Healthy Cheesecake Recipes: Recipe For High Fiber Sweet Potato Cheesecake

Yes, believe it or not - this recipe is high fiber having 2 grams of fiber to it but it is still delicious. Sweet Potato Cheesecake is a recipe that I copied down from one of the high fiber cookbooks I got at the library some time back and thought it was a wonderful combination of sweet potato which I love and dried apricots which I also love. I also added my own ideas to the basic recipe.

The most important thing about making cheesecake is always to use the right pan, and to follow the instructions on baking, letting rest and refrigerating. If you do those things, you can't miss and this is a great recipe to make to perfect the technique!

INGREDIENTS

• 12 ounces sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 15 gingersnap cookies or substitute part granola or hazelnuts
• 3/4 cup Fiber One cereal or other high fiber similar cereal/granola
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 8 ounces fat free cream cheese, softened
• 8 ounces Neufchatel cheese, softened
• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 3 egg whites or substitute egg white substitute
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger (see substitutions below)
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour or flour
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
3. Combine potatoes in large saucepan over high heat with enough cold water to cover by 2 inches.
4. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender – 12-15 minutes.
5. Drain and mash. Cool.
6. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat.
7. Remove from heat.  Add apricots and then let stand for 10 minutes. Drain.
8. In a food processor, combine cookies and cereal. Process until finely ground.
9. Transfer to a bowl and add the butter, mix well. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
10. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
11. In the bowl of an electric mixer, place the mashed sweet potatoes, cream cheese and Neufchatel cheese and beat on high speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
12. Add yogurt, egg whites, sugar, ginger, flour, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and salt and beat well.
13. Sprinkle the apricots over the bottom of the prepared crust.
14. Pour the potato mixture over the apricots.
15. Bake until cheesecake is almost set – 42-45 minutes.
16. Turn the oven off and let stand for 1 hour.
17. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
18. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

16 servings

From switcheroo.com

Crystallized ginger = candied ginger

To make your own: Bring to a boil 1 1/3 C sugar + 1 C water, add 1 C peeled and chopped ginger pieces, and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and dry, then sprinkle with sugar.

Substitutes: Ginger root - (Substitute 1 tablespoon grated ginger root plus sugar to taste for 1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger called for in recipe) or

Ground ginger (Substitute 1 teaspoon ground ginger for every 1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger called for in recipe) or chopped nuts

The remedy is that you can cover the top of a cracked cheesecake with a sour cream topping.

COMBINE

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Drop of vanilla extract

WHAT TO DO

Spread over the freshly baked cheesecake (while it is still hot) and return it to the oven for 10 minutes. Cool in the oven as instructed in recipe.

• Don't open the oven door while baking
• Some people swear by leaving the cheesecake in the oven overnight to cool, then refrigerating
• If the recipe you use recommends that you put the cheesecake springform pan in a water bath to cook, make sure the springform bottom is well sealed. Make sure that you wrap the bottom of the springform pan in foil and seal it up the sides so as not to allow any water to seep in under the bottom circle of the pan
• Cream cheese needs to be softened before combining in recipes. If not completely softened at room temperature, uncover and place in dish in microwave. Microwave for 30 seconds for 10 second intervals but do not do too much or the cheese will melt. It should just be softened
• Eggs should be at room temperature (or egg substitute)
• If you plan on removing the cheesecake from the metal pan in the bottom of the springform unit, cover the bottom with foil
• Mix ingredients at MEDIUM rather than high speed with mixer - this will prevent cracking
• Some folks also recommend a shallow pan of water on the bottom shelf of the oven to prevent cracking also
• Completely cool the cheesecake to no heat whatsoever before placing in refrigerator. Placing the cheesecake in too soon can lead to sogginess
• Cook cheesecakes on the middle rack of the oven
• Dissolved gelatin and cheeses need to be at the same temperature when mixed to avoid lumpiness from the gelatin
• No-bake cheesecakes should be refrigerated 12-24 hours before serving or they will not set adequately
• Unless it says differently in the recipe, baked cheesecakes should be cooled in the oven. This means that once the cooking time is up, turn the oven off and leave the door of the oven slightly ajar - let the cheesecake stay in the oven until cooled
• After the cooking time has ended, leave the cheesecake in the oven as noted above. After a few minutes, take the cheesecake out of the oven and run a sharp knife around the edge of the springform pan. Put the cheesecake back in the oven as previously described above. This is supposed to prevent the top from cracking