Gluten Free Cheesecake Recipes – Do They Exist?

Is There Gluten Free Cheesecake?

Cheesecake is one of those classic deserts that seems like it will be a long-lost memory when you begin eating a gluten free diet. However, there are many recipes for gluten free cheesecake. Or, with a little creativity adapting recipes to be gluten free can easily be accomplished.

As hard as it is to believe, other than the crust, most cheesecake is gluten free. While the exact ingredients vary from recipe to recipe and with the style of cheesecake most cheesecakes consist of a base of soft fresh cheese, cream, sugar, and eggs. This delightful rich custard is often placed on top of a crust, which is where gluten likes to hide.

Crust

The most common place to find gluten in cheesecake is in the crust. Finding a gluten free option for the cheesecake crust is the challenge in baking a gluten free cheesecake.

For a celiac eating around the crust of a cheesecake leaving the curst is not an option. The cross-contamination risk from the crust is too great! For those with a mild gluten intolerance this may be an option but is not recommended.

A crustless cheesecake is one option. The easiest gluten free crust for a cheesecake is no crust. While cheesecake is most often made with a graham crumb crust, crustless cheesecake is also common, even for those not on a gluten free diet.

A graham crumb crust is the traditional type of crust that is used with cheesecake. A gluten-free graham crumb crust can be made using gluten-free graham crackers. But gluten free graham crackers can be hard to find and expensive.

Almond flour is another great alternative to use as the base for your cheesecake crust. Similarly, other finely ground nuts mixed with sugar and butter can form a wonderful crust for the cheesecake. Using almond flour or finely ground nuts provides a complex subtle nutty flavor to the cheesecake.

A gluten free cheesecake crust can also be made from crushed gluten free shortbread cookies. Using crushed shortbread cookies in preparing the cheesecake crust provides a rich and delicate crust that compliments the smooth creamy texture of the cheesecake.

Gluten free corn flakes or other gluten free cereal can be crushed and used as an alternative to graham cracker crumbs. If choosing this option to create a gluten free crust for your cheesecake choose a cereal that is not overly sweet or cut back on the amount of sugar added to the crust.

Prebaking the crust for a baked cheesecake can prevent the crust from becoming soggy, for a no bake cheesecake there is no need to bake the crust as it will set in the refrigerator as the main cake is set.

HANDY TIP: Lining the bottom and edges of the pan with parchment paper will help the crust release from the pan.

Bake vs No Bake Cheesecake

Recipes for gluten free cheesecake can be categorized in two major groups, baked and no bake. While some purists do not consider no bake cheesecake a cake, several recipes for no bake cheesecake are available.

Baked

A baked cheesecake requires care and attention to the details of the recipe for success. However, a carefully crafted cheesecake is a pure delight. Comparing a baked and no-bake cheesecake the baked version will exhibit:

Golden surface
Firmer texture
Creamer texture
Shorter shelf life
Cracks will form on the surface if the cake is cooled too quickly

No Bake

A no bake cheesecake provides a quick alternative to a baked cheesecake but has some distinct differences, such as:

Easier to prepare
Mousse like
No eggs
Softer and moister
Not suited for hot toppings as they will melt the cake and have it lose its shape
Set through refrigeration
Longer shelf life while refrigerated.

Toppings

Cheesecake by itself is a wonderful dessert, but adding different toppings to the cheesecake can totally transform the same basic cheesecake into totally different deserts. As with many things when eating gluten free, checking the ingredients of these cheesecake toppings is important. However, with exception of crushed cookie crumbs, many of the toppings commonly served with cheesecake are gluten free.

Many different types of fruits or berries pair perfectly with cheesecake. The bright freshness of sliced strawberries perfectly compliments the richness of the cheesecake. Or the tartness of cherries addsan additional pop of flavor. Do you have a favorite fruit topping to have with cheesecake?

Like so many other desserts, chocolate can add an extra level of decadence. A drizzle of melted chocolate can act not only as a flavor enhancer but also as a fantastic way to decorate or garnish the dessert

For those with a sweet tooth, caramel sauce can play a similar role to chocolate in adding flavor and aesthetic appeal to cheesecake.

Cheesecake Can Be A Wonderful Gluten Free Dessert

Cheesecake is a wonderful option for a rich gluten free dessert. The crust of cheesecake poses a challenge that requires a creative approach to modifying recipes for the cheesecake to ensure they remain gluten free.