Sugar Free Berry Swirl Cheesecake

Giving credit where credit it due, this recipe begins with a lovely blog, Don't Weight to Do It, that I found on Weight Watchers Connect.  Do you see that Weight Watchers button to the left of this post?  Click on in it if you would like to hear more about the plan that helped me lose 30 pounds.

This entire tasty recipe is only 8 smart points on the Blue Plan, so only 1 Smart Point per slice!  Really!  I can't make up news that amazing!

Please note that you will need a spring form pan for this yummy concoction.  Mine is an 8 inch one.  I lined it with parchment paper and lightly rubbed the sides with just a tiny smidge of vegetable oil.

I pretty much followed the recipe for Dessert Hack - Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with a couple of tiny exceptions.  She talks about how her recipe does have a bit of a chemical taste, so I completely skipped the Truvia.  I also added an entire tablespoon of lemon juice instead of just a dash.  The biggest change though was adding berries.  I simmered a bag of frozen strawberries plus one cup of mixed frozen berries for about 30 minutes, reducing it nicely.  No sugar was added.  It could be pureed if you like, but I didn't bother.

The rest of the ingredients were tossed into my stand up mixer.  Once I had a smooth batter, about half was scooped into a separate bowl and 2/3 cup reduced and cooled berries were stirred into the bowl until combined.  Next, the batters were swirled into the prepared spring form pan, alternating between vanilla and berry.  The cheesecake was then baked in a 350 degree oven, which for my oven, took about an hour.  My oven always seems to take longer than the recipe recommends.  Once the scrumptious dessert cooled to room temperature, the rest of the reduced berries were spread on top.  Still in the pan, the cheesecake was placed in the fridge to chill for about an hour.  Then, it was released from the pan, placed on a plate, and garnished with fresh strawberries.

Is this the very best cheesecake I've ever eaten?  Nope, but adding tart berries definitely helps.  The texture is more like a firm pudding than cheesecake.  However, if, like me, you are trying to manage your weight or need to avoid sugar, this is a lovely dessert.

I tried this recipe a second time and used a purchased graham cracker crust, which added a whopping 4 Smart Points per serving.  If you have points to spare, you might prefer having that butter and sugar.  I seldom have extra points, so, to me, the crust wasn't worth the price.  If having a crust is a deal breaker for you, a better option in my opinion, would be to have a plain graham cracker on the side.  That's one of the many the great things about Weight Watchers.  No food is forbidden.  Each person chooses what works for them.

If you try this Sugar Free Berry Swirl Cheesecake, will you please let me know what you think?

;-)  -Marci