Sugar Free Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Sugar Free Salted Caramel CheesecakePhoto byJustina Price

If you are trying to cut out sugar and want a sweet treat that tastes great this Salted Caramel Cheesecake is ideal to satisfy any sweet tooth. This cheesecake is rich and creamy with the perfect blend of smooth salted caramel and crumbly graham cracker crust. Making a cheesecake from scratch takes some preparation. Be sure to read the instructions ahead and follow along precisely. When you take that first bite, you'll know it's worth the time. To start, gather these items.

1. 8 or 9 “spring form pan or round cake pan plus a casserole dish or roasting pan large enough to hold the spring form pan or cake pan.

2. Aluminum foil

3. One crock pot liner

4. Parchment paper

5. Vegetable or olive oil spray

Cut the parchment paper to fit the bottom of your cake pan. Spray the pan lightly with the oil spray and put the parchment circle in the bottom. Wrap the bottom of the pan and sides with foil then wrap the foil with the crock pot liner and tuck inside the foil at the top of the pan.

To prepare the graham cracker crust you'll need:

1 ¾ cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

¼ cup Splenda Brown Sugar Substitute

½ cup Melted Butter

Mix the ingredients together until well blended. Press the mixture into the bottom of the cake pan. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and set on a cooling rack and let it cool. Lower the oven temperature to three hundred degrees and prepare the cheesecake filling.

For the filling you will need:

3 8oz. packages of softened cream cheese.

½ cup Splenda Brown Sugar Substitute

3 eggs

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

¼ cup Sugar-free salted caramel or caramel flavored coffee syrup. If you cannot find it is fine to leave out.

In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs one at a time until blended well, add the whipping cream and coffee syrup beat until well blended. Do not overmix. Pour the mixture into the cooled graham cracker crust. Prepare the large pan to hold the cheesecake in a water bath. Fill the large pan with one to two inches of water and place the cheesecake pan into the center of the water, be sure that the water will not overflow into the cheesecake. Bake the cheesecake in the water bath at 300* for 1 hour and 20 or until the edges have pulled away from the pan and the center is slightly jiggly. Turn the oven off, leave the cheesecake in the oven and leave the oven door closed for another 30 minutes. Then crack the oven door open and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another 30 minutes. Take the cheesecake out of the water bath pan and set the cheesecake in the refrigerator to cool. Discard the water.

While the cheesecake is cooling its time to make the caramel sauce. For the caramel sauce you will need:

½ cup Butter

¾ cup Splenda Brown Sugar

Two tablespoons Caramel flavored coffee syrup

½ cup Heavy whipping cream

1 ½ teaspoons Sea Salt

In a 2-quart saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter, add the brown sugar and coffee syrup. Heat to boiling for about 1 minute until sugar is dissolved. Add cream and bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Add the sea salt and let it cool.

When the cheesecake has cooled, remove the foil and crock pot liner from the cheesecake and run a small knife or metal spatula around the edge, Remove the parchment paper and set the cheesecake on a plate or a cake plate. Slice and serve drizzled with caramel sauce. Keep any leftover cheesecake refrigerated.