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Desserts and Breads

Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake

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Makes about 8-10 servings depending on your slices. Only 6 grams of Net Carbs per slice!

Oh. My. God. I have been making keto friendly desserts for only like eight weeks or so now, and I’ve made this three times already. It is an absolute hit, even with people that eat real sugar on a regular basis. I forget what recipe I found, and where, but I tweaked what I found, and I think it’s perfect. So, without further ado, here is my first official dessert recipe I’m adding here. The whole reason I started Not Without Sweetness!

Ingredients for crust:

  • 2 tbsp of confectioners swerve (or erythritol)
  • 2 tbsp of grass fed butter
  • 1 cup almond flour

Ingredients for filling:

  • 2 blocks of softened cream cheese (16 oz)
  • 1 cup of confectioners swerve
  • 1 cup of pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp of pumpkin spice mix, or 1 tsp, and add a shake of each: ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and ground cloves. (this is what I do to give it more flavor)

Instructions for crust:

  1. Preheat your oven to 325F, and spray a 9″ pie pan with non stick spray (I prefer an olive oil spray) set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter and swerve with a whisk until it has an even consistency. Then add in the almond flour, whisk together until the flour is evenly coated and has a crumbly texture.

3. Transfer mixture to pan, and press firmly into the pan as even as you can get it. I use the flat side of my measuring cup to do so. Then bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool. Keep your oven on, and while you’re waiting for it to cook, you can prepare your filling.


Instructions for filling:

  1. Make sure your cream cheese is all the way softened or it will result in a lumpy texture!
  2. Add pumpkin puree and half of your cream cheese in and beat until smooth, then add in your other half of cream cheese. Once that is mixed well, add in swerve, eggs, vanilla, and spices. Beat until very smooth, and combined.
  3. Pour into previously made crust, spread top evenly, and bake for 40 minutes. Remove, let sit for 20 minutes, then cover, and let chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours. That allows everything to set completely.
  4. Top with whipped topping of choice, serve, and enjoy!
Main Dishes

BLT Egg Salad Lettuce Boats

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Found this recipe via Pinterest and it’s the perfect lunch! I even had it for dinner, and it hit the spot! Once again, everything came from ALDI USA. So yummy, hope you enjoy!

  • 6 hard boiled eggs
  • thinly sliced green onion (about 4) avoiding the ends and tops
  • 1/3 cup of mayonnaise
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1/2tsp smoked paprika
  • crumbled bacon pieces (fresh or store bought)
  • cherry tomatoes halved
  • romaine lettuce leaves

Mash together the eggs as much as possible, the finer the better. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir. Serve on the romaine leaves (don’t forget to wash them!)

Main Dishes

Slow cooker pulled beef

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Decided to put this together last night, and it turned out AMAZING. I was getting sick of chicken, so I thought I’d dabble with some beef this time. All ingredients were found at Aldi USA.


2 pounds of beef stew meat

1 medium onion thinly sliced

1 cup beef bone broth

1 Onion soup dry mix packet

1 tsp Steak seasoning

1 tsp garlic paste

Pinch of salt (if needed)

Non stick spray (if desired)

-Lightly spray slow cooker with non stick spray of choice.

-Add in meat and sliced onion to cooker.

-In a separate bowl stir together broth, spices, onion packet, and garlic, then add to slow cooker.

-Cover and cook for 10 hours on low. Serve with choice of steamed vegetable, riced cauliflower, mashed cauliflower, zucchini noodles, etc. 

Snacks

Powerful Bites (double chocolate)

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When I started keto, I knew sweets were going to be a huge problem for me because they are my absolute weakness. I would always have something sweet each day after dinner or before bed (sometimes both) before keto, so I was so nervous if I could stay on track.

The first two weeks I didn’t have even a lick of something sweet because I was so afraid! In the past, one taste would lead to a second, and a third, then the whole pack of Oreo’s were gone! Oopsie! I was at one of my tattoo appointments when my artist, (and best friend) Jake mentioned these little snacks to me. He is crazy about things high in protein, and isn’t much of a cooking guy due to his busy schedule. So after a few more questions, I learned they were cookie dough bites at Walmart in the yogurt section, they were under $5 and tasted good.

The second I left the shop, I went to Walmart to find them. Sure enough, Jake was right! Keto friendly, only two grams of net carbs in four pieces, six grams of protein, and one gram of sugar. I couldn’t believe it! My other thought was that they were gonna be full of ingredients that I couldn’t pronounce, but I was wrong. First ingredient was peanut butter, followed by erythritol (my favorite sugar substitute), whey protein, coconut oil, cocoa powder, applesauce, and a couple more I won’t bore you with.

That was the double chocolate flavor, and they also have a peanut butter one and a blueberry one that I know of. The net carbs, sugars, and ingredients are very similar in those ones as well. Me being the sweet tooth I am, I started eating them in the car. I couldn’t tell if they were actually good, or if it was because I hadn’t had anything sweet in two weeks. I stuck to the serving size and brought them home for my mom to try. She said they were really good! I was SO excited.

Since you have to keep them refrigerated, I always keep a container of them in my fridge at all times for those days I need to kick that sugar craving. They stay good for a few weeks too, so that is another plus. I hate wasting food! Hope you enjoy!

-Ashley, Not Without Sweetness

My Story

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I struggled with my weight since I was eight years old. There hasn’t been a time that I actually remember being a normal size. Neither of my parents were overweight, but we didn’t eat healthy what so ever. In fact, we had pizza every Friday night, and sometimes Saturday too. Through the week, my mom worked nights, so unless she made something in the crock pot, my dad would take my brother and me to get some form of fast food. That was a terrible habit that continued for a very long time.

Unfortunately, I did not have the same metabolism as the rest of my family. When I started to get self conscious about it in middle school, I wouldn’t eat breakfast or lunch, thinking I would lose weight that way. However, I would go home and binge eat because I was starving by the end of the school day. I ate as much as my stomach could handle before my dad came home so I wouldn’t get yelled at.

My parents tried to help me, but didn’t exactly go about it the best way. I remember on my twelfth birthday, my parents got me workout videos. I was absolutely humiliated. I know they were just trying to help, but I took it so hard. Shortly after that birthday, my dad started portioning my food. I think that was even worse than the present. For example, everyone would get their plates full of food, and I was given one slice of pizza. I would be so hungry at night, as soon as my dad went to bed I was in the fridge. I’m not saying that if they’d gone about it a different way I would have been “cured” but I think I would have has a better chance to succeed.

Through the last 10 years I have never lost more than 20 pounds and kept if off. I tried low fat diets, low carb diets, low calorie diets, you name it! Nothing worked, I just couldn’t stay motivated. In 2017, I decided to try my hand at a vegan diet. I did it for a year and lost 35 pounds. I kept that weight off ever since, but still had a lot to lose.

Finally, with my brother’s wedding coming up, I decided to give this weight loss thing one more try. On August 20th, 2019, I was ready to make a lifestyle change. I looked into, and started a “keto” / low carb plan. As of today, it’s been two months since I’ve started, and I’ve lost 26 pounds already. I haven’t been this weight since either late middle school or early high school! I work out five to six times a week, for at least 30 minutes or more. Mainly cardio, and it gets easier and easier each day. I still have about 50-60 pounds left to lose.

I hope I can inspire and help others with my knowledge and experiences.