Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Balsamic Cherries

I don’t know about you, but upon taking the first bite of any cheesecake, all brain and muscle function seems to slow to a cozy, foggy crawl as I wrap my tastebuds around the unbelievable richness. If you can relate, make sure you’re in a safe, comfortable space before digging into this heap of creamy calories. This is the kind of dessert you either make for a crowd when you’re not sure how the dinner conversation is going to go and you’ve got this up your sleeve to knock all your guests into an instant coma and render the evening a resounding success. Or, you make it ahead of time and, on that evening when getting home from work feels like you’ve miraculously escaped from quicksand, you serve yourself a massive slice and curl up to thoroughly decompress. Whatever the need, this gluten free cheesecake has got you covered.

I’ve made cheesecake on a couple of occasions, and have always felt that the recipes didn’t quite replicate that dense, velvety puddle cupped in caramelly, buttery crust that I envisioned. Some heap in the lemon zest, which just ends up confusing my tongue – half expecting lemon meringue pie, half waiting for the true dairy-heavy cream bomb. Some are four inches tall, which ends up looking quite impressive but left me quite disappointed that there wasn’t a better cream to crust ratio.  This version, modeled off of the Bon Appetit Mag’s recipe stays away from those two major pitfalls and truly delivers the most decadent gluten free cheesecake experience.

The few modifications to the below recipe are mainly to the crust and to the accompaniment: using a pre-existing gluten free graham cracker crust recipe that is my go-to, and adding the recipe for a cherry balsamic sauce that’s simply wonderful on not only this confection, but on brownies, ice cream, brownies and ice cream, or solo with a dollop of mascarpone or whipped cream. If you’re a sucker for cheesecake, check out these cheesecake pecan pie bars, or if you’re looking for something equally as creamy but a bit more tart, these key lime pie tartlets are heaven. Have fun and consume in comfort!

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5 from 1 vote

Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Balsamic Cherries

A perfect vanilla cheesecake with added rich, dark cherry reduction

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time55 minutes mins

Chilling time3 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: balsamic, cheesecake, cherry, creamy, graham cracker crust

Servings: 10 people

Calories: 200kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• 9-inch spring form pan

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 2 Cups finely crushed gluten free graham crackers – blitz them in a food processor or Nutribullet
• 8-9 Tbsp melted salted butter
• 2 Tbsp white sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt

For the filling:

• 20 oz room temperature cream cheese 2 1/2 8-oz bars
• 3/4 Cup white sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 vanilla bean
• 2/3 Cup sour cream
• 1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 large eggs

For the cherry reduction:

• 2 pints fresh pitted cherries
• 1/3 Cup white sugar
• 2/3 Cup water
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and get out a 9-inch spring form pan. In a medium bowl, stir together the finely-crushed graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt until well-combined. The mixture will be loose and crumbly. Press the mixture into the spring form pan so that bottom and side (at least 2 inches up) are covered. Bake for 15 minutes and then let cool completely before filling (about 30 minutes).
• While the crust is cooling, make the filling. Lower the oven temp to 325°. In a food processor or electric mixer, pulse together the room-temp cream cheese, sugar, and salt until smooth (you may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally). Using a knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds of one half of the pod out using a spoon – add to the food processor, along with the sour cream and lemon zest. Pulse until smooth and combined.
• Scrape filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the edges are set (center may still be jiggly).  Chill cheesecake in the fridge until completely set, about two hours.
• While the cheesecake is chilling, make the cherries! Pit the 2 pints of cherries, then set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar and bring to medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes until sugar has dissolved and sauce has thickened. Add in the cherries and the balsamic and continue to cook until the cherries are softened and the sauce is deep red (3-4 minutes). Remove cherries (put them in the serving bowl) and continue to cook the sauce for about 8 minutes until thick and syrupy (to your taste). Pour syrup back over cherries and then you’re ready to serve!

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cheesecake!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber