Decadent Keto Pistachio Cheesecake: A Symphony of Flavors and Textures

This article unveils a delightful keto pistachio cheesecake recipe, perfect for those seeking a guilt-free indulgence. It combines the rich, creamy texture of cheesecake with the unique, nutty flavor of pistachios, all while adhering to ketogenic principles. We'll explore two variations: a traditional baked cheesecake and a no-bake option, both designed to satisfy your sweet cravings without derailing your diet.

Baked Keto Pistachio Cheesecake

This recipe features a luscious Pistachio Cheesecake filling, nestled upon a delicious Pistachio Graham Cracker Crust, culminating in a topping of Pistachio Ganache. The recipe uses real pistachios, avoiding any instant pistachio pudding mix.

Pistachio Graham Cracker Crust

This crust provides a delightful base for the cheesecake, offering a blend of nutty and subtly sweet flavors.

Ingredients:

• Graham crackers
• Pistachios
• Sugar
• Melted butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160°C).
2. Place the graham crackers and pistachios in a food processor and process to obtain fine crumbs.
3. In a bowl, mix together the graham cracker and pistachio crumbs with sugar and melted butter.
4. Press the mixture on the bottom of an 8” or 9” cheesecake pan. If using an 8” pan, it must be deep.
5. Bake the crust in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes.
6. Remove it from the oven and let it cool down completely.

Pistachio Paste

The heart of the pistachio flavor lies in the homemade pistachio paste. You can buy the pistachios that are already out of the shell.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shelled pistachios

Instructions:

1. Start by skinning the pistachios if you want to obtain a green paste. If you don’t care about the paste being bright green, skip this step.
2. Bring a pot with 1 quart of water to a boil.
3. Once it starts to boil, add the pistachios to the water. Turn the water off the heat, and let the pistachios soak in the boiling water for 1 minute.
4. Drain the pistachios onto a sheet or plate lined with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
5. Spread the pistachios on top of the towel, and rub them gently to help peel the skin. Then you might have to individually continue to peel the skins off the pistachios. This can take about 20 or 30 minutes.
6. Discard the skins.
7. Place the pistachios in a food processor or blender.
8. Process for a couple of minutes. Add one tablespoon of water at a time, processing in between, until you find a smooth consistency. For me, 3 tablespoons did the trick, you might need less, or maybe a bit more. Add water just as necessary to obtain a smooth paste.
9. Scrape it into a bowl and it’s ready to be used.
10. You will need 1 cup of the paste for the cheesecake batter, save the rest for the ganache topping.

Pistachio Cheesecake Batter

The batter combines cream cheese with pistachio paste and other ingredients to create a smooth, flavorful filling.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Ingredients:

• Cream cheese
• Granulated sugar
• Sour cream
• Almond extract
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs
• Pistachio paste

Instructions:

1. Make sure you are using room-temperature ingredients.
2. Beat the cream cheese for 3 minutes with a mixer at medium speed, until creamy.
3. Add the pistachio paste, granulated sugar, and sour cream to the cream cheese and beat for another 2 minutes at medium speed.
4. Scrape the bowl and beat for another 30 seconds.
5. Add the almond and vanilla extract, and mix.
6. Make sure to scrape the bowl a few times during the mixing process, to avoid the cream cheese from forming lumps in the batter.
7. Add the eggs to the batter, mix just until combined. It’s best to add one egg at a time, waiting for one egg to be incorporated before adding the next one. Avoid over mixing once the eggs are added, to prevent cracking of the cheesecake.
8. Pour the cheesecake in the pan, over the baked and cooled crust. Some cheesecake pans require the sides to be greased before adding the batter in, or the cheesecake sticks, so I always spray the sides of my pan with oil before pouring the cheesecake batter in.
9. Wrap the bottom of the pan with a few layers of foil. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan, and add hot water to the roasting pan, to form a water bath. This is very important so the cheesecake doesn’t crack.
10. Bake the cheesecake in the pre-heated 325ºF oven for 60 to 70 minutes. To check if the cheesecake is done baking, give the pan a little wiggle, it should jiggle slightly in the center, but the edges should look set.
11. Turn the oven off, and leave the cheesecake in there for 1 hour.
12. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

Pistachio Ganache

This ganache adds a touch of elegance and intensifies the pistachio flavor.

Ingredients:

• Heavy cream
• White chocolate
• Pistachio paste
• Chopped pistachios (for garnish)
• Pistachio flour (sifted chopped pistachios)

Instructions:

1. Mix the heavy cream and pistachio paste together.
2. Heat up the mixture until 175ºF, or until very hot in the microwave, before it comes to a boil.
3. Pour the cream into the white chocolate through a strainer, to retain any bits of pistachio nuts in order to obtain a smooth ganache. Squeeze the mixture well to ensure only the bits of nuts are being retained by the strainer.
4. Mix with a whisk until the chocolate melts entirely.
5. Let the ganache cool down at room temperature for about 2-3 hours, or place it in the fridge. If you place it in the fridge it should take about 1 hour to thicken, make sure to give it a stir every 10 minutes or so. You can leave the ganache in the fridge for longer or make it ahead, if the ganache gets too hard, let it sit at room temperature until it softens up.

Decoration

1. Spread the thickened ganache on top of the cheesecake. Use an offset spatula to smooth it out.
2. Sift some ground pistachio nuts all over the cheesecake.
3. Sprinkle chopped pistachio nuts around the edges of the cheesecake.

Storage

Store the cheesecake in the fridge for up to 5 days, in a sealed container. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month.

To freeze: Place the whole cheesecake, or slices of it in the freezer for 1 hour, or until the cheesecake is frozen solid at least on the outside. Wrap it in plastic wrap, doing a few layers will be better.

Tips for Success

• Pistachios: When making the pistachio paste, if you want to skin the pistachios, which means remove their skin to obtain green pistachios and a super green paste, make sure to use shelled pistachios, or raw pistachios. It can be very difficult to find raw pistachios, so the best option is to use shelled roasted pistachios. They can be salted, it doesn’t matter. If you buy the pistachios that already come out of the shell, it will be impossible to remove their brown skin.
• Ganache: make sure to use good quality white chocolate to make the ganache. It must have over 20% cocoa butter. It’s best to use brands such as Callebaut if you are using chips, or get the baking white chocolate bars at the store. Stay away from nestle, Ghirardelli white chips.
• Cream Cheese: Full fat is necessary to get a firm and creamy texture. Low fat cream cheeses have more water added to them so they are softer and not ideal for cheesecake.
• Sour Cream: Full fat again!
• Room temperature ingredients: A lot of recipes will ask you for this and it might not always be necessary but in the case of cheesecake, it absolutely is. Especially for the cream cheese!
• Press lumps, scrape often and mix well: In the recipe video you’ll see me using a rubber spatula to press the cream cheese before I start mixing. This helps remove any of those pesky cream cheese lumps. Once the sugar is mixed in scrape the bowl and mix it again. If you are using a food processor, scrape that often too (it’ll work quicker too).
• Don’t overmix: Eggs go in last and only need to be mixed into the batter until they are just incorporated, no more than 30 seconds.
• Bake slowly and carefully: We’re going to bake this at a low temperature, in a water bath. Cheesecake is a custard, if you bake it too quickly it will cook the eggs first and cause a gross scrambled texture. In the water bath, the cheesecake is surrounded by water, which conducts heat evenly and slowly.
• Don’t overbake: The marker for cheesecake doneness should be taken by visual cues. Your oven could run colder or hotter than mine, the pan you are using could be bigger or be made of a different material.
• Chill slowly: Once you’ve determined the cheesecake is done baking, shut off the oven and prop open the door. This will help the cheesecake start cooling but slowly. Sudden temperature changes can cause the cheesecake to collapse. After it has cooled in the oven, take it out of the water bath and transfer it to the counter. Let it cool on the counter until it’s room temperature.

No-Bake Keto Pistachio Cheesecake

For those seeking a simpler, quicker option, the no-bake keto pistachio cheesecake is an excellent choice. This recipe is perfect for warm weather or when you simply don't want to turn on the oven.

Keto Almond Crust

This crust provides a grain- and gluten-free base, low in carbs.

Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide

Ingredients:

• Almond flour
• Chopped pistachios
• Sugar substitute
• Salt
• Melted butter

Instructions:

1. Mix the almond flour, chopped pistachios, sugar substitute, and salt in a small bowl.
2. To this mixture, add the melted butter.
3. Stir until well combined.
4. Press the crust to the bottom of 4-ounce mason jars or 9-inch pie dish
5. Place the mason jars with the crust in the refrigerator and proceed to make the pistachio cheesecake filling.

Keto Pistachio No-Bake Cheesecake Filling

This filling combines the richness of cream cheese with the distinct flavor of pistachio, all without the need for baking.

Ingredients:

• Softened cream cheese
• Sour cream
• Sugar substitute
• Pistachio extract
• Green food coloring
• Salt
• Cold, heavy whipping cream
• Chopped pistachios (for garnish)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, beat on high the softened cream cheese, sour cream, sugar substitute, pistachio extract, green food coloring, and salt.
2. Scape the sides of the bowl several times.
3. Add the cold, heavy whipping cream slowly into the cheesecake batter and whip for 3-5 minutes or until fully combined and light and airy.
4. Using a piping bag or large ziplock bag with a slit on one of the corners, add the cheesecake filling into the individual jars that have the prepared crust. If making one large pie, spread the filling to the prepared crust.
5. Sprinkle the tops of each mini cheesecake with chopped pistachios.
6. Allow the cheesecakes to chill in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes for the best flavor. If making one large pie, make sure you chill the cheesecake for a minimum of 8 hours so that it can be served easily. You can also make this no-bake keto cheesecake in a 9-inch pie pan. To do so simply press the crust into the pie pan and then add the cheesecake filling. Then refrigerate the cheesecake for a minimum of 6-8 hours.

Serving and Storage

Serve chilled and store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Keto Cannoli Pistachio Cheesecake Variation

For a delightful twist, consider a Keto Cannoli Pistachio Cheesecake, which combines the richness of traditional cannoli with the creamy goodness of cheesecake.

Crust

Ingredients:

• Almond meal or almond flour
• Low-carb sweetener
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Melted butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Combine almond meal or almond flour, low-carb sweetener, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Mix in melted butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Press the mixture into the bottom of a greased pie dish or a cake dish layered with parchment paper.
5. Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden. Let it cool.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

• Dark chocolate
• Heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

1. Melt the dark chocolate and heavy whipping cream in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Or heat the heavy whipping cream in the microwave and add chocolate, stir, and melt.
2. Pour the chocolate ganache over the cooled crust and spread it evenly.

Keto Cheesecake Filling

Ingredients:

• Cream cheese
• Powdered allulose
• Vanilla extract
• Orange zest
• Chocolate drops

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add powdered allulose, vanilla extract, and orange zest, mixing until well combined.
3. Gently fold in the chocolate drops.
4. Pour the cheesecake filling over the chocolate ganache layer, smoothing the top with a spatula.

Topping

Ingredients:

• Shredded chocolate
• Chopped pistachios

Instructions:

1. Sprinkle shredded chocolate and chopped pistachios over the top of the cheesecake.
2. Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours, or until set.
3. Slice and serve chilled!

A Nostalgic Keto Pistachio Pudding Pie

Evoking childhood memories, this keto pistachio pudding pie offers a creamy, luscious filling without the need for cooking.

Key Elements:

• Cookie Crust Base: A keto pistachio shortbread cookie dough forms the crust.
• Cream Cheese Layer: Adds richness and tanginess.
• Pistachio Pudding Layer: Provides the signature pistachio flavor.
• Whipped Cream Topping: Creates a light and airy finish.

This pie can be eaten immediately after making - no extra chilling or freezing required for it to set.

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

General Tips for Keto Cheesecake Success

• Sweeteners: Lakanto Monk Fruit is a recommended sweetener due to its texture and minimal aftertaste. If using Pyure, use half the amount since it's sweeter.
• Serving Size: Keto cheesecakes are rich, so a small serving size is recommended.

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