No Bake Greek Yogurt Orange Cheesecake

I was recently given a bag of oranges freshly picked from a friends’ tree. And though they are not super low in carbs, I was inspired to create this refreshing no bake refrigerator dessert. It is keto friendly (if you have a small slice), low carb, paleo friendly & gluten free.

Honestly, this was reminiscent of a creamsicle. This is not a super quick dessert, as you do need a little time in between the steps to allow things to set. But believe me, the taste was worth the effort!

I also consider this to be a great blank slate no bake cheesecake recipe, as you can simply alter the flavors. Switch orange zest to lemon zest. Try a hazelnut or walnut crust. Strawberry instead of orange gelatin. You can also take some short cuts by using sugar free orange jello, and orange juice if you prefer. Use a little imagination! I have prepared this with both strawberries & blackberries, and simply made some tweaks.

Crust:

1 1/2 cups superfine almond flour

1/4 tsp powdered pure monk fruit (I use Julian Bakery)

6 tbsp butter melted

Zest of 1 orange

Pinch of salt

In a dry pan, toast your almond flour to enhance the nuttiness and slightly deepen the color. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Press into a greased pie pan or springform pan.

Place in freezer to set until you are ready to use

Filling:

1 packet of powdered gelatin.

1/4 cup water (to dissolve gelatin)

1 package of room temperature cream cheese (8 oz.)

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 2/3 whipping cream (whipped)

1/4 tsp of pure monk fruit (or 1/2 cup of your preferred sweetener)

Zest of 2 oranges

Juice of 1 orange

1 tsp brandy

In a small sauce pan, place the water and powdered gelatin. Let sit for 1 minute, and the. warm up on low for a few more minute until the gelatin is dissolved and there are no lumps. Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine all other ingredients except for the whipped cream. With a hand mixer, mix everything until well blended and smooth. Add in your gelatin.

Whip your whipped cream. Then fold it into the cream cheese mixture. Finally use your hand mixer to blend it well.

Pour into your pie crust & smooth out the top.

Topping:

Juice of 5 oranges

1/2 cup water

1 package of gelatin

Wait till your cheesecake has set for at least 2 hours before adding the gelatin topping.

Dissolve the gelatin in water as you did above for the filling.

Juice your oranges & pour it into the saucepan with the gelatin & combine.

Candied Orange Peel:

Separate the rind from 1 orange, discarding the pith which is is bitter. You can use a vegetable peeler for this.

Boil the rinds in water, changing the water 3 times to get rid of the bitterness. Then boil the rinds in a 1 cup of water and a 1/4 tsp of pure monk fruit, or 1/2 cup of your favorite sweetener. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the rinds allow to dry on parchment paper.

After you pour the orange gelatin mix over the set cheesecake, then place the orange peel pieces to create a mosaic design.

I let the whole thing set around 4 hours before slicing.