Simple Light Pumpkin Cheesecake

It's getting to be Thanksgiving season and that means food, food and more food. If you want to watch your calories and are concerned about things like cholesterol, bellow is a simple cheesecake recipe that is nearly guilt free. Traditional cheesecake is baked in a springform pan and as the baker you have to worry about the cake falling before it's done, cracking during baking and worst of all removing the springform after the cake cools. I simplify this recipe by baking this "cake" in pie crust. I use store bought graham cracker pie crust to shorten the cooking time but feel free to make your own. One of the ways I keep this recipe guilt free is that I use fat free cream cheese. I've found that fat free cream cheese has as much flavor as regular cream cheese; however when your cooking with it be careful that the recipe isn't relying on the cream cheese to provide the fat/oil needed for the finished product, because it won't. This recipe doesn't need the fat of the cream cheese just the flavor so the fat free cream cheese works great.

This recipe makes 2 cakes.

• 2 graham cracker pie crust
• 2 packages of fat free cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 package of 1/3 less fat cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup fat free sour cream
• 3/4 cup Altern sugar substitute
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Using a mixer on low combine the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, eggs and sour cream until well combined and creamy. Add the Altern, brown sugar, pumpkin spice and vanilla and continue to mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. Increase the speed of the mixer slowly to high and add the flour.

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the pie crusts on baking sheets and pour in the cake batter, each pie crust should be just full. Once the oven is heated put the baking sheets side by side on the middle rack. Pour water into each baking sheet until they are full. Bake for 50-60 minutes.

Allow the cheesecake to cool completely before serving. This cheesecake doesn't need anything else but if you are feeling like you deserve a reward for being so good by cooking with fat free cream cheese and sugar substitute than topping this with caramel sauce, pecans and whip cream is really good.