Keto Microwave Cheesecake Bars

Recipe Notes

This is an easy recipe you can whip up very quickly, but it does need to set in the fridge for about 3hrs+ in order to set properly. All you need is a microwave and a fridge so it makes it a great meal for the students out there living in dorms. The great news is you don’t even have to add additional sweetener! You don’t want to eat the whole thing at once, I make these in my 3-Cup Pyrex containers so I can easily just pop a lid on and save some for later.

Ingredients

  • Sweetener — If you’d like to add sweetener, you could use 1 tablespoon of erythritol when you’re mixing the cheeses together. However, even for someone used to sweeteners, I think the strawberries and lemon juice in this recipe offer a lot of sweetness.
  • You can also use fresh strawberries and simply slice them and put them on top, laid out flat. Or dice them and microwave them for 1 minute and then spread them on top of the cheesecake similarly to the frozen. Microwaving the strawberries will allow you to spread them more evenly and it will taste a little sweeter instead of tart.

Equipment

Keto Microwave Cheesecake Bars

Crust:

  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 6 Tablespoons Almond Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

Cheesecake:

  • 8 Tablespoons Ricotta Cheese
  • 4 Tablespoons Cream Cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Large Egg
  • ~10 Strawberries

Directions:

  1. I use the 3-cup Pyrex rectangular glass containers(7.25” wide x 5.5” deep x 1.75” high).
  2. Microwave the butter for 45seconds or until it’s melted.
  3. Add the almond flour and pumpkin pie spice and stir with a spoon.
  4. Use the back of the spoon to flatten out the mixture into the bottom of the container.
  5. In a separate bowl (or use a glass measuring cup so it’s easier to pour) microwave the cream cheese for about 30 seconds to soften it.
  6. Add the ricotta, heavy cream, lemon juice, vanilla extract and stir.
  7. Add the egg and stir. Try to get the mixture as smooth as possible. You can press the cheeses against the side of the bowl to break them down further.
  8. Pour the mixture on top of the crust.
  9. Microwave for 3 minutes. The center of the cheesecake will probably still be runny, that’s OK.
  10. While that’s microwaving wash the bowl you mixed the cheeses in and place the frozen strawberries in the bowl.
  11. Take out the cheesecake and microwave the strawberries for 2 minutes.
  12. While the strawberries are still hot you should be able to easily chop and smash them in the bowl using just the spoon to turn it into a sort of jam-like consistency.
  13. Pour the strawberries on top of the cheesecake and try to even out the layer with the back of the spoon.
  14. Cover the container with a lid and put in the refrigerator to chill and set. The cheesecake must cool completely for the texture to be correct. (About 3 hrs)
  15. Enjoy. Makes 2 servings to split or save for later.

IMAGE RECIPE

  1. I use the 3-cup Pyrex rectangular glass containers(7.25” wide x 5.5” deep x 1.75” high).
  2. Microwave the butter for 45seconds or until it’s melted.
  3. Add the almond flour and pumpkin pie spice and stir with a spoon.
  4. Use the back of the spoon to flatten out the mixture into the bottom of the container.

5. In a separate bowl(or use a glass measuring cup so it’s easier to pour) microwave the cream cheese for about 30 seconds to soften it.

6. Add the ricotta, heavy cream, lemon juice, and stir.

7. Add the egg and stir. Try to get the mixture as smooth as possible. You can press the cheeses against the side of the bowl to break them down further.

8. Pour the mixture on top of the crust.

9. Microwave for 3 minutes. The center of the cheesecake will probably still be runny, that’s OK.

10. While that’s microwaving wash the bowl you mixed the cheeses in and place the frozen strawberries in the bowl/measuring cup.

11. Take out the cheesecake and microwave the strawberries for 2 minutes.

12. While the strawberries are still hot you should be able to easily chop and smash them in the bowl using just the spoon to turn it into a sort of jam-like consistency.

13. Pour the strawberries on top of the cheesecake and try to even out the layer with the back of the spoon.

 

14. Cover the container with a lid and put in the refrigerator to chill and set. The cheesecake must cool completely for the texture to be correct. (About 3 hrs)

15. Enjoy! Serves 2, or save half for later.

KetoAim Crispy ‘N Juicy Keto Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

 

Recipe Notes

These chicken tenders result in a crispy lightly “breaded” chicken tender that you just can’t get from a regular oven. Instead of bread crumbs, it uses a mix of crushed pork rinds and cheese to keep this recipe low-carb and keto friendly. With a simple egg wash this recipe is even fine for those of you doing carnivore (though carnivore folks may wish to skip on the seasoning). 

Ingredients

  • Pork Panko — which is really just crushed-up pork rinds. If you have some plain/salt-only pork rinds at home you can blend them up yourself to make some yourself, but I personally really hate cleaning the blender. I thought they were kind of expensive at first but after blending up some pork rinds myself I realized there is a LOT of air in pork rinds so you don’t really get that much out of a bag of normal pork rinds. Add to that the fact that keto can involve a lot of cooking to get a clean healthy meal and I’m happy to buy something more convenient. It’s a great breadcrumb replacement and also works great in keto meatloaf.
  • Parmesan Cheese – This is optional, and if you’re dairy-free or paleo feel free to leave this out. It is mostly to add some flavor, saltiness, and variance in the texture of the “breading”. Freshly grated parmesan is delicious but you can use the cheap pregrated stuff too. Be aware that many of the pre-grated brands use cellulose powder mixed in as an anti-caking agent and bulking agent. This is basically refined wood pulp. I am unsure of the effects of this, but I have read a few anecdotes from folks that say this makes them feel worse when they eat it. As always, listen to your body and buy what you can afford. I personally avoid it most of the time because I feel better with less dairy, but I do sometimes mix it in just to eat something different.

Pair With

Equipment

  • Air fryer, I recommend the Ninja Foodi XL 6-in-1 air fryer because it doubles as a grill and has a smoke containment system so you can easily use it indoors. It’s also one of the easier ones to clean. The XL size means you can easily do some batch cooking as well. Use the basket attachment instead of the grill attachment for this recipe.
  • If you don’t have an air fryer follow the regular oven instructions below

KetoAim Crispy ‘N Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

  • 1 bag of Costco Chicken Tenders (Approx 4oz / 113g)
  • 1.5 Cups of Pork Panko
  • .5 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional, leave out if paleo or dairy-free)
  • 2 tablespoons Paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Garlic
  • 1 egg

1.) There will be 3 stations: the egg wash, the “breading”, and the air fryer pan + basket.

2.) Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk it together. This goes to the left.

3.) Get a plate and mix the pork panko, parmesan cheese, paprika, and garlic together with a fork. This is in the middle. The air fryer basket/pan goes on the right.

4.) Dip each chicken tender into the egg, and then put it into the crumbs mixture. Press down on the chicken tender, then flip it over and press it down again. It might not feel like there’s a lot of coating but that’s okay. Lay the chicken tenders in the air fryer basket. It’s okay if they touch, in my air fryer they definitely do in order to fit. Repeat for all the chicken tenders.

5.) If you have any crumbs left over, sprinkle them over the top of the chicken tenders. 

6.) Cook in the air fryer at 400F for 15 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer that the biggest chicken tender has reached at least 165F inside the thickest piece of chicken. Cook it longer if necessary to reach the temperature. 

REGULAR OVEN INSTRUCTIONS
Although the air fryer will definitely give you the most crispy results, this recipe can be cooked in a regular oven as well at 400F for approx 18-20 minutes or until the thickest piece of chicken reaches 165F. This is useful if you’re trying to cook larger batches. I find it matters less for meal prep because these tenders tend to be a little less crisp when they aren’t fresh anyways. But if you’ve got the time the air fryer does make a difference. 

Microwave Keto Strawberry Egg Loaf

This recipe tastes like a bread pudding and you may notice some jiggle in the middle still. Be careful to let the food sit in the microwave for a minute afterward–I’ve had this recipe explode on me when I moved it because of the air pockets. 

If you’re used to sweeteners you can certainly add a little of your choice to this recipe (before you add the strawberries). A tablespoon of erythritol would probably do for most folks. Or 15 Monkfruit Drops.

Why No Sweetener? #UnsweetKetoChallenge

Even keto sweeteners can have negative effects. Many of them cause an upset stomach, and they can still spike insulin thanks to the sympathetic nervous system. In 2019 I tested going without any kind of keto sweetener except berries or tea for a month–and was surprised to lose the most weight I had ever lost in a month, my skin cleared up, my energy was up, my inflammation was down, and I could think more clearly. 

Although I don’t think I’ll ever completely cut out keto sweetener desserts I almost never have them now. Desserts like this keep me on track and are satisfying now that I’m used to no sweetener. 

Microwave Keto Strawberry Egg Loaf

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Butter

2 tablespoons Cream Cheese

2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

1 Egg

5 or so frozen strawberries

1.) Put the butter and cream cheese in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds to soften it.

2.) Add the heavy cream and stir the ingredients. It won’t be completely smooth.

3.) Add the egg and stir until it’s an even consistency, it probably still won’t be completely smooth.

4.) Add the strawberries, spread them out.

5.) Microwave 2 minutes. Let sit in the microwave 1 minute, then enjoy!

Keto Strawberry Cereal aka “Stuff in Milk”

Even keto sweeteners can have negative effects. Many of them cause an upset stomach, and they can still spike insulin thanks to the sympathetic nervous system. In 2019 I tested going without any kind of keto sweetener except berries or tea for a month–and was surprised to lose the most weight I had ever lost in a month, my skin cleared up, my energy was up, my inflammation was down, and I could think more clearly. 

Although I don’t think I’ll ever completely cut out keto sweetener desserts I almost never have them now. “Desserts” like this keep me on track and are satisfying now that I’m used to no sweetener. 

Although this is a far cry from my old days of Captain Crunch, I find this cereal to be quite similar to corn flakes with berries.

For a sweeter version that is similar to Special K’s chocolate cereal, you can do something like Choczero’s Chocolate Chips instead of Strawberries. You could also sprinkle about a tablespoon of erythritol over the cereal to make it more similar to frosted flakes, although I personally find the aftertaste fairly strong from doing this. 

Keto Strawberry Cereal aka “Stuff in Milk”

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1 tablespoon almond butter

5 or so frozen strawberries

Almond milk, as much as you like for your cereal

1.) Put the frozen strawberries in a bowl, microwave for 1 min. Microwave longer if needed to get them defrosted enough to eat. I like mine still a little cold.

2.) Stir up the strawberries and slice them with a spoon so they’re smaller. This will give you more bites of cereal with strawberries. 

3.) Add the almond slices. Then add the almond butter. Then add the coconut flakes. Add about half the amount of almond milk you’re going to want and stir the ingredients to bring it all together. Then add the rest of the almond milk as you like.

KetoAim Microwave Keto Pizza

This is a take on a fathead pizza — the mozzarella cheese provides the chewiness that is normally derived from gluten in traditional baking. This recipe doesn’t really work well in the oven– if you have the time and oven I recommend finding a oven-based pizza recipe, but this is great if you’re in a hurry! If you’re doing keto in a dorm or on the road this one is for you.


P.S. I spent a month developing this recipe and getting the consistency right for my boyfriend’s birthday! ♡


KetoAim Microwave Keto Pizza
For the Crust:
1 Tablespoon cream cheese
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 Tablespoon almond flour
1/4th teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup shred mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon shred parmesan cheese
1 egg
Optional Garlic Powder

Toppings
4 Tablespoon Rao’s Marinara Sauce (Or other low/no sugar tomato sauce)
1/4 cup shred mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shred cheddar cheese
Pepperoni

Make it a Meat Lover’s Pizza Also Add
Diced Ham
Cooked Crumbled Bacon (google microwave Bacon, it’s easy)
Sausage Crumbles (you can buy them precooked)

INSTRUCTIONS
1.) Microwave the butter and cream cheese for 30 seconds in a glass container. (We use 7.5 x 5 inch pyrex)
2.) Add the almond flour, italian seasoning, baking powder, heavy whipping cream, and mix into a paste.
3.) Add the mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and egg. Stir until well combined and flatten in the dish. It will be chunky but it will melt in the microwave.
4.) Sprinkle garlic powder on top of crust to taste. (You don’t need a lot)
5.) Microwave 4 minutes. Microwave time may vary but be careful to not overcook as it will make the crust tough. Spoon inserted in the middle should come out clean. Let crust cool for 2 minutes. (This helps with texture.)
6.) Pour the tomato sauce on top of the cooked crust and spread it evenly with a spoon.
7.) Add the cheese and any desired toppings evenly across the top.
8.) Microwave 1:30 to melt the cheese and warm the toppings.
9.) Enjoy!

Recipe Progress Notes:
Tried 1 tbsp coconut flour,  1 tbsp almond.  Too biscuity and you can taste the coconut. I think I may need to stick with almond or mostly almond.

Too much cheese in the crust = too chewy, makes it hard to eat.

Cook the crust too long = burns the cheese and it becomes tough.

You do need the mix of mozerella and cheddar to have the correct texture. But the parmesean isn’t necessary, it just adds a nice flavor and salt.

KetoAim Keto Microwave Hotcake / Pancake

This creates a soft pancake that goes great with eggs, bacon, and sausage. It makes a great base to a breakfast bowl by layering a low-carb syrup, eggs, bacon/sausage/whatever meats, and cheese. My favorite toppings are butter and sugar free syrup but you can also do a few berries and sugar-free whip cream. Butter and erythritol is good if you’re used to sugar pancakes as well.


KetoAim Keto Microwave Hotcake / Pancake
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Cream Cheese

3 tablespoons superfine blanched almond flour
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
1/4th teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon erythritol
1 egg
1/4th teaspoon vanilla extract

Low carb syrup/toppings of choice

INSTRUCTIONS
1.) Microwave the butter and cream cheese for 30 seconds in a glass container. (We use 7.5 x 5 inch pyrex)
2.) Add in the rest of the ingredients. Stir until the batter is smooth.
3.) Microwave for 2 minutes. Done!

KetoAim Keto Microwave Hotcake / Pancake Calories Fats(g) Carbs(g) Fiber(g) Sugar Alcohol Net Carbs(g) Protein(g)
1 Tablespoon Butter 102 12 g 0 0   0 0.1
1 Tablespoon Cream Cheese 50 5 0.5 0   0.5 1
3 Tablespoons superfine blanched almond flour 120 10.5 4.5 2.3   2.2 4.5
1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream 50 5.4 0.4 0   0.4 0.4
1/4th teaspoon baking powder 0.6 0 0.3 0   0.3 0
1 Tablespoon erythritol 6 0 12 0 12 0 0
1 egg 77 5.3 0.6 0 0 0.6 6.3
1/4th teaspoon vanilla extract 3 0 0.1 0 0 0.1 0
KetoAim Keto Microwave Hotcake / Pancake Calories Fats(g) Carbs(g) Fiber(g) Sugar Alcohol Net Carbs(g) Protein(g)
Total 408.6 26.2 18.4 2.3 12 4.1 12.3

Keto BBQ Bowl

This is a very simple recipe, but I consider it comfort food.

  • Mashed Cauliflower – add butter
  • Ground Beef mixed with Sugar Free BBQ Sauce
  • Cheese
    Just layer it in a bowl. Microwave it so the cheese melts on top. Optionally add keto coleslaw.

Keto Turtle Microwave Cookie

KetoAim Microwave Keto Turtle Microwave Cookie

2 Tablespoons butter
6 Tablespoon almond flour
1 Dash Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Dash Salt
1 Tablespoon Lakanto Golden Monkfruit/Erythritol Blend Sweetener
1 Tablespoon Jordan’s Caramel Skinny Syrup
1/4th tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Egg Yolks

Mixins:
2 Squares Choczero 50% Dark Chocolate, chopped (Or any keto chocolate, about 1/4th cup)
2 Tablespoons Chopped Walnuts
Drizzle of Walden Farm’s Caramel Syrup(Sauce) or make your own

INSTRUCTIONS
1.) Microwave the butter for 30 seconds in a glass container. (I use 7.5 x 5 inch pyrex)
2.) Add the rest except the mixins, stir until smooth. Make sure you get all the clumps smoothed out by pressing your spoon into the the clumps to break up the almond flour.
3.) Add your chocolate and walnuts and stir them in, try to make sure they are spread out pretty evenly or you will get bites of unflavored cookie.
4.) Drizzle the Walden Farm’s Caramel sauce on top. Run your spoon through the batter to incorporate it better.
5.) Microwave 1 minute 30 seconds. Let cool for 1 minute. Enjoy!- April 08, 2019No comments:  Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest

Keto Microwaveish Lasagna

Still working on this post but I keep getting asked for the recipe 😛

This recipe uses the crust from my Microwave Pizza Recipe for the “pasta”. This ultra-filling meal can be prepped and frozen in advance. You can even make just the “crust” and decide if you want pizza or lasagna later. While you can’t cook ground beef in the microwave, when we lived in the dorms we would get burger patties from the restaurants nearby and chop them up. Some grocery stores also carry cooked ground beef but it’s not as common.

make the microwave pizza crust
spread ricotta cheese on top, then the rao’s sauce
flip it over carefully so it doesn’t spill
put ricotta cheese and rao’s sauce again.
Layer of cooked ground beef.
layer of shredded cheese on top. (Cheddar blend or Moz is good)
microwave to melt the cheese on top. (2 ish minutes)

KetoAim Microwave Lasagna
For the Crust:
1 Tablespoon cream cheese
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 Tablespoon almond flour
1/4th teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup shred mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon shred parmesan cheese
1 egg
Optional Garlic Powder

Toppings
Rao’s Marinara Sauce (Or other low/no sugar tomato sauce)
Ricotta

INSTRUCTIONS
1.) Microwave the butter and cream cheese for 30 seconds in a glass container. (We use 7.5 x 5 inch pyrex)
2.) Add the almond flour, italian seasoning, baking powder, heavy whipping cream, and mix into a paste.
3.) Add the mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and egg. Stir until well combined and flatten in the dish. It will be chunky but it will melt in the microwave.
4.) Sprinkle garlic powder on top of crust to taste. (You don’t need a lot)
5.) Microwave 4 minutes. Microwave time may vary but be careful to not overcook as it will make the crust tough. Spoon inserted in the middle should come out clean. Let crust cool for 2 minutes. (This helps with texture.)

Recipe Progress Notes:
Tried 1 tbsp coconut flour,  1 tbsp almond.  Too biscuity and you can taste the coconut. I think I may need to stick with almond or mostly almond.

Too much cheese in the crust = too chewy, makes it hard to eat.

Cook the crust too long = burns the cheese and it becomes tough.

You do need the mix of mozerella and cheddar to have the correct texture for the “crust”. But the Parmesan isn’t necessary, it just adds a nice flavor and salt.

Have it All Keto Breakfast – Microwave Dorm Edition

Fast.
Cheap.
Nutritious.
You can have it all!

With 2 of the ingredients being some of the top foods on Efficiency is Everything’s Calorie per Dollar List this meal is a delicious way to get the most bang for your buck. It can easily be made with just a microwave so it’s great for work, dorms, and hotels while traveling.

If you’re looking for a coffee you can make in the microwave just look for an instant coffee you can stir into hot water. I highly suggest the Starbucks Via packets. They’re the best instant coffee I’ve ever had by miles. 


The Meal:
Scrambled Cheese Eggs
Bacon
Bulletproof Coffee

Ingredients:
3 Eggs
2 Slices of Cheese (Not American)
Salt or Lite Salt *Optional (Get your electrolytes!)

3 Slices of Bacon

Coffee
Butter
Heavy Cream
Lite Salt
Sweetener of Choice (I would suggest these monkfruit drops.)

Coffee:

  1. Get your coffee brewing first so it’s ready in time. Or heat up your water for instant.
    When it’s done:
  2. Add butter first so it can melt
  3. Add heavy cream and stir.
  4. Optional: Add your keto friendly sweetener.
  5. Optional: Add 1/4th tsp Lite Salt. It gets you some electrolytes and amplifies the flavor of sweetener so you need less. (You may get used to more over time. I add about 1tsp Himalayan salt to my coffee now)
  6. Optional: A lot of people like to use a milk frother so the butter mixes in better. (It does taste better but I usually don’t bother.)

 

Bacon

  1. Lay 3 slices of bacon on a plate. Don’t use paper towels.
  2. Microwave for 4-5 minutes. 
  3. Use oven mitts to pull the plate out and be careful to keep the plate even because it will have hot bacon grease in it.

 

Scrambled Cheese Eggs

1. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them until they are blended into an even mixture.
2. Lay the slices of cheese on top.
3. Microwave for 2 minutes
4. As soon as it’s done take it out and pour the bacon grease from the plate into the eggs. This will improve the taste and get more fat into the meal.
5. Mix it up into scrambled eggs consistency. Don’t let it just sit in the microwave. The eggs are still cooking from the residual heat and the texture will be more like an omelette if you don’t mix it immediately.
6. Take the bacon off the plate and put it with your eggs in the bowl so the grease can cool. Scrape cooled bacon grease into the trash or a storage container for later use, not the sink– it can clog the pipes and is bad for the sewers.