Gluten free (and dairy free option), blood sugar friendly and no added sugar Baked cheesecake
With the end of the year approaching, I thought it was about time I gave you guys a baked cheesecake recipe. I’m not sure if this is true or just in my head, but I feel like cheesecakes make an extra special appearance around Christmas and New Year’s.
To add to that, lots of you have requested a baked cheesecake recipe from me lately! I’ve actually got two cheesecake recipes already, but neither are baked options, so it was about time I put my head down on this one. However, before we move on, I love my other two cheesecake recipes, and so do my clients (one even told me she thinks about one of them regularly!), so if you want to give them a go, here are the links:
Now, this recipe was inspired by Marina Wright’s healthy cheesecake recipe. I adapted it to create a slightly more classic baked cheesecake, but it’s still packed with nutrients and blood sugar balancing.
This no added sugar cheesecake is…
A good source protein to help stabilise blood sugar and satisfy luteal cravings.
You might find yourself experiencing more cravings in your luteal phase, especially for high carb or sugary foods.
This is because progesterone can increase hunger and oestrogen, which is lower in the luteal phase, improves insulin sensitivity, therefore in the follicular phase when oestrogen reigns supreme, our blood sugar is more stable and we are less prone to cravings.
As oestrogen declines in the luteal phase, we can become more vulnerable to blood sugar fluctuations, especially if our blood sugar is already not very well balanced people with endometriosis may be prone to blood sugar instability and metabolic issues. Add to the progesterones tendency to increase hunger, and we have a recipe for cravings - especially if we’re also experiencing PMS, PMDD or nutrient deficiencies (all of which can intensify cravings).
Now, satisfying these cravings is not a bad thing - but how we satisfy them can influence our hormones and our periods for better or for worse.
High sugar foods and processed foods can potentially contribute to more PMS, menstrual pain and endo pain, but battling off those sweet and carby cravings is not often realistic (or needed!), so I always endeavour to create better-for-you versions of those sugar fix treats we tend to reach for.
This cheesecake does just that with its protein content. A serving of just the cheesecake topping alone (the base will boost it if you go for option 1 or 3) provides at least 10g protein, depending on how rich in protein your Greek yoghurt is. If you opt for a dairy free or vegan version, it may be lower, but I’ve given you some options in the notes on how to push protein up. When it comes to luteal phase cravings, protein is your bestie because it improves satiety more than carbohydrates or fats, which means it keeps you fuller for longer.
Gluten free to help minimise symptoms and reactions in certain endo folk.
Whilst not everyone with endometriosis needs to go gluten free or entirely gluten free (some people feel better just not eating it that often), reducing gluten may help some of us manage our pain and endo belly symptoms.
In a major and recent survey study of 2388 endometriosis patients, out of those who removed or reduced gluten, 45% experienced a reduction in pain. In another study, 75% of patients had a significant reduction in painful symptoms after eliminating gluten for 12 months. There is also a significant association between endometriosis and coeliac disease. And whilst the research on endometriosis and gluten has limitations, I myself experienced improvements by reducing gluten in my diet (in fact, it was one of the key players for helping me live a normal life again no longer ruled by pain and my periods), as have many of my clients (though not all, it’s very individual).
If you’d like to learn more about why gluten may impact some of us with endo and how, my Nutrition Masterclass dives into all the science, and you can also check out my podcast episodes like this one.
Naturally sweetened, low in sugar and rich in fibre, healthy fats and protein to support blood sugar.
As we just covered, high sugar foods and processed foods can potentially contribute to more PMS, menstrual pain and endo pain, so to make this recipe more blood sugar friendly, I have focused on the presence of healthy fats (from the yoghurt and eggs), fibre (from the dates, oats and biscuit base) and protein (from the egg yolks and yoghurt), which have all been shown to help stabilise blood sugar levels and slow down the uptake of glucose from our food to our blood stream, preventing blood sugar spikes.
I’ve included yoghurt and egg yolks, not just for the creamy benefits, but the fat and protein can help to make this recipe both blood sugar stabilising and satisfying, curbing those luteal phase cravings. Additionally, fermented dairy, like yoghurt, has been associated with lower rates of type 2 diabetes and insulin levels, as well as lower glucose and insulin levels (don’t worry if you’re dairy free, I have options for you below in the notes, and the bacteria from any type of yoghurt is still beneficial!).
Additionally, one of the easiest ways for us to support our blood sugar is to opt for whole food carbohydrates, such as whole oats and fruit, over refined carbohydrates and sugar, such as flour and maple syrup, which is what I’ve done here for this cheesecake. Whole foods still contain their fibre, which helps slow down digestion and the resulting absorption of glucose to the blood stream, creating a steady drip rather than a flood. This recipe is sweetened only with dates, to keep the overall sugar content low and to avoid any added sugar entirely.
Another great way to support blood sugar is with lower glycemic index foods, and every ingredient in this recipe is low to moderate on the glycemic index scale (this may change if you buy store bought biscuits for your base, which are usually high glycemic). The glycemic index is a tool that looks at foods and the impact they can have on your blood sugar, on a scale of 0-100. A high GI index would be 70 and above, a medium GI is 56-69 and a low GI index is 55 or less. High GI foods are very likely to spike your blood sugar levels and do so quickly, foods with a medium GI rating tend to cause a moderate rise and low GI foods tend to keep blood sugar levels stable and steady over time with a gentle rise. This is because low GI foods break down slowly in the gut because they are rich in fibre and slow release carbohydrates, this means that the release of glucose to the blood stream is slow and gradual.
Dates have a low to moderate glycemic index, so they shouldn’t cause a dramatic or quick rise in blood sugar. However, research has shown that individual blood sugar responses vary from person to person, and if you eat a lot of even a low glycemic index food, it may have a greater impact on your blood sugar levels because you’re eating more in one sitting. Some people are more sensitive to dates, which is why I’ve kept the amount of dates to just 75g in total, which equates to roughly about two dates per cheesecake (depending on their size).
Keeping blood sugar levels stable helps to prevent oxidative stress, which leads to more inflammation in the body and that may trigger further pain and symptoms. In fact, oxidative stress is higher in people with endo, and it’s a key driver of endo growth.
To add to that, constant blood sugar swings can take their toll on hormones, leading to issues like elevated androgens (think testosterone), which can affect ovulation and cycle length. Blood sugar swings may also cause oestrogen excess or dominance and low progesterone if ovulation is interrupted or stopped entirely.
Additionally, this cheesecake can help us out with luteal phase cravings. As we discussed above, when we’re in our luteal phase, we often experience more blood sugar swings because oestrogen, which dominates in our follicular phase, helps us to regulate our blood sugar response, but is lower in the luteal phase. As a result, we tend to get cravings for sweet foods or foods high in starch. The problem is, these foods keep us on a blood sugar rollercoaster, and raise inflammation levels, resulting in more of those inflammatory symptoms and pain that we’re trying to avoid. This cheesecake, being low in sugar and rich in fibre, can help us get our fix without the pain triggering spikes.
Finally, blood sugar swings are linked heavily with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, so if you struggle with low moods in your luteal phase, supporting blood sugar can actually support your mental health!
Rich in hormone and endometriosis supportive vitamins and minerals.
Amongst several other micronutrients, this cheesecake is high in calcium, vitamin A, B12, folate, zinc and magnesium to name a few of the major players. So, let’s look at their benefits for hormones and endometriosis/period pain…
Low levels of calcium have been repeatedly associated with increased PMS symptoms and research has shown that treatment with calcium supplements can reduce the syndrome and even period pain because low levels of calcium can cause more contractions. Calcium may also be a supportive option for PMDD. If you’re swapping out dairy here for a dairy free alternative, don’t worry, you’ll still benefit from all the other incredible nutrients.
Vitamin A is an antioxidant, which may have significant benefits for endometriosis pain. A large 2020 study of 897 adolescent girls found an association with low vitamin A levels and period pain, as well as PMS, and higher inflammation levels. A recent 2024 paper showed that those who ate a higher intake of vitamin A rich plant based foods were 40% less likely to experience dysmenorrhea. In terms of endo, various studies have shown an association between low vitamin A intake and endometriosis risk. Researchers believe that low vitamin A levels may be involved in the pathogenesis (development) of endo, as the active form of vitamin A has anti-prolific and anti-oestrogenic properties, that can halt growth of endo tissue. In fact, research has shown that three month’s of a high antioxidant diet, rich in vitamin A, increased vitamin A levels and significantly reduced oxidative stress markers.
Research on the use of B12 for pain suggests that B12 can reduce chronic pain (and menstrual pain) through various methods. Firstly, B12 can inhibit the production of the inflammatory prostaglandins which are responsible for pain and inflammation, and are found to be especially high in people with endometriosis and dysmenorrhea (which is the medical term for period pain). Additionally, B12 plays a role in supporting nerve health and pain signally pathways, which can influence pain perception. If nerves or pain signalling pathways are comprised, this could increase pain levels.
The B12 mainly comes from the dairy in this recipe, but again, just like calcium, you’ll still reap the benefits of all the other nutrients, like vitamin E and magnesium.
Folate is crucial to ovarian function and ovulation, and low folate levels can cause irritability, mood swings and fatigue, and fertility problems.
Low levels of zinc have been linked to endo, and research has shown it can significantly reduce period pain thanks to its anti-inflammatory benefits. It additionally supports follicle development and ovulation, while deficiency has been linked to infertility.
Research has shown magnesium to be an effective treatment in preventing dysmenorrhea (period pain) because it reduces inflammatory prostaglandins that are the drivers of both endo and period pain. One study showed that six months of magnesium treatment reduced prostaglandin F2a by over half! In fact, in recent research, magnesium is being explored as a dietary treatment for endo and a higher intake of magnesium rich foods was associated with a lower risk of endo. Additionally, magnesium helps to regulate our sex hormones, and as result, is a recognised treatment for preventing PMS.
Important notes to help you tailor this recipe to your own body and needs (and tastebuds!)
Making the cheesecake dairy free
Research shows that about half of people with endo may experience improvements in pain and symptoms with the removal of dairy. However, dairy is nuanced so it’s worth reading or listening to this series to help you work out if it’s right for you and how much you can tolerate (you may not need to cut it out entirely!).
If you know you can’t tolerate Greek yoghurt, then we want to replace it with ideally, a high fat and high protein alternative (for structure, as well as benefits).
Good dairy free brands in the UK are Nush, which have a high protein option, and Coyo, which are high fat. Alternatively, you could try sheep or goat’s yoghurt, which may be better tolerated due to contain A2 casein rather than A1, found in regular cow’s dairy products, however, most are lower in fat, so you might need to increase the oats to create a better structure, but see how you get on. You could also try canned coconut milk, though I have never tried this.
For the cream cheese, try to go for a better quality dairy alternative that’s made with nuts or real ingredients rather than just a blend of oils and stabilisers.
For milk, I used goat’s milk as I can tolerate a small amount of that each day in coffee, etc, without it affecting me. However, I also use pure almond or cashew regularly too, but look for a brand that just uses water, nuts and maybe some salt. We want to avoid stabilisers, gums, etc. as that then changes what could have been a healthy milk, into an ultra processed food. If you tolerate soy, again, go for a good quality milk that’s just soy beans, water, salt and additionally, try to go organic as soy can have some pretty intense pesticides used on the beans. Of course, if you do tolerate cow’s milk, try to go for organic when possible to avoid added hormones, antibiotics, etc.
I haven’t tried any of these alternative options, but I’d love to hear how you get on.
Are oats gluten free?
Oats do not contain any gluten, but most factories that handle oats, also handle gluten, which means there are often trace amounts of gluten on the oats. If you have coeliac disease or an allergy, you need to avoid all traces of gluten, so go for gluten free oats. The same may be said if you have a very reactive intolerance. However, if you just generally avoid or minimise gluten, regular oars should be just fine.
Is this low FODMAP?
The dates per cheesecake will be just over the low threshold and will be in the moderate range, to get down to low FODMAP ranges (20g medjool dates), go for 60g dates total.
The yoghurt is tricky. Lactose is high FODMAP, so as a result, Greek yoghurt is only low FODMAP at serves of 23g. If you made this recipe into four cheesecakes, then they would just be over the low FODMAP range (25g instead of 23g). You may do better with lactose free yogurt (170g is low FODMAP). coconut yoghurt (149g) or even coconut milk (full fat, from the can), which is low FODMAP at 60g per serve. Nut yoghurts tend to be harder to estimate, so depending on the one you choose, try to do some research and also, just test your tolerance to it.
A low FODMAP serving of cream cheese is 40g, so you’re good to go there, unless you go for dairy free, which many of us will and that can be harder to judge. A coconut oil based cream cheese, like Violife, is low FODMAP at 40g per serve, but nut-based cream cheeses have not yet been tested, so you’ll need to do some research depending on the brand and the type of nut you go for. If you go for soy, that may be moderate to high FODMAP as the beans are high in GOS and fructans, so I would do some research and just test your tolerance.
Further resources
If you’re struggling with your endo nutrition or gut health, you might find my courses and one to one coaching helpful. You can find out more here. I’ve also got endless podcast episodes on endometriosis and SIBO.
Gluten free, blood sugar friendly and no added sugar Baked cheesecake
Ingredients:
For the cheesecake:
100g Greek yoghurt or any thick yoghurt of choice (see notes above)
75g soft dates (medjool is best here for flavour)
70g good quality cream cheese
15g rolled oats
2 eggs
1 tbsp milk of choice (check out my notes on dairy above)
1 tsp lemon juice (this lifts the flavour, but doesn’t make it taste like lemon)
1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds of 1 vanilla pod
For the base:
Option 1: My digestive biscuit recipe here.
Option 2: Three ‘healthier’ gluten free digestive biscuits or similar such as Nairns Oaties, plus 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
Option 3: The base from my Breakfast Cheesecake recipe:
75g gluten-free oats
25g walnuts
1 tablespoon nut butter (cashew is best)
½ tablespoon of coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or a scraping of vanilla pod
makes: 3 small cheesecakes
prep time: 10 mins for cheesecake, base time varies depending on option
bake time: 25 mins
cool time: 1 hour, plus 1 hour chill time
Method:
Prep:
Line three ramekins (you can also use cake or muffin moulds) with baking paper.
Preheat your oven to (unless following Option 1 for the base) to 190c (fan assisted).
For the base:
Option 1:
Preheat the oven to 165c (fan assisted).
Follow the recipe to make the dough. Press the digestive dough into the bottom and bake as instructed, then leave to cool for 15-20 minutes inside the moulds/ramekins, before topping with the cheesecake mix and baking.
Option 2:
In a food processor, pulse the biscuits into crumbs, then add 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, melted, and pulse again to get a wet sandy like texture. Press down into the moulds/ramekins, top with the cheesecake mix and bake.
Option 3:
In a food processor, add the walnuts, oats, nut butter, oil and vanilla and pulse/blitz until well combined and a dough like texture forms. The dough should be mouldable like play-dough. Divide the dough between the moulds/ramekins and press down to form a cheesecake base. Top with the cheesecake mix and then bake.
For the cheesecake
If your dates feel tough/dry, soak in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain.
Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add more vanilla or lemon as needed for lift and flavour.
Pour into the ramekins/moulds onto of the biscuit base, and for 25 minutes. It will feel soft, yet will be set in the middle and the top will be turning golden brown.
Leave for 10 minutes in the mould, then gently lift out by holding onto the baking paper, and leave in the baking paper on a cooling rack to cool. Transfer to the fridge for at least an hour before eating.
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Need more help or want to learn how to work with me?
Ways to work with me:
One to one coaching info and application
Live and Thrive with Endo 2.0 DIY online course
Endo Sessions: Single and mini-package one to one endo coaching
SIBO Sessions: Single and mini-package one to one SIBO coaching
Masterclasses in endo nutrition, surgery prep and recovery and pain relief
This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast digital cookbook
Free resources:
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