Apple Cheesecake – Ricotta (Low-Sugar)

Apple cheesecake is a happy dessert. And can be made low-sugar, but apple delicious. You don’t have to add any sugar with spice if you choose.

…But I love a heavy handed douse of cinnamon and fall-ish nutmeg spice.

Why not?, I say.

To make the apple cheesecake: separate 2 eggs. And break up the 2 egg yolks in a bowl where the cheesecake batter will be made.

You can save the egg whites for meringues or your egg white breakfast bowl or a no-bake apple meringue dessert.

In batter bowl, add in 1 cup ricotta cheese and 1 cup thick Greek yogurt. Set aside.

Btw, thick yogurt doesn’t always have to mean whole milk. I used a nonfat Greek yogurt this time, and unlike the myth, did not have more sugar to compensate. You don’t know until you read the ingredient label.

But what you do know is if you use a thinner (more liquid) yogurt, the bake will take longer to bake, and the cheesecake will not fully set and may not stand on its own without sides. But the cheesecake tastes will be there.

So your best is you can practice test, and then keep note for sourcing next grocery shopping time.

…Because you’ll want to make this again! 💕

Apple cheesecake is one apple-y great fall cake when apples are abundant AND when you’re trying to figure out what to do with all them apples!

The apples can fall off the trees and into your bakes. And then melt in your mouth.

An apple cheesecake is also great year-round when there’s no apple picking… but there is a holiday and celebrating. And you have a few apples around.

Apples pair so snugly with cinnamon spice. Eaten, it sweetens and calms at the same time.

You can add the spice(s) at the start into your apple mixture.

The mixture is easy to make from scratch. It’s like making a compote, that will turn into a soft apple chunky sauce texture.

Store bought applesauce is definitely an option. but in this recipe won’t be as good tasting. Save your applesauce for low-sugar applesauce blueberry cobbler or an applesauce roll up.

In a cake, fresh apples is a better deal as you can get small taste bits of sweet apple in your bites (like in an apple pie 🥧).

…when it’s said and all done.

But first you have to prepare the apples! And you start prep by de-skinning your apples and removing the cores.

Then rough chop the apples and add to a dark skillet. You can soften them on the stovetop or in the oven. I make it an easy choice. I simply choose to do it in the oven when it’s baking day.

I add the apples in the skillet with a 1/4 cup of seasonal apple cider (or you could use water).

And you can even add orange juice to give an ambrosia sweet taste harmony effect in your mouth. 😋 Up to you!

Then put in the oven while it’s preheating at 350°F for the cheesecake bake.

Before heating, add your spices to the skillet, so they meld and activate in the heat.

Let the apples heat soften for about 15-20 minutes (in the oven or stovetop) until you can easily use a spatula to break up and smash them down a little. But not too much. You don’t want jam or applesauce.

This looks about right…

Let the apple mixture cool a little and slowly add to your now apple cheesecake batter. You can also reserve some apples for cake decorating.

Then spoon-pour the liquid batter to your sprayed, oiled, or buttered springform pan.  I like to add a piece of baking parchment paper as bottom insurance, that you can peel off at the end. You do you, but whatever you do here… don’t skip this sticky step, and especially if you use a regular cake pan.

If you saved some softened apples, you can even leave an apple trail pattern on the top sides if you like to decorate your ricotta cheesecake, and your efforts will show up after baked on the cake…

And it’s as good as it looks! Apple pomes works so well with a zing taste of ricotta in a cheesecake, that’s like lemon tartness without the summery vibes. 🍎

And you can dollop ricotta at the baked end as the whipped cream. Dollops remind me of doilies on a worthy dessert plate or warm dessert beverage.

For baking instructions: Bake until the top sides are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Your oven will have cozy apple aromas.

This one took 1 hour and 15 minutes in a 350°F oven on the bottom oven shelf. And that’s about how long it will probably take in your oven.

I exercised self-control and left the cheesecake in the oven for a little longer after the oven was turned off. That pays off because, fully set you could actually pick up the cake with your fingers and it shouldn’t fall apart.

With dessert on a plate, you can decide if you want to add warm douses of cinnamon dusting or serve with berries.

 

Or to each her own. I added a honey drizzle to my bite.

Want more easy apple recipe ideas? Try the ones above and an easy apple galette.