Refined Sugar-Free Cranberry Orange Cheesecakes

Winter is one of my favorite seasons, second only to Fall. I love warm socks and sweaters, curling up with a soft blanket and cup of tea by the fireplace, sitting in the dark with only the Christmas lights illuminating the room — you know, general hygge stuff. And once December hits, you can usually find me in the kitchen baking holiday treats. I grew up helping my mom churn out dozens upon dozens upon dozens of Christmas cookies every year, and now I enjoy creating my own seasonal recipes that I can still enjoy with my restricted diet, including my apple cranberry pie, and these refined sugar-free cranberry orange cheesecakes, which are also lactose-free.

The idea for this recipe started from two different existing recipes: these mini honey cheesecakes from Baking with Josh and Ange, and Alex Guarnaschelli’s cranberry sauce. Once I discovered Green Valley’s lactose-free cream cheese, I knew I wanted to try to create a new cheesecake recipe. I make a refined-sugar free version of Alex’s cranberry sauce every year for Thanksgiving, and staring at the leftovers in my fridge, I thought it would make a delicious cheesecake topping.

These mini, individually-portioned cheesecakes are so cute and pack a punch with flavor. The recipe starts with a refined sugar-free vegan oatmeal crust. Graham crackers are loaded with added sugars, so the traditional cheesecake crust was a no-go. Melted coconut oil binds everything together and gives the crust a soft, oatmeal cookie feel.

For the cheesecake, the most important step is removing the excess liquid from the lactose-free cream cheese. This can be accomplished by putting the cream cheese between two paper towels and gently pressing the water out. Most bakers know that you always use a block of cream cheese, which is higher in fat, instead of a tub of cream cheese spread, which tends to hold too much water and get soupy. The problem is, most lactose-free cream cheese options only come in a tub. So this extra step of pressing out the excess liquid ensures that you will get the right texture for your cheesecake!

Be careful not to overwhip your cheesecake mixture, and let the baked cheesecakes fully cool on the countertop before moving them to the fridge to finish setting up. These two potential missteps could cause your cheesecakes to sink in the middle. But if you find yourself with slightly sunken cheesecakes, they’ll still be just as delicious, and you can just pile cranberry sauce on top and no one will know the difference.

The end result is an indulgent bite bursting with Christmas flavors: cranberries, orange, cinnamon, and allspice! You definitely only need one cheesecake per person, but you’re going to want to go back for a second helping.

Refined Sugar-Free Cranberry Orange Cheesecakes

These refined sugar-free and lactose-free mini cranberry orange cheesecakes are the perfect portion of a decadent holiday treat! The luscious orange cheesecake sits on a vegan oatmeal crust and is topped with a spiced cranberry sauce.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Setting Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 360 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the Vegan Oatmeal Crust

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 TBSP all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 TBSP pure maple syrup
• 3 TBSP coconut oil (melted)

For the Cheesecake

• 2 8-oz containers lactose-free cream cheese
• 1/4 cup lactose-free plain whole milk yogurt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• Zest of one orange

For the Cranberry Topping

• 2 cups fresh cranberries (rinsed and dried)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 4 TBSP fresh squeezed orange juice

Instructions

 

Make the oatmeal crust

• Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-count muffin tin with paper baking cups.
• In a food processor, pulse oats, flour, and salt until oats resemble a coarse meal.
• Add maple syrup and melted coconut oil and pulse until evenly moist.
• Scoop one heaping half tablespoon of the oatmeal crust mixture into each baking cup.
• Press down firmly and evenly with fingers, working the mixture to the edges of each baking cup.
• Blind bake for 5-8 minutes or until the mixture begins to dry out.
• Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Make the cheesecake filling

• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F
• Remove cream cheese from the tub and place between two paper towels. Gently press excess liquid out of the cream cheese like its a block of tofu.
• In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat together cream cheese and yogurt until smooth.
• Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and orange zest, and mix until incorporated.
• Add eggs, mixing on low speed until combined, then mixing on medium speed until light and fluffy. Be careful not to overwhip the mixture at this stage.
• Evenly fill the baking cups almost to the top.
• Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until cheesecake is mostly set. It should still have a slight wobble.
• Remove from oven and let cool on countertop before placing in the refrigerator for 2 hours to set completely.

Make the cranberry topping

• In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, water, and maple syrup.
• Stir to combine, then bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
• Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add the cinnamon stick and allspice.
• Simmer for an additional 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally as some of the cranberries burst and reduce down to a jam-like consistency.
• Add the orange zest and juice, stir, and allow to cool before pouring over individual cheesecakes.

Keyword Cheesecake, Cranberries, Lactose-free, Maple Syrup, Sugar-free