Hippity-hoppity, Easter’s on its way! Celebrate the season with Mini Carrot Cheesecakes. These spectacular little cakes are fun and festive, decadent, and delicious. The texture is perfectly smooth and creamy thanks to our Lifeway Farmer Cheese which is a small-batch cheese full of protein and probiotics. The mix of cheese, carrots, and sugary-sweet seasonings produces a cake that is lavish and luxurious. The crust, which is made from a blend of pecans, graham crackers, and brown sugar, makes for a bottom half that’s just as tasty!
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Prep Time: 60 mins Servings: 6-8Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 1/2 cups organic raw cane sugar
- 2 8-ounce packages low-fat cream cheese
- 16oz Farmer Cheese
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Coconut cream
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Place in a medium bowl with graham crackers, butter and brown sugar. Stir to combine.
- Divide crumb mixture into two. Pour and press down half the mixture in a spring loaded cheesecake pan. Divide the other half of the crumb mixture into about 6 mason jars, just filling the bottom of each, pressing down to compact mixture.
- Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the carrots and 1/2 cup of sugar. Cook, stirring often, until carrots are soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the carrots and juices to a bowl, and cool to room temperature.
- Beat the cream cheese and Farmer Cheese and remaining sugar with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 4 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Add the carrots and pan juices, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, orange extract, salt, and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined. Fill the cheesecake pan leaving about 1/4 in at the top.
- Bake cheesecake for about 40 minutes or until the cheesecake doesn't wiggle a lot. You want a small jiggle to your cheesecake.
- Transfer cheesecake pan to a rack, and allow to cool. Once cooled, spoon out the baked cheesecake into the filled mason jars. Then refrigerate, uncovered, for 6 hours or overnight.
- Top with coconut cream. Add shaved wafers and yogurt covered almonds for an Easter holiday theme.
