Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap-Walnut Crust Recipe
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap-Walnut Crust

How to make lighter cheesecake

I love everything about cheesecake -- the sweet taste with just a hint of saltiness, the creamy texture and the sweet graham cracker crust. What's not to love? Well, I can think of one thing: how I feel after I've eaten only a small slice. That would be guilt mixed with the sensation that I just swallowed a brick. Cheesecake may have the reputation of being tasty, but being healthy has never been one of its virtues.

As an associate food editor at EatingWell Magazine and a recipe developer in our test kitchen, I'm always looking for a way to have my cake and eat it too. And I think I've found it with Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap-Walnut Crust, developed by Katie Webster. How does it stack up nutritionally? It's got 307 calories and only 5 grams of saturated fat. Compare that to a slice of pumpkin cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory, which has 740 calories and 31 grams of saturated fat. Here are a few tricks that make this delicious cheesecake lighter:

--Add healthy ingredients.

Plain cheesecake is good, but why stop there? Flavors are tasty, too, and open up the opportunity to add healthy ingredients like fruits and vegetables (in this case an entire can of pumpkin puree). Pumpkin is a rich source of beta carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A plays an important role in bone growth, reproduction, immune function, hormone synthesis and regulation, and vision.

--Add healthy fats.

Fat equals flavor, but not all fats are created equal. We use the crust to slip in some healthy fats while cutting back on unhealthy fats like saturated fat and partially hydrogenated oils. We grind walnuts into the crust. Walnuts are the only nuts that offer a significant amount of the omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA's anti-inflammatory properties halt plaque buildup in the arteries. Also in the crust we use gingersnaps that don't contain any hydrogenated oils. Look for these in the natural-foods section of your supermarket.

--Use low-fat dairy.

In traditional cheesecake, it's bring on the cream cheese! But in ours, we use Neufchatel, a cream cheese that has one-third less fat. And our sneakiest trick? We add pureed nonfat cottage cheese. The pureeing gives the cheesecake a smooth, creamy texture without adding tons of saturated fat.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap-Walnut Crust

We pulled out a few of our favorite EatingWell tricks to achieve plenty of creaminess in our pumpkin cheesecake without all the saturated fat of a typical recipe: nutrient-packed canned pumpkin and pureed nonfat cottage cheese replace some of the cream cheese. A touch of pumpkin pie spice warms up the flavor. For the crust, shop the natural foods section for gingersnaps without any hydrogenated oil. Simple toasted walnuts are an elegant garnish. Or try making candied walnuts. Just be careful not to eat all of them before they make it to the cake!

Serves 12.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 7 hours

Equipment: 9-inch springform pan

To Make Ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. |

4 ounces gingersnap cookies (18-20 1 3/4-inch cookies)

1 cup walnut halves, divided

4 teaspoons walnut oil or canola oil

12 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 16-ounce container nonfat cottage cheese

1 15-ounce can unseasoned pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 325 F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Tightly wrap the outside of the pan bottom and sides with heavy-duty foil to help keep the water bath from leaking into the cake. Put a kettle of water on to boil for the water bath.

Grind cookies and 1/3 cup walnuts to a fine meal in a food processor. Drizzle in oil and process, scraping the sides as needed, until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Place the pan in a roasting pan and set aside. Clean the food processor.

Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until the spice is incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until completely smooth, scraping down the sides occasionally. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides occasionally. Beat in vanilla.

Process cottage cheese in the food processor until completely smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides once. Gradually beat the cottage cheese and pumpkin puree into the cream cheese mixture on medium speed. Scrape down the sides and beat a final time to make sure no streaks remain. Pour the batter into the crust.

Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come 1 inch up the side of the springform pan to create a hot water bath for the cake. Carefully transfer the roasting pan to the oven. Bake the cheesecake in the center of the oven until it's set around the edges but the center still jiggles slightly, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Let the cake cool in the water bath until the water is room temperature. Coarsely chop the remaining 2/3 cup walnuts. Toast them in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the water bath. Remove the foil. Place the nuts decoratively around the edge of the cheesecake. (Alternatively, turn the nuts into Candied Walnuts and decorate just before serving; see variation note.) Refrigerate, uncovered, until very cold, at least 4 hours. Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight if desired.

To serve, remove the sides of the pan. Transfer the cheesecake to a cake stand, if desired.

Variation: To make Candied Walnuts: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil; coat with cooking spray. Combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon water and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large heavy skillet. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture turns golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 2/3 cup walnut halves, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes more. Turn the mixture out on the prepared baking sheet, spreading in an even layer. When completely cooled, break into clusters.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per serving: 307 calories; 16 g fat (5 g sat, 4 g mono); 70 mg cholesterol; 33 g carbohydrate; 19 g added sugars; 10 g protein; 2 g fiber; 295 mg sodium; 270 mg potassium

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (117 percent daily value)

2 carbohydrate servings

Exchanges: 2 carbohydrate (other), 3 fat

Cheesecake Dessert, American Dessert

 

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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap-Walnut Crust

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