Healthy cheesecake with pepernoten bottom

For us Dutchies probably one of the best things about the end of the year is that pepernoten are in stores again! As these yummy ones are already good on their own, it can get even better by using them in a cake recipe – a healthy cheesecake to be exact 🙂

For those who aren’t familiar with this Dutch guilty pleasure: it’s a way too addictive snack. They are small cookie-like treats with several spices, which can be translated in spiced nuts or pepper nuts. And I’ve recently found out that its crunchiness works great as a cake bottom! I have to admit that my hubby and I have a thing for those cheesecake bottoms that you can make from a package… Not really Foodie-ness proof, however sometimes it’s fine to cheat a little from your healthy habits. With this recipe you can make yourself a quite healthy cheesecake, but most of all it’s just delicious 🙂

With love,
Carolina.

INGREDIENTS BOTTOM – 175 g pepernoten (or replace with almond flour if unavailable) – 2 tbsp. melted coconut oil – 10 pitted dates INGREDIENTS FILLING – 700 g low-fat quark – 1 egg – 200 g cream cheese light – 1 tbsp. honey or optional: whey vanilla MACRONUTRIENTS

Energy: 110,9 kcal
Protein: 8 g
Carbs: 7 g
Fat: 6,2 g
Fiber: 1,3 g

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Melt the coconut oil and mix together with the pepernoten and dates with a food processor until it’s a course mixture. It may be a little crumbly!
Cover a spring pie tin with baking paper and grease in the sides.
Scoop in the bottom mixture and press firmly with a spoon. Put in the fridge for a few minutes.
Now mix all the ingredients for the filling in the food processor until you’ve got a smooth, firm mixture. Note: don’t mix too long or it will get too thick!
Get the bottom from the fridge and pour in the cheesy mixture.
Bake the cheesecake for 50-60 minutes. Ready? Let the cake cool down first and then place in the fridge for 1 hour. This last step will give it the classic cheesecake structure, yummy!