This blackberry cheesecake with a ginger cinnamon crust is a perfect dessert for a crowd. It serves 14-16 modestly, or 8-12 not so modestly.
It’s a beautiful dessert for a dinner party or a summer BBQ and it’s so good I don’t even know if anyone would know this one was sugar-free.
It’s creamy, slightly tart and has a warm spice crust that just pops. This cheesecake is a lovely change from the standard strawberry or cherry cheesecake. If you’re looking for something a bit different this cheesecake might fit the bill.
So this recipe is low carb, sugar-free, keto friendly and gluten-free.
Goes so good with a hot cup of coffee! (but I say that about everything).
Ginger crusted Blackberry Cheesecake
So this recipe is a blend of flavors that enhance those blackberries. Creamy vanilla, warm cinnamon, and hot ginger all blend together beautifully in this cheesecake recipe.
The ginger was the perfect addition. Ginger and cinnamon bring a whole different dimension to this cheesecake. The ginger especially blends well with the tart blackberries. They balance each other exceptionally well. The ginger and cinnamon are not in the cheesecake base, just in the crust, so not overpowering, just enough to enhance the whole dish.
I also did not want a boring crust, not just a plain almond crust, it needed to have a bit of pizzaz. The crust has a bit of a lemon rind too to give it a bit of a punchy bite, and although all of this might sound weird to you, trust me, the crust makes this cheesecake.
But if ginger isn’t your thing, feel free to leave it out.
what are the best sweeteners for this recipe?
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Use your favorite 1:1 sugar substitute.
Powered is preferred over granular, as it blends better and has a nicer texture. Erythritol and xylitol also tend to get grainy when cold, but I found the powdered versions to do it much less. Granular works well in the crust, but since the cheesecake needs to be refrigerated I find the powdered does not crystallize as much. Don’t mind the crunch in the crust, but I don’t like it in the cheesecake base.
If you don’t have powdered erythritol or xylitol and only have granular, go ahead and give it a blast with a high-speed blender, or food processor. My favorite powdered sweetener by far is So Nourished Monk Fruit Blend, I find it has almost no aftertaste at all.
Swerve and stevia will work perfectly fine here as well as does any powdered erythritol or xylitol brand.
Just remember, xylitol is poisonous to dogs and cats, so if that’s your choice and you have little furry friends running around, be aware that it can be deadly for them.
A bit about the blackberries
So I lived in the Pacific Northwest for 22 years. In that time I learned what real blackberries taste like. There isn’t anything like wild blackberries. Much like wild blueberries they are smaller and packed with so much more flavor. My husband (he’s from British Columbia), told me tales of eating them directly off the bushes when he was a kid. He called them free candy.
Here is the weird thing, I find frozen blackberries taste better than their fresh market cousins. I know, I know, call me crazy, but the bagged frozen blackberries seem to be packed fresher or something, or in season, or all of those things.
Fresh grocery store blackberries don’t seem to have much flavor at all. I am all about using fresh when you can because it makes such a difference, but not necessarily with everything.
Grab some cheap frozen berries for this recipe, the cheesecake will taste much better. Unless of course, you live in the Pacific Northwest and it happens to be blackberry season.
Tips for making the perfect cheesecake
So a few things about this cheesecake.
This berry cheesecake is layered. I layered the vanilla cheesecake base, and blackberry puree infused cheesecake base. I just poured, leveled out, poured out the next layer, leveled out and kept going until I finished the fourth layer.
This makes for a very pretty presentation. The pictures don’t show it, but as you cut into the cheesecake pieces the layers are very pronounced.
If this is too much work, just marble the two bases together, easy peasy.
Perfect Cheesecake Top – No Cracks (well most of the time)
- Use room temperature ingredients.
- Do not over whip the ingredients, mix until everything is blended. Overwhipping will introduce too much air into the cheesecake.
- Wrap your springform pan, sides and bottom in aluminum foil.
- place the cheesecake in a roasting pan, making sure it lies flat. Fill the roasting pan with 1 inch of hot water.
- Don’t open the oven door, don’t peek while baking. You can peek towards the end of baking to ensure the cheesecake is fully cooked.
- Different ovens can have different internal temperatures and can bake faster, or slower. Keep an eye on your cheesecake. The cheesecake is fully cooked when most of the cheesecake is set, but the center is still a bit jiggly.
- When the cheesecake is done, leave it in the oven to cool.
- Different ovens can have different internal temperatures and can bake faster, or slower. Keep an eye on your cheesecake. The cheesecake is fully cooked when most of the cheesecake is set, but the center is still a bit jiggly.
- Cool completely before releasing from the springform pan. It’s a good idea to cool the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
These tips have made it so about 90% of my cheesecakes come out perfectly. That other 10%? Well, I just assume it’s the universe’s way of keeping me honest.
Topping suggestions to decorate your blackberry cheesecake
So I made a quick stovetop blackberry jam with some chia seeds, erythritol, and berries and then topped it with some fresh blackberries and blueberries and a few (not too many) sprigs of mint. You could also make our shelf-stable sugar free blackberry jam and use it. I actually dislike mint unless it is in a mojito but the green leaves added nice color contrast. If mint is not your thing, feel free to leave it off.
You could also top this with some sweetened blackberry puree, or even just a few dollops of whip cream. Or, actually, a dollop of whip cream and a splash of blackberry puree is the best of both worlds.
I also put a few tiny fake flowers on my blackberry cheesecake for the photos, they are not edible. If you use flowers in any of your cooking make sure they are edible and organic. Before I served my cheesecake I simply removed the flowers.
Storage and shelf life
Store this cheesecake in the fridge. You want to keep it cold. It will last for up to 5 days if you keep it covered. The berries will be the first to spoil, so if you left the fresh berries off you could get a few more days out of your dessert.
After a few days, even if you used powdered erythritol, you will find it gets a bit of crystallization. Not a deal killer but just something be aware of.
Also, you can freeze this cheesecake without a topping. Wrap it very well and place it in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.
Looking For More Cheesecake Type Desserts?
Blackberry Cheesecake with Ginger Cinnamon Crust (Low Carb & Gluten Free)
A creamy and tart blackberry cheesecake with ginger cinnamon crust. Completely sugarfree, low-carb, gluten-free and keto friendly.
Ingredients
Ginger Cinnamon Crust
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 TBS melted unsalted butter
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger ( or 1/2 tsp of powdered)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 TBS powdered erythritol
- 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
- 1 large egg
Blackberry Cheesecake Batter
- 2 cups cream cheese (16 ounces)
- 1 cup blackberries (if frozen thaw)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup powdered erythritol
Vanilla Cheesecake Batter
- 2 cups cream cheese (16 ounces)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 TBS vanilla
- 1/2 cup powdered erythritol
Berry Topping
- 2 cups blackberries
- 2 TBS Chia Seeds
- 3 TBS powdered erythritol
- (plus additional fresh blueberries & blackberries for the top, I used 3/4 cup of each)
Instructions
Ginger Cinnamon Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Add almond flour, ginger, cinnamon, powdered erythritol and grated lemon rind into a 9 inch spring form pan.
- Gently whisk butter with the egg and add to the pan.
- Blend all ingredients well with a fork. Once blended spread mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan. The back of a small flat bottomed measuring cup works very well.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until just light golden brown.
- Cool to room temperature before adding the cheesecake batters.
Cheesecake Bases
Vanilla Base
- In medium sized bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer whip cream cheese, vanilla, powdered erythritol and blend until soft and fluffy.
- Add eggs on at a time until fully blended, set bowl aside.
Blackberry Base
- Puree 1 cup of blackberries. Measure and set aside 1/2 cup of puree. Save any extra for drizzling.
- In medium sized bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer whip cream cheese, blackberry puree, powdered erythritol and blend until soft and fluffy.
- Add eggs on at a time until fully blended, set bowl aside.
Cheesecake Layered Base
- Pour half of the vanilla base into the prepared crust. Spread it out with a knife, or offset spatula.
- Pour in half the blackberry base over the vanilla layer. Spread it out gently.
- Repeat step 1 & 2.
- Bake at 350 F oven for 35-40 minutes or until the cheesecake is set.
- Cool at room temp, decorate with toppings and store in refrigerator
Berry Topping
- Add the blackberries to a sauce pan and set over medium heat.
- Cook until the blackberries break down and become liquidly. Aprox 5 minutes, a few more if using frozen berries.
- Mash the fruit with the back of a fork.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in powdered erythritol.
- Add the chia seeds, and stir to combine.
- Let stand 5-10 minutes, or until thickened. If the mixture doesn't quite thicken, add an additional chia seeds a tsp at a time. Blackberries can be quite juicy.
- Once the jam has cooled to room temperature add it to the top of the cheesecake.
- Top with additional blackberries, blueberries, and sprigs of mint (totally optional)
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 392Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 242mgCarbohydrates: 10.9gFiber: 4.7gSugar: 4.6gProtein: 10.8g
