GF Pumpkin Spice Latte Layered Cheesecake

Experience this fall flavor combination in a new way, layered in this creamy and decadent dessert.

Yes, I’m one of those weird people whose favorite part of most pies or cheesecakes is the crust. So I figured, why not start off with a nutty, brown butter, almond flour DOUBLE crust?

The creamy, and rich cheesecake layer sits in the middle and is concentrated with pumpkin goodness and screams fall.

To counteract the decadence of the cheesecake, and because I’m a fan of whipped cream on top of any dessert, the crowning layer is an airy mousse. I added espresso to the mousse in this version, but feel free to omit it and you will have a lovely vanilla whipped mousse layer perfect for any pumpkin dessert.

It’s quite a few steps, but if you love baking, I promise it’s worth a try. Gluten-free and keto-friendly.

This will be at my Thanksgiving table this year … hope it’s on yours too!

ingredients

Crust

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons granulated Lakanto (or another erythritol-based sweetener)
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter* (see notes)

Pumpkin Cheesecake

• 10 oz cream cheese, at room temperature* (see notes)
• 1/3 cup (60 grams) powdered swerve (or another erythritol-based sweetener)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup or 4 oz pumpkin puree

Mousse

• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon unflavored, powdered gelatin* (see notes)
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup granulated Lakanto (or another erythritol-based sweetener)
• pinch of salt
• 1 whole vanilla bean* (see notes)
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, separated
• 1 tablespoon espresso powder* (see notes)
• up to 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia

method

Crust

1. Preheat oven to 325°F and set aside a 9-inch spring form pan.
2. Combine all crust ingredients, except butter, in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
3. Melt butter or brown butter* (see notes) and add to dry ingredients. Mix to just combine.
4. Pour crust mixture in your springform pan and press into an even layer. Set aside.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

1. Combine cream cheese, powdered swerve and salt in a medium bowl or in stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 30 seconds until smooth (it should have the texture of whipped frosting).
2. Add the egg to the cream cheese mixture and beat until fully incorporated.
3. Add the egg yolk to the cream cheese mixture and beat until fully incorporated.
4. Add the vanilla, heavy whipping cream and pumpkin puree to cream cheese mixture and beat until fully incorporated and smooth.
5. Pour mixture over the crust in the spring form pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
6. Place in oven for 45-60 minutes until the cheesecake layer is fully set.
7. Cool the cheesecake completely (this is important so the mousse layer doesn’t melt).

Mousse

1. Add water to a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin in an even layer over the water. Set aside for the gelatin to “bloom” aka absorb the water.
2. If using a vanilla bean* (see notes), cut in half length-wise and with a back of a knife, scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla bean seeds (or extract) to 1 cup of heavy in a small saucepan. Stir in espresso powder if using.
3. Place the heavy cream mixture over medium heat until bubbles start to form around the edges (do not boil).
4. While the cream is heating, in a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, lakanto and salt. Whisk together for 1 minute until pale yellow in color.
5. Once the cream is hot, slowly drizzle 1/2 cup of the the cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. This technique is called tempering which slowly raises the temperature of the eggs so they do not scramble.
6. While whisking continuously, pour the egg mixture back into the remaining heavy cream mixture in the saucepan.
7. Place the saucepan back on the stove. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring continuously until the custard has thickened, about 5 minutes.
8. Remove from heat, add gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved and combined.
9. Pour custard through a strainer (to remove any particles) and into a large bowl. Place plastic wrap on the surface of the custard (or else a skin will form) and set aside to cool for 45 minutes.
10. Once custard is cooled, add the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream to a large bowl. Beat with electric beater until the whipped cream forms soft peaks.
11. Add about 1/2 cup (or a large dollop) of the whipped cream to the custard mixture. Gently fold in the whipped cream. 
12. Add the rest of the whipped cream to the custard mixture and gently fold in the whipped cream until just combined. Taste and adjust sweetness (using the pure stevia) if you want it sweeter. (Usually additional sweetness may be desired if you use the espresso powder.)
13. Pour the mousse mixture over the cooled pumpkin cheesecake in the spring form pan and place in the refrigerator overnight to set.
14. To remove spring form pan, use a butter knife around edge and then remove the spring form edge. Serve as is or add other topping (caramel sauce, nuts, etc) and enjoy!

notes

• a 9-inch spring form pan was used in this recipe
• for the crust: browning the butter is optional, but adds a nutty note
• for the pumpkin cheesecake: if the cream cheese isn’t at room temperature, microwave it in bursts of 15 seconds until room temperature
• for the mousse: skip the espresso powder for a pure vanilla mousse
• for the mousse: if you want a mousse that’s a little less loose, add 1/4 tsp of gelatin for a total of 3/4 tsp of gelatin
• for the mousse: vanilla bean is expensive, but has great flavor—substitute 1 tsp vanilla extract if desired