Gluten Free Banana Pudding Cheesecake

I love recipes like these, where everything is made from scratch.  It makes it so much easier to adapt to any food allergies you may have.

This one was adapted from the recipe at: http://www.serenabakessimplyfromscratch.com/2014/06/banana-pudding-cheesecake-sundaysupper.html?m=1

Banana Pudding Cheesecake

A no bake Banana Pudding Cheesecake is easy to make and sure to be a hit with banana cream pie and cheesecake lovers alike!

Yield: 1 Pie
Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cup Gluten-Free Graham Crackers, Crushed (about 12 whole crackers)
• 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 cup Butter, Melted
• 2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/3 cup Tapioca Starch
• 1 pinch Sea Salt
• 2 cups Milk
• 3 whole Egg Yolks, Whisked
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 16 ounces Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
• 4 whole Bananas, Sliced
• For Serving: Whip Cream and Additional Sliced Banana

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl add graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar, mix until well combined. Drizzle in melted butter and mix well. Press graham cracker mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes or until light brown, cool completely.
3. To make Vanilla Pudding: In a large saucepan whisk together 2/3 cup granulated sugar with flour and salt until well combined. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth.
4. Bring mixture to a simmer while stirring over medium heat. Cook until thickened.
5. Slowly stir in 2 cups of thickened cooked milk mixture into the egg yolks. (This is not additional milk)
6. Add egg yolks back to the pan and continue to stir while returning mixture to a simmer. Cook until thickened and the consistency of pudding.
7. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
8. Beat cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add pudding mixture to cream cheese and mix until well combined, scraping sides of bowl well.
9. Cover bottom of graham cracker crust with 1/3 banana pudding cheesecake mixture. Add sliced bananas and cover with remaining cheesecake mixture.
10. Refrigerate cheesecake until cold or overnight.
11. Serve with whip cream and additional sliced banana.

From: http://www.serenabakessimplyfromscratch.com/2014/06/banana-pudding-cheesecake-sundaysupper.html?m=1

Low Sugar, Low Fat and Gluten Free Eggnog

Personally, I love this eggnog recipe for baking with.

Ingredients
3 large eggs
3 large egg whites
5 1/2 cup(s) low-fat milk
1/4 cup Fructevia, Steviva Brand Stevia Blend or a tiny dash Steviva Brand Stevia Powder
1 tablespoon guar gum or xanthan gum
1/8 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoon(s) vanilla
1/2 teaspoon(s) (plus additional for sprinkling) ground nutmeg
1/3 cup(s) dark rum (optional)

Directions

1. In bowl, with whisk, beat eggs and egg whites until blended; set aside. In heavy 4-quart saucepan, with heat-safe spatula, mix 4 cups milk with Fructevia, Steviva Brand Stevia Blend or a tiny dash Steviva Brand Stevia Powder, guar gum or xanthan gum, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook on medium-high until mixture boils and thickens slightly, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Remove saucepan from heat.

2. Gradually whisk 1/2 cup simmering milk mixture into eggs; pour egg mixture back into milk in saucepan, whisking constantly, to make custard.

3. Pour custard into large bowl; stir in vanilla, nutmeg, rum, if using, and remaining 1 1/2 cups milk. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours or up to 2 days. Sprinkle eggnog with nutmeg to serve. 

This image and recipe were adapted from: http://recipes.steviva.com/recipe/holiday-eggnog-low-sugar,-low-fat-and-gluten-free

Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Chunk Eggnog Cookies

A tasty way to use up some of the leftover eggnog to whip up some treats for New Years.

Or if you don't have leftover eggnog, or want a lower calorie alternative to store bought eggnog, I have a recipe for eggnog made with Stevia.

Dark Chocolate Chunk Eggnog Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of brown rice flour

1/4 cup of Potato Starch

2 TBSP Tapioca Starch

1 tsp Xanthan Gum
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup EggNog
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup dark chocolate chunks

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggnog, egg yolk and vanilla extract; continue beating on medium speed until completely combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chunks.

4. Using a small or medium cookie scoop (1 or 2 tablespoons), drop dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake from 20 to 25 minutes (longer for larger cookies). Remove from oven and, using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

This recipe and image were adapted from: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/dark-chocolate-chunk-eggnog-cookies/