CHEESECAKE BALLS

MAKES 12 balls (1 per serving)

PREP TIME: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour 20 minutes to chill

COOK TIME: —

With so many dairy-free options out there, fat bombs made with cream cheese are available to all. If you can do dairy, make this recipe with actual cream cheese. If you can’t, head to your local health food store and ask where the dairy-free cream cheese is hidden.

Why the different types of erythritol in this recipe? Since it’s no-bake, using confectioners’-style erythritol makes sense so you don’t have little granules of sugar in each bite. But, for the cinnamon sugar topping, having granules isn’t a bad thing. If you have only granulated erythritol on hand, you can make it confectioners’-style by pulsing it in your blender or food processor until it’s powdered.

ALMOND FLOUR CENTER:

½ cup (55 g) blanched almond flour

2 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee

1 tablespoon confectioners’-style erythritol

CREAM CHEESE LAYER:

1 (8-oz/225-g) package cream cheese (dairy-free or regular)

3 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (60 g) confectioners’-style erythritol

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

CINNAMON SUGAR TOPPING:

¼ cup (48 g) granulated erythritol

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet or tray that will fit into your freezer with parchment paper.
2. Make the almond flour center: Place the almond flour, oil, and erythritol in a small bowl. Knead with your hands until incorporated. Separate the mixture into 12 pieces and roll into balls. Place the balls on the lined baking sheet and place in the freezer.
3. Make the cream cheese layer: Place the cream cheese, oil, and erythritol in a small bowl and combine with a fork or handheld mixer. Divide the mixture evenly between 2 bowls. To one bowl, add the cinnamon and mix until incorporated. Place both bowls in the freezer until the cream cheese has hardened but is still workable and not completely frozen through, about 1 hour.
4. Place the ingredients for the cinnamon sugar topping in a small bowl and whisk with a fork to combine. Set aside.
5. Once the cream cheese mixtures have chilled sufficiently, scoop a teaspoon each of the cinnamon cream cheese mixture and the plain cream cheese mixture and place them side by side on the lined baking sheet. Take the almond flour balls out of the freezer and place one ball between a pair of cream cheese pieces. Pick up the pile and roll between your palms until the almond flour ball is in the middle and the cream cheese surrounds it. Roll the ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated. Place the coated ball back on the lined baking sheet and place in the freezer.
6. Repeat with the remaining almond flour balls, cream cheese mixtures, and cinnamon sugar topping, placing the coated balls on the baking sheet in the freezer as you complete them.
7. Place the coated balls in the freezer to chill for 20 minutes before enjoying.

STORE IT: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

THAW IT: Let the balls sit out on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

make it COCONUT-FREE:

Use ghee.

make it DAIRY-FREE/VEGAN:

Use coconut oil and dairy-free cream cheese.

Per ball, made with coconut oil and dairy-free cream cheese:

calories: 126 | calories from fat: 113 | total fat: 12.5 g | saturated fat: 7.4 g | cholesterol: 0 mg

sodium: 75 mg | carbs: 2 g | dietary fiber: 0.8 g | net carbs: 1.2 g | sugars: 0 g | protein: 1.4 g

FAT : 89%
CARBS : 6%
PROTEIN : 5%