No-Bake Peppermint Cheesecake

Merry Christmas!  As we're gearing up to spend our first Christmas in Alaska, I've made some yummy desserts that will also keep our blood sugars low without your sweet tooth making the ultimate sacrifice.  For the past several months our family has really changed the way we've been eating and this pie stays within our new normal.  It's sugar-free, keto, gluten-free, low carb, no-bake, and an option to be nut-free if that's your jam.  

Crust:

2 cups almond flour (or sunflower seeds for the nut-free option)

1/3 cup unsweetened, dutch processed cocoa powder 

1/2 stick butter, softened

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup Swerve Granulated Sweetener

Filling:

2 blocks (16oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. liquid stevia

8 drops Young Living Peppermint Vitality Essential Oil (Click here to grab the best oils ever!)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup Swerve Confectioners Sweetener

2 drops Young Living Peppermint Vitality Essential Oil

Topping:

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup Swerve Confectioners Sweetener

1 drop Young Living Peppermint Vitality Essential Oil

Optional Extras:

Sugar-free crushed candy canes/peppermints

Sugar-free chocolate bar shavings

Sugar-free chocolate chips

First Step: The Crust

Add all of the crust ingredients to a medium mixing bowl.  (If you have a food processor or bender, throw them in that and blitz/pulse them all together until they make a fine crumb.)  If you're like me, and just moved to Alaska and they're still in storage, a medium mixing bowl will do.  Using your hand, mix and squeeze all of the ingredients together until the butter is fully incorporated.  Give it a taste to make sure it's sweet enough for you.  If not, add some more Swerve.  Press the crust into a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.

Second Step: The Filling

Place the first four filling ingredients into a medium mixing bowl (or your stand mixture with the paddle attachment).  Beat those together until smooth.  Give it a taste and make sure it's sweet enough and pepperminty enough.  If not, add more stevia/peppermint vitality.  Keep in mind, you're going to fold in some whipped cream so if it tastes a little strong, it will be diluted in a second.   Add 1 cup of heavy cream, 1/2 cup Swerve Confectioners Sweetener, and 2 drops Peppermint Vitality to a medium mixing bowl.  Beat until stiff peaks form.  Fold the peppermint whipped cream into the cream cheese filling and place the mixture in the pie crust.  Place the pie in the fridge until you're ready to top.

Third Step: The Topping

Add all of the topping ingredients to a medium mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.  Taste to make sure you like the sweetness and pepperminty-ness.  Adjust as necessary.  Now, you can either get fancy or just spread it all over the top of your pie.  If you want to be fancy, place your topping in a piping bag with a pretty tip and pipe the whipped cream however you like all over the top of your pie.  If that's not your thing, just spread it all over the top.  You can leave it plain like this, or you can sprinkle some crushed sugar-free candy canes all over it, or shaved sugar-free chocolate bar curls, or sugar-free chocolate chips...whatever you like.