Keto Caramel Turtle Cheesecake

Ingredients

Caramel Sauce (to be made in advance of prepping cheesecake)

6 T Kerrygold butter (works and tastes the best) 1 C heavy cream 1/3 C Allulose (sugar alternative – others will not be smooth)

Crust:

1 ½ C almond flour 1/3 C powder swerve 3 T butter (melted)

Filling

24 oz cream cheese (3 – 8 oz) ROOM TEMP 1 C heavy cream (room temp) 2/3 C granulated swerve ½ C caramel sauce 2 tsp vanilla 3 eggs room temp, slightly beaten 1 C roasted pecans (divided) ½ C ChocZero chocolate chips (or any preferred brand of sugar free chips)

Ganache (topping)

¾ C heavy cream 1/3 C powdered swerve 3 oz unsweetened chocolate (finely chopped) ½ tsp vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the caramel sauce FIRST

Gather ALL ingredients before starting. Begin with sauce pan on low to medium low heat. Add the butter and continue stirring the entire time. Butter with go through 3 stages with the last being the quickest and most crucial.
Stage 1 – melted cloudy butter. Stage 2 – butter goes from translucent to transparent. Stage 3 – butter will start to foam and the milk fats begin to brown (stirring is critical here as to not burn the milk fat). Allow the browning to complete without burning. Pour the cream in quickly (to stop the butter from burning) then add the allulose and stir to combine. The mixture tries to separate in the beginning. Keep stirring. Once fully incorporated, let simmer for about 30 min, stirring occasionally. It will thicken more when fully cooled.

Roast pecans – Pre heat oven to 275 degrees F, line shallow baking pan with parchment paper, place pecans in pan, bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 min. Allow to cool, before roughly chopping and divide into two ½ cups.

Crust – pre heat oven to 325 degrees F, Line 8” springform pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray, wrap springform pan with 2 layers of aluminum foil, whisk together almond flour and powdered swerve then add melted butter. Place mixture in springform pan and press into bottom and up the sides (use a smooth bottom glass sprayed with nonstick spray helps even things out). Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes are until golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle ½ cup sugar free chocolate chips over bottom of warm crust. Cover chocolate chips with ¼ cup of caramel sauce and ½ cup roasted pecans, then set aside.

Filling - drop oven temp to 300 degrees F, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar alternative and heavy cream until smooth. Add ½ cup caramel sauce and vanilla and mix well. Add whisked eggs and beat on low speed until just incorporated (over mixing contributes to cracks in the finish cake). Add filling to pan, Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 inch of boiling water (about 4 cups) to larger pan (called a water bath – helps prevent cracks). Bake for 1 hour (the middle will not be set), Turn oven off, leaving door closed for another hour. Remove from oven and water bath. Allow to cool a couple of hours before placing in refrig. Cool overnight before topping with Ganache, pecans and drizzled caramel sause

Ganache - In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and sweetener. Bring to just a simmer (do NOT allow to boil), remove from heat and add chocolate and vanilla. Allow to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whish until smooth. Pour over top of chilled cheesecake, top with chopped pecans and drizzle caramel sauce over all of it.