Lime Cheesecake with Lime Curd
Key lime cheesecakes are a tart, fresh way to brighten up the cold winter months.
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This recipe makes 6 small cheesecakes that will serve a crowd, or you can refrigerate or freeze them and pull them out when needed. If serving at a later date, do not garnish until serving.
Best Sugar Alternatives
Erythritol, monkfruit, stevia, inulin, and allulose work best in these recipes. When the recipe calls for confectioners’ sweetener, try using your blender to pulverize the no-calorie granulated sweeteners into a fine powder.
Ingredients
Macadamia nut crust
- 1¼ cups of salted macadamia nuts
- 3 Tbs. melted butter
- 3 Tbs. sugar-free confectioners’ sweetener (see note below)
Lime curd
- ½ cup lime juice
- 2 tsp. lime zest
- 3 eggs, whisked
- ¹/³ cup sugar-free confectioners’ sweetener (see note below)
- ¾ cup butter, cut into pieces
- ½ tsp vanilla
Lime cheesecakes
- 8 oz. mascarpone
- 3 8-oz. blocks cream cheese
- ½ cup lime juice
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- ¾ cup granulated sugar-free sweetener
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 teaspoon lime zest, divided
- 3 eggs
- 6 lime slices for garnish, optional
- Sweetened whipped cream for garnish, optional
Preparation
- Make crusts: Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare 6 4½-inch springform pans by lining bottoms with parchment paper and buttering sides well. Wrap foil around each pan to cover bottoms and sides.
- Grind nuts, melted butter, and sweetener in food processor in small pulses until finely ground and blended.
- Press dough firmly into bottom of prepared pans, and bake 10–13 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Make curd: While crusts are cooling, place a few inches of water in a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Place metal bowl over water.
- Whisk lime juice, zest, eggs, and sweetener together, and place in the bowl. Stir until warmed through and just beginning to slowly bubble. Add butter, and continue to stir a few seconds, until thickened. Stir in vanilla.
- Remove from heat. Scrape curd through wire mesh sieve to strain out lumps, and refrigerate.
- Make cheesecakes: Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Place mascarpone, cream cheese, lime juice, sour cream, sweetener, vanilla, and 2 tsp. lime zest in food processor or stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, and mix just until blended. Avoid overmixing.
- Pour filling into pans with cooled crusts, and place pans in deep baking dish. Place baking dish in oven, and pour in 1 inch hot water. Bake 35–45 minutes, until the centers are almost set. Turn oven off and open the door slightly. Let sit at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Top each cheesecake with lime curd and smooth over the top. Place a lime in the center of each cheesecake and garnish with whipped cream piped around the edges. Dust with lime zest.
Nutrition Information
- Calories 560
- Carbohydrate Content 26 g
- Cholesterol Content 215 mg
- Fat Content 57 g
- Fiber Content 1 g
- Protein Content 9 g
- Saturated Fat Content 28 g
- Sodium Content 390 mg
- Sugar Content 3 g