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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…

cooked apples for apple cheesecake.

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…

apple cheesecake baked.

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.

apple cheesecake with apple bits and bites.

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

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Ricotta Apple Cheesecake

This is one apple dessert that's texture and flavors you'll love. This is for a smaller 6" springform pan.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

  • springform pan

Ingredients

  • 2-3 chopped apples, cored and de-skinned
  • 1/4 cup apple cider (or water)
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt or thicker yogurt
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon spice
  • 1 tsp nutmeg spice

Instructions

  • Make the cheesecake batter: Break up the egg yolks. Combine in the yogurt and ricotta.
  • Make the apple mixture with spices: heat for 15-20 minutes in oven until soft. Mash into a compote sauce consistency. Let cool and then add to cheesecake batter.
  • Prepare the bottom and sides of a springform pan with oil, butter, or baking spray.. Add a piece of baking parchment paper to the bottom.
  • Pour batter into pan and bake at 350°F/180°C until sides are slightly golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. The time could vary based on the thick (height) of your batter and how much (yogurt) liquid you add, about one hour.

Apple Meringue Dessert (No-Bake Light and No Added Sugar)

Apple meringue dessert is a light dessert that melts in the mouth. It can be made deliciously satisfying with low calories (under 100 if you’re counting) and from natural tasty sugars in healthy foods.

apple meringue dessert

…Oh, and so easy to make and NO Bake. Its creamy texture is pillow dreamy to dunk into.

An apple meringue dessert with light and cinnamon flavors is great for balancing seasons, like in-between autumn and end-of-summer wanderlust when you’re craving fall vibes, but not just ready for pumpkin comfort season.

It’s got cinnamon that also helps with anxiety (…Vata feeling?) that flavorfully pairs beautifully with apples… any and all apples.

That includes your favorites.

Gala apples are the classic red apple to me and great for this.

But if you’re like me, you can be lazy, and ready-made 4 oz applesauce container cup will work great! And actually even better for a smooth dessert. And is light with around 50 calories. And a large egg white is about 18 calories so you do the light math (and light food math)!

Then it’s just a little mixing, spoon plopping, and folding in… 1-2-3 and you’re done! It’s a 5-minute prep dessert that makes me so happy when the season strikes!

…And maybe you too?

Because Vata season is upon us in the Western hemisphere (as September approaches). And if you’re a dominant Vata, then this’ll help you calm too.

That’s when back-to-school or nostalgic moods can strike… where you may not feel settled in transition and you can’t put your finger on what it is.

And your moods can be all over the place… like you like comforting fall vibes and vibrant summer colors and flavors so you settle on mustards and burnt oranges.

But an apple dessert like this can be enjoyed year-round. 🍎

You can omit the cinnamon and add in lemon zest. Or do both. And if it’s winter (or you’re feeling Kapha), add a little allspice that has cloves and/or cardamom. That’ll get you movin’!

And if you’re feeling like doin’ it easy, grab a 4 oz applesauce that you keep in your pantry and comes in handy!

Actually applesauce sometimes taste even more pure with cinnamon. It’s important to use unsweetened applesauce because apples are already sweet. And use cassia cinnamon (which is the usual cinnamon you find in the spice or baking food aisles).

And if you want to do some cookin’ you can take whole apples, and cut them into chunks. Then heat in a pot until they’re softened and turn into apple “butter.” There’s no butter. But it’s a thicker compote than jam.

Let cool and then mix into your bowl. And you’re good to go!

Don’t skimp on cinnamon. When you’re needing the balance, it’s so calming! And it’s good for the gut. It’s anti-inflammatory and a great substitute for sugar taste AND helps lower blood sugar.

This is the dessert using applesauce that is less than 5 minutes to make.

cinnamon in egg white dessert

For more flavors (and fun), I can think of more than just cinnamon to dunk into this… how about you?

apple meringue dessert
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Apple Meringue Dessert - No Sugar and Low-Fat

This is an easy dessert that you can make no-cook with applesauce.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

  • 1 handheld mixer

Ingredients

  • 1 4 oz applesauce, unsweetened
  • 1 tsp cinnamon spice plus more for zhughing
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • lemon zest (optional)

Instructions

  • Mix the egg white on a mixer on medium for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Add in lemon juice to help stabilize.
  • Add in applesauce and cinnamon. Alternative: if you would like a chunky dessert, use a whole apple instead. If you would like a smooth dessert using whole apples, cook apple chunks on medium heat on the stove until softenedd and turns into apple butter (closer to applesauce consistency). Let cool and fold into the egg white.
  • Zhugh with more cinnamon on top and/or lemon zest.

Notes

Tip: Since it's often hard to mix just one egg white with a mixer, you can add two and save the other half for another time.

 

You can also check out other low-sugar sweets and lighter, low-fat desserts.

Low-Sugar Apple Tart Galette – No Proofing

Apple tart galette is a gala event with Gala Apples like these… or any organic red apples you can get your hands on apple picking!
Low-sugar apple tart galette baked with Gala apples.

Below is an easy apple galette pastry recipe that’s low sugar and needs no proofing. And the proof is when you make them (…and in photos below 😊).

They are made even more tasty sweet tart good with baked lemon.

If you’ve never had a baked lemon, you’re ready to be taken to a whole new lemon experience from the juicy bright citrusy one to a cooler weather vibe… but still prepare to pucker up! 🍋

So this occasion is a zesty candied lemon and apple event all-in-one. 🎉 And once-upon-a-time I spent my entire week dreaming up event tables with clients… and now I’m doing the same for you.

You can lean into the stuffed candy apples that are fun, easy, and healthy snacks to make that take less effort than apple bobbing… that’s an old apple water in a barrel game like juggling🤹

For this snack apple making craft, be sure to source organic apples for these desserts with the skin-on… where the skin stays on and you get all the fiber and anti-inflammatory vitamin benefits.

…Plus, there’s no waste to handle that’s good for our world that isn’t daily compostable just yet (Debby-Downer wah-wah-wah). 

…But hopeful it’s in the works… I believe. 🙏  And we have workarounds today like eating all the edible parts that’s not hard to do.

Which btw, you can do this sustainability move with fresh homemade juice too.

And for these apples, add some cinnamon to your apple-lemon (sweet and sour) for an irresistible zingy pairing. Add a douse of cinnamon that’s good for warming down anxious energies. And cardamom if you want energy-energy. ⚡️

preparing apple tart.

And when it comes out of the oven baked and spiced, you get to be transported a happy nostalgic mood through your senses. 💭

…Do you remember your first apple pie? I remember the apple pie 🥧 store where I grew up. It was out a ways that’s now a bustling town and part of the area I grew up in.

baked apple tart galette with lemon slices.

And in those happy memory vibes, you can make your own apple tart galette dessert in the shape you like 🥧, comfort of your kitchen and do no traveling… and have a cozy home and enjoyable experience no matter what the weather is outside.

As the Danes say, Hygge! 🎉

If you like this recipe, you’ll love this low-sugar candy apple recipe.

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Low-Sugar Apple Tart Galette (No Proofing)

If you want to lean into apple vibes with sweet and tart, then this is a good easy bake.
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

  • organic medium apples (red)
  • cinnamon
  • 1 cup flour of choice
  • 1-1/2 cup dry oats
  • lemon, cut in wedges
  • lemon curd
  • honey or maple syrup to shine
  • 2 tbsp cold butter
  • cold water

Instructions

  • This will make a galette for 3 rows of medium sized apples.
  • Prepare lemon curd on the stove. I low heat warm two eggs, lemon juice and zest, 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp flour stirring constantly for a few minutes until flour is fully blended in. I purposefully leave out sugar, but you can add some if you choose. Honey can be added at the end as shine. Let curd cool and refrigerate to help thicken while you prepare the rest of the steps. Save 2 thinly sliced lemons cut in half moons for decoration and taste.
  • Prepare oat flour: pulse or grind oat into fine flour.
  • Make the pastry shell: hand blend flours, cold butter, and add enough cold water to create a dough disc. Roll out onto your baking pan and create the pastry shape you like.
  • Cut two sides of the apple up to the core so you get the arch sides. Cut into thin strips and keep each side intact. Add to the pastry shell along ith lemon slices.
  • Add cinnamon on top and brush lemon curd throughout your galette.
  • Bake at 325°F/165°C for about 75 minutes or 350°F/180°C for about an hour until deep golden brown. I usually turn the oven off around the hour mark and leave in oven another 15 minutes.
  • About 15 minutes before turning off the oven heat, brush honey or syrup on pastry top and sides for additional shine and sweetness.