Gluten Free Crushed Pineapple Cheesecake

Gluten Free Crushed Pineapple Cheesecake

If you need a scrumptious gluten-free dessert, then look no further. This delicious no-bake Cheesecake can be made in just 10-15 minutes and will not disappoint. Play around with the fruit toppings if you prefer but my family can't get enough of the rough-cut pineapple version.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the recipe and method of making this delightful, light on your stomach treat, let's get some background to ease the guilt of treating yourself to such a delicacy.

Fun facts about cheesecake origins

Cheesecake's have been lining tummies for over 2,000 years. Believed to have originated in ancient Greece, there is archaeological evidence that a form of cheesecake may have been prepared and served to athletes who took part in the first Olympic Games, all the way back in 776 B.C. Cheesecakes were also a regular treat served to wedding guests of that era, sweetened with honey and made using anthotyros or myzirtha cheeses.

Related blog post: Crepe Recipe - Naturally Gluten & Dairy Free

Love cheese? Have a look at this blog post featuring 5 common cheeses you may not have tried.

Now that we know humans have been enjoying cheesecake for over 2,000 years, why not give ourselves even more reasons to help our serving go down guilt-free?

Health benefits of pineapple

By adding fruit as a topping, you are offsetting some of the naughtier ingredients, which helps make this a bit of a guilt-free delight. Pineapple not only works so well with soft cheeses (think pineapple toppings on pizza) but it's also one of the healthiest fruits you can eat. Loaded with all sorts of nutrients, pineapple contains disease-fighting antioxidants, is naturally high in fibre, boasts enzymes to ease and promote digestion, boosts immunity, suppresses inflammation and so mcuh more.

Ingredients

• 1 Packet Nairn's Gluten free Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies
• 50g Unsalted Butter
• 300g Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 250g Mascarpone Cheese
• 2 heaped tablespoons Icing Sugar
• 3- 4 Slices of Pineapple

Method

For the base, the first job is to crush the biscuits. A good way is to pop them into a sandwich bag and bash them up gently with a rolling pin. Make sure that you have a crumby like texture, you don't want to beat them up so much they turn to dust.

Next you need to gently melt the butter in a pan. Do this slowly as it is very easy to overheat butter and burn it. When it has all melted pour in the biscuits and mix thoroughly. When combined dispense into your flan/tart tin. Press down firmly with the back of a spoon or fork to get an even well pressed base.

Typically this amount of mixture will fill a 23cm/9” loose bottom tart tin. Alternatively, if you really want to make this dessert special fill individual sized tins, 11cm/42, for each guest. Once you have an even well pressed buttery biscuit base, set it aside.

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Now make the Sweet Cheesy Filling

For the creamy cheesy sweet filling it could not be any easier. Place both of the cream cheeses in a bowl add the icing sugar and beat gently but thoroughly. Be careful not to over mix as this can cause the mixture to split. Give it a taste to gauge the sweetness and adjust to your own taste, if too sweet add a touch more cheese and or a little drop of extra sugar if it isn't sweet enough.

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Spoon in the mixture onto the base and spread out evenly. Use a pallet knife to make the top smooth and even. Then place your rough-cut pineapple over the top. Some variations of this pineapple cheesecake recipe mix the chopped pineapple into the cream cheese mix but we prefer it on top. You can play around and substitute the pineapple with sliced strawberries or raspberries, whatever takes your pick.

Wrap the whole dish in cling film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, you can make this and leave overnight which is what I tend to favour as it is so handy when entertaining to have your dessert ready made the day before.

Take out of the fridge about 15 minutes prior to serving and enjoy!

Alternative options

If you don't like oats or prefer a traditional base for your no-bake cheesecake you can use digestive biscuits, or if you're in the experimental mood try it with ginger nuts.

If you want to make the cheesecake a bit more fruity and tangy, grate the zest of an unwaxed lime, then squeeze the juice and add it to your cheese mixture. This is a really good way to cut through the fat and reduce the sweetness. It also gives the cake a very lovely light green colour.

Make it an occassion cake with a KitchenCraft Cake Stand

Sharing the love: Have a look at this other Gluten Free White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe by Becky Excell. It's a no bake recipe also, so really easy to make.