I love cheese. From the smooth, creamy texture and taste of brie cheese to the sharp, thick texture and taste of sharp cheddar, you could say I’m well-rounded in my love of variety of cheeses. So naturally, I’m a huge fan of cheesecake. Turtle, raspberry, chocolate, cheery, plain. You name it, I probably like it. Cheese made into dessert, what a spectacular concept.
It isn’t any surprise that most cheesecakes are made with a graham cracker crust. Since I’m trying to cut back on my intake of wheat products, I decided to do some experimenting over the weekend. I wanted to make a wheat free crust that resembled that of a graham cracker crust. I had some raw almonds and pecans on hand so I decided to make a crust out of those, using the same technique for making a graham cracker crust: melted butter, sugar and “crumbs” combined until the “crumbs” are moist. I also didn’t want to make a HUGE cheesecake so I made a small batch of crust and cake mix that made only 6 mini cheesecakes. Perfect for a house of 2.
The crust is amazing. It pairs well with the mildly sweet taste of the cheesecake. Trust me, you won’t even miss the usual graham cracker crust once you try one of these. Enjoy the recipe!
Mini Cheesecakes with Almond Pecan Crust
Ingredients
serves 6
For the crust
- 1/3 C finely chopped raw pecans
- 1/3 C finely chopped raw almonds
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1/2 tbsp granulated white sugar
For the filling
- 8oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 C granulated white sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
Directions
- Line a standard muffin pan with 6 cupcake liners.
- Combine the chopped pecans, chopped almonds, 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar and melted butter until the nuts are coated in the butter. Press the mixture into the bottom and slightly up the side of the muffin cups.
- Beat the cream cheese and 1/4 C sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups.
- Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until set. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
- Top with your desired toppings. I topped mine with sliced fresh strawberries.
I LOVE this!!!
Anne @ The Pnk Momma recently posted…{28 days of Love} Day 4
These look and sound amazing, YUM!
xx
Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
Kelly recently posted…January Purchases
These look So delish! As I am still trying to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, these mini’s will be great for portion control! Thanks for posting.
-Natasha
Natasha recently posted…Getting It Together
These look great Julie! Love the combination too!
Liz recently posted…Red Velvet Cinnamon Buns
This looks like such a fantastic recipe! I hope to try this out soon.
Megan recently posted…Valentines Day Mantle by Amy
oooh those look so tasty! i’m going to pin this to my cheesecake board now… speaking of pinning, you should add this to my pop-up repin party on facebook
here’s the link: http://ow.ly/hrBOQ
hope you are well, julie!
ang
ang recently posted…National Pancake Day
Wow these look delicious! Just found your blog & love your photos & recipes! Excited to follow along
http://www.nateandmaryclaire.blogspot.com
MaryClaire recently posted…Super Bowl Festivities
This mini cheese cakes look luscious. I like that they are small, so you don’t feel too guilty eating one.
Can’t wait to try them.
Bev
Beverly recently posted…From Dumpster to Pretty Lady
Julie, I love, love, love the crust on these little cuties.
Kari@Loaves n Dishes recently posted…ORANGE GLAZED STRAWBERRY AND ORANGE MUFFINS
thanks for sharing these at Saturday Dishes, Julie
Paula recently posted…Let’s Get Social Sunday / Call Me PMc
I love that you use a nut crust for these cheesecakes. I am going to buy the ingredients today to make this week, so excited!!
I’m a huge cheesecake fan! These are so cute, Julie! Thank you for sharing at last week’s week’s All My Bloggy Friends
These look and sound great! Thanks for sharing at Two Cup Tuesday at Pint Sized Baker.