Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan-Chia-Flax Crust

Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

I can’t take full credit for this recipe.   As my filling inspiration I used SugarFreeMom.com‘s no-bake pumpkin cheesecake slightly modified.  I changed up the filling sweeteners a bit and totally eliminated the coconut.   I’m not too terribly fond of coconut in desserts unless coconut is the “focal” flavor, as in coconut pie, coconut custard, coconut cake.  So I had to eliminate the coconut flour in the filling and didn’t want it in my crust at all. Instead of a sunflower seed and coconut crust, I switched to a pecan-chia-flax crust.  Man, this was DELICIOUS!   And just the thing for my Thanksgiving dinner with my oven out of commission this year.  This recipe was every bit as tasty as the popular Jody’s Pumpkin Bake recipe I’ve been baking the last few years.  But this recipe caters to my lazy cook side, as it requires NO BAKING!  This is not suitable until the nuts and seeds level of Phase 2 Atkins OWL carb ladder.  This recipe is OK for Keto diets if you can fit the carbs into your daily limits.

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CRUST INGREDIENTS:

Before Cutting

4 T. cold unsalted butter

2 c. pecan halves

¼ c. flax meal (I used 50:50 dark and white mixed)

¼ c. ground chia seeds

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ c. erythritol (or sweetener to equal ½ c. sugar)

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1 c. simmering water

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 15-oz can pumpkin puree

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ c. erythritol

¼ c. Splenda

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground cloves

OPTIONAL:   Sweetened whipped cream to top

DIRECTIONS:  Pulse the butter in a food processor or blend until it it finely crumbled.  Add the flax, ground chia seeds, cinnamon, sweetener and pulse a couple times.  Add the pecans and just pulse until they are coarsely ground. Pour into an 8″ square or oval casserole dish.  Press the crust into the bottom and partially along the sides of the pan with your hands. Set aside for now.

Bring water to a boil and lower to a simmer and dissolve the gelatin in it, stirring constantly.  Set aside to cool as you mix up the rest of the ingredients.  In a medium mixing bowl, whip the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer.  Add the pumpkin and mix until smooth.  Add the gelatin and vanilla and mix some more to blend well. Add all the spices and mix until smooth.  Gently pour or spoon the pumpkin mixture into the crust.  Decorate with a few pecan halves if you like and cover with plastic wrap.  Chill for several hours until firmly set.  Cut into 9 squares and serve with whipped cream if you like.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 9 servings, each contains: (does not include any topping)

323 calories

30 g  fat

11.23 g  carbs, 6.34 g  fiber, 4.89 g  NET CARBS

.71 g  protein

49.33 mg sodium