Guilt-free Squash Cheesecake

If you are going to indulge on dessert, why not do it in a way that won’t expand your waistline or give you a sugar crash? Once again, my cheesecake-loving friend Terence inspired me to make a low-glycemic, higher fiber, lower fat dessert. This is a fabulous winter dessert; we discovered we liked it even better than store bought cheesecake.

To make the pureed squash, I cut a large butternut squash in half, baked it (cut side down) on a greased baking sheet for 45 minutes at 350 degrees until the skin was brown and the inside was totally soft. Then I scooped out the flesh and discarded the seeds. I put the flesh in a food processor until it was smooth. One squash will provide more pulp than this recipe calls for, so later I will post a curry squash soup recipe for the leftovers. You can use pumpkin or a can of pumpkin puree for this dish instead, if you prefer.

For more info on agave nectar, see the “Rejuvenating Refreshing Beverage” post below.

Equipment needed: 1 9-inch springform pan.

Timing note: This cheesecake needs to cool for a total of 5 hours, so plan ahead or make it the day before.

Ingredients for crust:

1 ¾ cup whole wheat graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup finely ground pecans

1 tsp cinnamon

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients for filling:

3 8-oz packages low fat cream cheese, softened

3 T oat or wheat flour

1 cup agave nectar

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 ¾ cup pureed squash

¼ cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

To make crust: Mix graham cracker crumbs, pecans, and cinnamon in a bowl. Sitr in melted butter. Press the mixture onto the bottom of the springform pan and an inch or two up the sides.

To make filling: In a mixer, whip the cream cheese until fluffy. Stir in the flour until combined. Whip in the agave, vanilla, eggs and egg yolks until combined. Fold in the squash and cream until you have a pretty gold and white marble effect. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the center appears nearly set when shaken.

Cool for 15 minutes. Loosen the sides of the pan and cool for another 30 minutes. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving. For an extra touch, we have served this in the past with whipped cream (sweetened with vanilla and agave).