A low-carb birthday celebration? Try crustless cheesecake

I scream, you scream, we all scream for cheesecake? Of course, the end of that advertising slogan should be ice cream.

My birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and since I've been corralling the carbs for over a year now, a birthday cake was a definite no-go, even a wafer-thin slice of regular cake. No.

Over a year ago, I cut all added sugars and wheat out of my meal plan. I did that because even a little bit of either makes me want more; a lot more.

My best answer for long-term health was to cut those two very refined carbohydrates out of my food plan. It wasn't easy, though, since my cranky factor went into high gear for nearly a week.

It was worth it. Today I can walk by the bakery section in my local supermarket and look at all the tempting desserts without craving even one. Eliminating those cravings helped me stay on my dietary path. What's the bigger pay-off? I'm 60 pounds slimmer and not insulin resistant.

Nan came up with the perfect cake for my birthday, cheesecake. I see some raised eyebrows.

Nan's cheesecake is special in two significant ways. It's crustless. Yup, no crust. And it's sugar-free.

Yes, I love a graham cracker crust on a homemade cheesecake. There's no way for me to make that work. In the past, low-fat graham crackers might have made it work, but in a low-carb world, no way.

Nan's cheesecake goes naked, no crust.

Does that work? You betcha, Nan butters the inside of a spring-form pan with unsalted butter, and she's never had a hard time releasing her cheesecake once it's baked and well chilled.

Kicking the crust to the curb also cuts a significant number of carbs and calories.

Nan cut all the sugar she once added to her cheesecake. By cutting out 1 1/3 cups, she neatly trimmed more than 1,000 calories and an amazing 266 grams of carbohydrates.

Nan must love me since she had to tear open 33 packets of organic stevia to replace the sugar, which turned out to be the perfect amount.

Nan also uses high-quality, real cream cheese. And for me, she even used organic cream cheese. Since her cheesecake uses five packages of cream cheese, she went the extra mile.

Since there are raw eggs in the batter, there's no way to taste it to make sure it's sweet enough safely. Several years of experience of making her cheesecake helped her arrive at exactly 33 packets.

Human palates don't taste the same sense of sweet when something's cold, like a well-chilled cheesecake.

Was I happy with my birthday cheesecake? Absolutely. It was richly flavored, with a smooth, creamy texture, and I didn't miss the graham cracker crust.

If this sounds good to you, give it a try. I assure you; you won't be disappointed.

• Don Mauer welcomes questions, comments and recipe makeover requests. Write to him at don@ theleanwizard.com.

Nan's Sugar-Free, No-Crust Cheesecake

5 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese

5 large whole eggs

1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons vanilla

33 packets stevia (organic preferred)

Allow eggs and cream cheese to come to room temperature.

Place the oven rack in the center position and begin heating to 275 degrees.

Butter the interior bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan and lock it tightly. (If you believe the pan could leak, wrap the outside tightly in a single piece of aluminum foil.)

Add all the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat at medium speed until very light, about 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time.

Add the stevia to the cream cheese and beat at medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until combined, about 1 minute.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until it jiggles slightly in the middle when shaken. Turn the oven off, open the oven door slightly and let the cheesecake gradually cool. When cool, cover and refrigerate until well chilled, or overnight.

Release the ring from the pan and cut the cheesecake into 16 pieces. Serve.

Nutrition values per serving: 269 calories (87.4 percent from fat), 26.1 g fat (14.2 g saturated fat), 31.2 g carbohydrates (31.2 net carbs), 2.7 g sugars, 0 g fiber, 6.2 g protein, 144 mg cholesterol, 250 mg sodium.