Spray the inside of the pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

3. MAKE THE ALMOND FLOUR CRUST:

• In a large bowl, combine almond flour, Swerve Brown, apple pie spice, and melted butter until resembling wet sand. 
• Pour the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Using the back of a spoon, spread and press the mixture evenly over the base or bottom of the pan.

• Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until barely golden. Remove from the oven and place it on a rack to cool but keep the pan wrapped in the foil at all times.

4. MAKE THE FILLING:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and allulose on medium speed until smooth and creamy. TIP: Do not beat it on high speed because it will add too many bubbles to the cheesecake filling. 

• Decrease the speed to low and add the xanthan gum to the cream cheese mixture, beating it until smooth.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed until just combined. Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust and smooth out the top.

• Place the cheesecake pan into the middle of a large roasting pan. Then, carefully pour enough boiling water into the bottom of the roasting pan -- just enough to reach halfway up the cheesecake pan.
• Carefully transfer the roasting pan and cheesecake to the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 50-75 minutes or just until the top of the cheesecake is set, but the middle is still jiggly like jello.
• Turn off the oven and then place a towel to prevent the stove from closing completely. This will let the cheesecake cook in the oven for an extra 30 minutes.
• Remove the roasting pan from the oven and take the springform pan out of the water bath. Place the low-carb cheesecake on a wire rack to fully cool. 
• Remove the foil outside the pan, wrap the cheesecake in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours or overnight. 

5. PREPARE THE TOPPING:

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, bring apple cider, brown sugar, and apple pie spice to a boil. Cook until slightly thickened and reduced by about half.

• Next, stir in the butter until melted, and add the sliced apple, salt, and pecans. Cook, stirring now and then, until the apple is soft and the liquid is syrupy -- about 3 minutes. Let your apple layer cool slightly!

6. PREPARE THE CARAMEL:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, Swerve Brown, and allulose. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Watch the mixture carefully to not burn it though!
• Remove from heat and add heavy cream. The mixture will be bubbly!
• Whisk in the xanthan gum vigorously until fully combined and smooth. Add salt.
• Return mixture to heat and boil for an extra 1 minute. Let cool just until lukewarm and then, stir in water. If you would like to make salted caramel, simply stir in a little more salt at the end. If you're not on a low-carb diet, try this rich vegan caramel sauce!

7. SERVE:

• Remove the cheesecake from the fridge. Gently run a knife around the edges (between the cheesecake and the pan) before removing the outer ring of the springform pan.
• Spoon and then spread part of the caramel sauce over the chilled cheesecake, spoon the apple mixture over the top, and then drizzle it with more caramel.
• Use a sharp knife to slice this caramel apple cake into slices, making sure to cut through the crust as well. TIP: For cutting clean slices, submerge the knife into a cup of warm water and dry it with a kitchen towel before slicing it every time.

NOTE: If not using all the caramel sauce, store it in the fridge for a week in a Mason jar. Then, gently reheat it in the microwave (or in a saucepan over low heat) to make it pourable again.

Tips for Making Low-Carb Cheesecake

• Avoid cracks, mostly caused by sudden temperature changes. Allow your cheesecake to cool completely on a rack before refrigerating though.
• Also, do NOT overbake it -- it will make the filling dry or crumbly! When the cake is done, there will still be a jiggly spot in the center of the cheesecake which will set after cooling. 
• For a smooth filling, beat the ingredients at low to medium speed. This will avoid creating too many air bubbles. In addition, beat it just enough to combine the ingredients and become smooth -- you don't want a gritty filling, do you? 
• Runny filling happens when you underbake the cheesecake but most often when you don't allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature and then chill in the fridge. This step is key to setting the filling! 
• You may peel or not the apple -- because the peel will be soft after cooking.
• If you use a smaller springform pan, your crust and filling will be thicker, requiring more time to bake. On the other hand, if you use a larger pan, it will bake in less time. You will have to adjust the baking time according to the size of the pan you use.  
• Do NOT forget to wrap the outside of the cheesecake pan with foil; otherwise, water will penetrate your cake making a mess.  
• Bake the cake in a water bath for even cooking. Although you can bake it faster directly in the oven, it may cause uneven cooking and also become more susceptible to overbaking. 
• To easily beat your cream cheese and make a creamy filling, use room-temperature cheesecake.  If you forgot to bring it to room temp, no problem! Remove it from the wrap, place it in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat it in the microwave for a few seconds, about 20-30 seconds. Then, whisk it very well until smooth. Or better: Run it in the food processor until smooth, making it not only free of lumps but also free of “hot spots” throughout.
• To avoid a curdled filling, use room-temperature eggs and sour cream. 
• Although you can use either granulated or powdered sweeteners to sweeten the filling, prefer granulated sweeteners. Why? It makes the dense filling aerated and creates a richer filling. If you beat it well with the cream cheese at medium speed, it will be well-distributed and will have time enough to dissolve when baking. This means it won't create a gritty filling! In addition, to make the filling as sweet, you will need less granulated sugar or sugar substitute than powdered sweeteners.  
• If you are not diabetic, you can replace the apple topping with canned apple pie filling and add toasted pecans to it. Also, you can use a store-bought caramel sauce you enjoy such as Ghirardelli's.  

FAQS

Can you make low-carb cheesecake in a muffin tin?

Yes! However, you will have to adjust the baking time. It may take about 18-22 minutes to bake.

What kind of apples should I use?

I use Fuji apples because they are sweet, crispy, and juicy and this cheesecake is sugar-free (or not as sweet as a regular cheesecake). But if you prefer tart apples, Granny Smith green apples are a great option.

What is a Springform Pan?

It is a round pan with removable sides, perfect for easily removing the cheesecake from the pan. If you don't have a springform pan, use a disposable pan. This way you can cut off the sides after your cheesecake is chilled. Another option would be to line a round 9-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving paper hanging over the side.

Why is my caramel apple cheesecake sinking in the middle?

This often happens when the cheesecake is either underbaked or doesn't cool completely.  

How do I know when a baked custard is fully cooked?

Like coconut flan, cheesecake is a baked custard and is fully cooked when the top is set and the center is slightly jiggly or wobbly. However, allow it to fully cool at room temperature and then chill it for several hours before slicing it.

What is the best way to slice cheesecake?

To make clean cuts in the cheesecake, submerge the knife in a cup or bowl of warm water or under running hot tap water and then dry it with a dry cloth before slicing it every single time.

What is the difference between New York cheesecake and regular cheesecake?

New York cheesecake is denser, higher, creamier, less sweet, and richer because it calls for more cream cheese and sour cream than regular cheesecake. 

Is this cheesecake sugar-free?

Yes! Our sugar-free cheesecake recipe contains no refined sugar. All the sweeteners are sugar substitute and the crust is made with blanched almond flour instead of graham crackers that contains sugar. 

How to Store

• FRIDGE: Store your low-carb cheesecake leftovers (without the apple topping and caramel) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The caramel topping and caramel sauce must be stored in separate containers and slightly warmed up before topping the cheesecake.  
• MAKE AHEAD: You can make it one day ahead and top it with the caramel sauce and apple-pecan topping before serving. s caramel apple cheesecake freezes perfectly for up to 6 months.
• FREEZER: You can freeze only the cheesecake (without the caramel and apple topping) in a freezer-safe container (or cover it with both plastic wrap and aluminum foil) for up to 4 months. 
• THAW it overnight in the fridge before serving though.

More apple dessert recipes to try

• Apple pie recipe
• Apple cider donuts
• Caramel apple cobbler
• Apple empanadas
• Tarte tatin recipe
• Apple bars
• Apple Crisp
• Caramel apple cake
• Apple crumb cake

More cheesecake recipes to enjoy:

• Burnt cheesecake recipe
• Keto chocolate cheesecake recipe (no-bake)
• Cheesecake tart
• Chocolate cheesecake bars
• Banana pudding cheesecake bars
• Cherry cheesecake

PIN AND ENJOY!

 

  

This post was first published on September 4, 2012. It featured a recipe from Southern Living Magazine, Caramel Apple Brownie Cheesecake, but I have fully altered the original recipe.