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close up of a slice of low-carb caramel apple cheesecake.
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5 from 2 votes

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! 
Course:Dessert
Cuisine:American
Keywords:apple, baking, caramel, caramel apple cheesecake, cheesecake, low carb, pecans, sugar-free
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Cooling + Chilling Time 7 hours
Total Time 9 hours 5 minutes
Servings 16 slices
Calories385.4 kcal
Cost $ 1.50 per slice

Equipment

  • 1 oven
  • 1 9-inch sprong form pan
  • 1 sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil
  • 1 large roasting pan
  • 1 large bowl
  • 1 large skillet
  • 1 medium saucepan
  • 1 wooden spoon

Ingredients

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 Sugar or allulose, monk fruit, or erythritol if you prefer. You can use regular granulated sugar or brown sugar if not on a low-carb diet
  • 1 teaspoon apple pie spice or ground cinnamon. If you want, you can add 1 teaspoon 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. 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

FOR THE APPLE PECAN TOPPING:

  • cup sugar-free spiced apple cider 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
  • 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
  • cup pecans roughly chopped. NOTE: If you aren't on a low-carb diet, you may replace this apple topping with warmed canned apple pie filling and add TOASTED chopped pecans to it.

FOR THE LOW-CARB CARAMEL SAUCE:

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoon Swerve Brown Sugar
  • 3 tablespoons allulose TIP: Do NOT use another substitute! Why? Because, unlike other sugar substitutes, allulose will caramelize and thicken without crystalizing when cold
  • 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 NOTE: If you are not on a low-carb diet, you may replace this caramel sauce recipe with your favorite store-bought caramel sauce such as Ghirardelli's.

Instructions

  • 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).
  • Spray the inside of the pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

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.

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 out of 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.

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!

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.

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.

Recipe Notes

NUTRITION FACTS NOTE: This low-carb caramel apple cheesecake contains about 26.4 g of net carbs. This is about ¼ of the carbs a diabetic person ingests on average daily. To decrease the number of carbs in this baked dessert, you may omit the apple topping and use just the low-carb caramel sauce and toasted pecans as toppings.
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.

Nutrition

Calories: 385.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.9g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 37.1g | Saturated Fat: 17.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 122.3mg | Sodium: 172.1mg | Potassium: 117.3mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1068.7IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 98.1mg | Iron: 0.9mg

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.

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