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A few years back, we had a wonderful restaurant in town that served peppered strawberries with ice cream. As bizarre as it sounded, it was a fantastic dessert. The pepper added a little twist to an otherwise familiar flavor. It was a wonderful mix of sweet and tangy that I grew to crave. 

For a long time, I was puzzled over how to create the recipe myself . Peppered strawberries is just such a bizarre combination that I was intimidated to try making it myself. But it turns out, that it’s much simpler that it may seem and takes less than 15 minutes to prepare.

I ended up adapting this recipe into a peppered strawberry cheesecake to create a heavenly combination of peppered strawberries and and refreshing vanilla cheesecake. It has become a go-to for me when I want to create a unique and surprising recipe that’s still delicious and free of processed sugars and grain.

Photo of Peppered Strawberry Cheesecake ingredients.

With valentines day coming up, the season of pinks, reds, hearts, and teddy bears is now upon us. This grain-free cheesecake recipe can easily add a little sophistication to any valentines day meal. If you’re feeling energetic, you can even cut the strawberries in the shape of hearts by creating a notch at the top before slicing.

Enjoy!

-Harper

Overhead shot of Peppered Strawberry Cheesecake. Photo of Peppered Strawberry Cheesecake on a plate.

 

 

Peppered Strawberry Cheesecake with Almond Crust

Author Harper Slusher

Ingredients

Almond Crust Ingredients

Peppered Strawberries Ingredients

  • 4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup granulated stevia erythritol sweetener
  • 2 tsp arrowroot starch
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 20 ounces sliced strawberries

Cheesecake Ingredients

  • 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature (two packages)
  • 4 tablespoons butter room temperature
  • 3/4 cup chilled whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup granulated stevia erythritol sweetener
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Crust Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Generously spray a 8 or 9 inch spring form pan with oil of choice.
  3. Combine almond flour, sweetener, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl.
  4. Cut the butter into the mixture using a fork or pastry blender.
  5. Once the mixture has begun to stick together, spread the dough over the bottom of the prepared springform pan.
  6. Once evenly spread, bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees or until lightly golden in color.
  7. Let crust cool for at least 20 minutes before adding the filling.

Peppered Strawberries Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a medium sized saucepan.
  2. Heat ingredients under medium heat until mixture thickens.
  3. Remove from heat and let cool.

Cheesecake Directions

  1. Beat cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Add butter, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, and sweetener until incorperated
  2. In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract and beat until stiff peaks form.
  3. Fold in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining cream.
  4. Carefully mix in 1/3 of the peppered strawberries, and then evenly spread the cheesecake filling over the prepared pie crust.
  5. Place in freezer for around 30 minutes or until firm.
  6. Once firm, remove the sides of the spring form pan and pour the remaining peppered strawberries on top of the cheescake to create a glaze.

Recipe Notes

The cheesecake can be stored in either the fridge or freezer, but is best when placed in the freezer for a few minutes before serving.