As always, I am trying to create delicious recipes that are sugar free or use alternative sweeteners. This one turned out to be exceptional and everyone that tried it could not believe it was sugar free.

You will need a 10″ spring form pan. Preheat your oven to 325′

Crust

2 cups almond meal or flour

4 Tb grass-fed butter

1/3 cup good cocoa powder

1/2 cup monk fruit blend

pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 325’. Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and process until mixture looks like crumbs and holds together when pressed between two fingers. Press this evenly into the bottom of your pan that you have sprayed or wiped with oil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Filling

2 8 oz organic cream cheese room temperature

1 cup organic greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

8 oz unsweetened chocolate bar that has been melted with 2 Tb grass-fed butter and 1/2 cup monk fruit then allowed to cool to room temperature.

1/2 cup Truvia brand brown sugar

Reduce heat to 300 degrees. In a food processor or mixing bowl blend the cream cheese and sweetener until smooth. Add the eggs while mixing one at a time. Add the vanilla extract and yogurt, stir this in without over beating or it will incorporate too much air into the batter. Pour a third of the batter into the cooled chocolate and blend. Pour the rest of the batter into the crust, then carefully pour the chocolate batter into the plain batter in a swirl pattern. Place the pan into the oven on the middle shelf and place a sheet pan on the bottom shelf and fill it with water. Bake the cake for 1 hour, turn off oven, open door and allow to cool for 20 minutes before removing from oven. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Once cooled sprinkle the pecans over the top of the cake then pour the cooled praline topping over the top of them, refrigerate overnight. To serve slide a knife around the edges of pan and remove sides, use a hot knife to make slicing easier.

Topping – Make this while cake is baking. (A candy thermometer will be helpful here)

1/2 cup (1 stick) grass-fed butter

3/4 cup xylitol or organic sugar (other sugar alternatives may not work here, I have not had success with monk fruit blends)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a heavy bottomed pot melt the butter with the xylitol or sugar and salt until it begins to bubble. Let bubble until it reaches the soft ball stage 240 degrees. Set aside and let cool but do not refrigerate.