Make It Monday - Gluten Free Cheesecake

Today was a busy busy day for me and the kidlets! We woke early, packed our bags to leave my parent's house and headed to my hometown's Veteran's Day parade. It was so much fun for the kids, and they ended up with a bag of candy and happy memories.

 After leaving the parade we ate lunch and then headed to the nearest major grocery store to go shopping. I managed to finish my shopping with a screaming 13 month old and her two very busy older siblings. I am proud to say that nothing was broken and no children were lost!

 Then began the two hour drive home... it was scenic and actually successful. And now here I sit, 10:30 at night to post today's recipe. It's too good to not share, so here you have it...Gluten Free Cheesecake!

Why Gluten Free you ask?! My mother has Celiac's disease and can't eat gluten. We accommodate her in anyway we can and enjoyed a Gluten Free Thanksgiving as a family this past weekend. This cheesecake was surprisingly delicious and a perfect blend of sweet and creamy! Definitely a must try...enjoy!

 {P.S. Don't mind the horrible photo...I didn't have my nice camera with me! :/}

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 package of Pamela's brand soft shortbread cookies

1 1/2 cups of Cinnamon Chex

1 stick of butter, melted

Filling:

2 (8-ounce) cream cheese blocks, softened
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 pint (16oz) sour cream
1 lemon, zested

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 

Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Crust:

In a mixing bowl, crush up chex and cookies until you have a fine crumble. Add the butter and mix until crumbs are moistened.
Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

Filling:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well-mixed but not over beaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.


Set a large roasting pan with 1" water on bottom oven rack, place cheesecake on middle rack. Bake for 60 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Turn off the oven, crack the door open with a wooden spoon handle and let the cheesecake sit in there for 30 minutes. Remove from oven to cooling rack, let cool in pan for 30 more minutes.

Cover with saran wrap and chill in the refrigerator, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate. Using a spatula spread a layer of desired topping over the surface.

Recipe adapted from Mommy I'm Hungry