No Bake Keto Rainbow Cheesecake

Every year in June, millions of people around the world celebrate Pride Month which marks the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and uplifts the LGBTQ+ community. From parades to concerts and festivals, this time of year offers countless ways to spread the love and bring people together.

If there is one dessert made for Pride Month, it must be this low-carb dessert made with vibrant layers of light and fluffy rainbow colored cheesecake that melts in your mouth.

How To Make No Bake Keto Rainbow Cheesecake

This No Bake Keto Rainbow Cheesecake looks really pretty with rainbow effect through the whole cheesecake layer. I won't lie, it's more challenging than your usual cheesecake but it's so worth it!

I used a 12-piece mini cake tin (which I got at Lakeland and it's available on Amazon UK) to make mine but you can use a regular springform pan which will make the assembly easier and quicker.

1. Roast the Almond Flour

To make the base, you'll start by roasting the almond flour. To do that, place the almond flour in a non stick pan and cook on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even roasting. This will deepen the flavor and create that delicious graham cracker base effect.

2. Prepare the Base

Place the roasted (still warm) almond flour in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients for the base: butter, low-carb sweetener, cinnamon and salt. Use a spoon, fork or your hands to combine well.

Next you're going yo press the base into the cake pan and*place the base in the freezer to set. I used a pickle wooden packer but anything with flat surface will work. You can even use your fingers but you may not get even results.

3. Make the Cheesecake Mixture

To make the cheesecake mixture, you'll need to sprinkle the gelatin in a bowl filled with cold water and let it bloom for a few minutes.

While the gelatin is blooming, you'll pour all of the cheesecake layer ingredients (apart from the ingredients used as food dyes) in a bowl and beat using an electric mixer: cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, powdered low-carb sweetener, lemon juice and sugar-free vanilla extract.

4. Color & Layer the Cheesecake

Next you'll need to divide the cheesecake mixture between five small bowls. The reason did not make six layers is because I didn't want the layers to be too thin so I skipped the orange. As I later found out by accident, the yellow and pink layers mixed anyway and created a faint orange layer by day two so no orange dye was needed!

Ingredients That Can Be Used as Food Dyes

To make the classic rainbow effect, you need to make six vibrant layers: purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and pink. As I mentioned above, I skipped the orange and let the pink and yellow create a fait but pretty orange layer.

I used a combination of ingredients that work as food dyes and liquid natural food dyes. (Since there are several options you can use, these are not fully included in the nutrition facts. The ingredients listed below will either have a zero-carb or insignificant contribution to the net carb count.)

Purple — combine ¹/₄ teaspoons blue spirulina powder with 2 teaspoons pink pitaya (dragon fruit) powder, freeze-dried raspberry powder or beetroot powder.
Blue — use ¹/₂ teaspoon blue spirulina powder.
Green — use ¹/₄ teaspoon green spirulina powder, matcha powder or more if you're using liquid spirulina based food dye. If using matcha powder, make sure to use ceremonial grade that is vibrant green.
Yellow — use ¹/₈ to ¹/₄ teaspoon turmeric powder or more if you're using liquid turmeric based food dye. I would start with less as turmeric can be overpowering.
Orange — use a combination of pink and yellow to create the desired effect. As I mentioned above, I did not make the orange layer but I'd start with ¹/₈ turmeric powder plus 1 tsp beetroot powder, pink pitaya (dragon fruit) powder, freeze-dried raspberry powder.
Pink — 2 to 3 teaspoons pink pitaya (dragon fruit) powder, freeze-dried raspberry powder or beetroot powder.

Where to Buy Natural Food Dyes?

These are the options I found in the US & UK but I'm sure you'll find similar options in Canada, Australia and more!

blue spirulina powder (Amazon US and Amazon UK)
pink pitaya (dragon fruit) powder (Amazon US and Amazon UK)
freeze-dried raspberry powder (Amazon US and Amazon UK)
beetroot powder (Amazon US and Amazon UK)
green spirulina powder (Amazon US and Amazon UK)
matcha powder (Amazon US and Amazon UK)
turmeric powder (Amazon US and Amazon UK)

Can I Use a Regular Cake Pan?

Yes! Although I used a 12-mini cake pan with removable bottoms (¹/₃ cup/80 ml capacity each), you can use a regular sized 6-inch (15 cm) deep springform pan. If you use an 8-inch (20 cm) springform pan, you will need to double the recipe to make sure you get nicely defined layers.

Substitutions and Allergy-Friendly Tips

These mini no bake keto cheesecakes are naturally sugar-free, grain-free, gluten-free, egg-free and coconut-free. If you can't eat nuts, dairy or want to make a vegetarian (and vegan) version of these mini cheesecakes, here are some more tips:

For nut-free cheesecake — Replace the almond flour with an equal amount of ground sunflower seeds, or a combination of ground sunflower seeds and toasted shredded coconut.
For dairy-free cheesecake — Replace the cream cheese with coconut cream and the heavy whipping cream with coconut milk.
For vegetarian cheesecake — Replace the gelatin with an equal amount of agar powder, or use 2 tablespoons of agar flakes.

Preparation time

Hands-on:    30 minutes
Overall:      3 hours

Nutritional values (per serving, 1 mini cake)

Total Carbs	3.9	grams
Fiber	1.1	grams
Net Carbs	2.7	grams

Protein	5.3	grams
Fat	21	grams
of which Saturated	10.3	grams

Energy	206	kcal

Magnesium	31	mg (8% RDA)
Potassium	115	mg (6% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (5%), protein (10%), fat (85%)

Ingredients (12 servings)

Cheesecake base:

1 ¹/₄ cups almond flour (125 g/ 4.4 oz)
2 ¹/₂ tbsp unsalted butter (36 g/ 1.3 oz)
2 tbsp powdered Erythritol, Swerve or Allulose (20 g/ 0.7 oz)
¹/₄ tsp to ¹/₂ tsp cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

Cheesecake layer:

2 tsp gelatin powder (up to 3 tsp for a firmer set)
¹/₄ cup cold water (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)
400 g full-fat cream cheese (10.6 oz)
¹/₂ cup heavy whipping cream (120 ml/ 4 fl oz)
¹/₂ cup powdered Erythritol, Swerve or Allulose (80 g/ 2.8 oz)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sugar-free vanilla extract
natural food dyes (see post above for tips)

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients for the base. (Note: If you're viewing this from the KetoDiet App, make sure to check the post above for natural food dye tips and allergy-friendly tips.)
Start by roasting the almond flour. (You can use raw but roasted is better for more flavor). Place the almond flour in a non stock pan and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly roasted and fragrant.
Place the warm roasted almond flour in a bowl and add the butter, powdered low-carb sweetener, cinnamon and salt. Mix with a spoon, fork or your hands until the dough is well combined and crumbly.
Press the dough into cheesecake tin. I used a 12-piece mini cake tin with removable bottoms (¹/₃ cup/80 ml capacity each) or use a regular 6-inch (15 cm) deep springform pan (see post for tips). Place in the freezer for at least 20 minutes to set.
Meanwhile, prepare the cheesecake layers. Start by sprinkling gelatin in a small bowl filled with water and set aside to bloom.
Place the cream cheese into a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to process until soft and creamy. Add the cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, powdered low-carb sweetener, lemon juice and vanilla and process until soft peaks form.
Place the bowl with the bloomed gelatin in a microwave and heat up for just 15 to 20 seconds. (Alternatively, use a small saucepan and cook on the stove until liquid.) Slowly pour the liquid gelatin into the cheesecake mixture while beating and process until well combined.
To add color to the cheesecake mixture, evenly divide it between five bowls (I explained why I didn't have to use six layer in the post above), each one about 130 g/4.5 oz if you want to be precise. Add each of the ingredients to create the color effect and mix until well combined.
Remove the cake base from the freezer. Add the first purple layer (a heaped teaspoon per each) and place back in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. (This will be enough for a soft set.) Repeat with the blue layer and place back in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
Next add the green layer. Freeze for another for 5-10 minutes. Add the yellow layer and freeze again for 5-10 minutes.
Finally add the pink layer and freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours before unmolding. (If you're using a regular sized springform pan, freeze for at least 45 minutes.)
Once fully set, unmold and serve or place in a sealable container. Seal to prevent it from drying out and refrigerate until ready to serve.
This Keto No Bake Cheesecake will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days ot in the freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, leave in the fridge overnight.