Hi friends! A special treat is coming your way and we're keeping it simple - simply enjoyable for our friends and family (or ourselves) with allergies and those without! This Gluten Free Nut Free Cheesecake Crust is a food allergy safe option that does not compromise on taste or texture.
After years in the restaurant industry, more and more food allergy friendly options are continuously added to menus. In my experience, one of the biggest struggles with gluten free options is replicating the taste and texture of similar non-gluten free options. In addition, more often gluten allergies also come with additional allergies such as nuts, especially when it comes to desserts. Well we're saying, "not today!"
THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. THE PRICE YOU PAY STAYS THE SAME, BUT I MAKE A COMMISSION FROM THE SALE.
Honestly, this gluten free nut free cheesecake crust is so flavorful, wonderfully crumby and crunchy, I prefer it over using regular graham cracker crumbs or wafer cookies. What's going to set this crust apart from soggy, bland gluten free options is the toasting of gluten free oats with cinnamon, brown sugar and honey so we're left with super awesome gluten free granola goodness.
Right now, I've been able to find two brands with gluten free oats pretty easily. Bob's Red Mill
Besides being delicious in cheesecake crust, these gluten free oats are a perfect substitution for regular oats in everyday life. Try them in these Gingerbread Banana Motivation Muffins for a gluten free jump start to your day. Or just make cheesecake, because that's an acceptable breakfast....right?
Untoasted oats vs crunchy, sweet toasted oats
Once your crust is crumbed, buttered, baked in cooled what you put in it is totally up to you! There's a gluten free New York style cheesecake recipe coming your way real soon. This one...right here...
But in the meantime, these Raw Lemon Cheesecake Bars from Stress Baking are my current swoon-worthy summertime treat. If you're looking to go totally gluten, nut and dairy free try filling your fresh Gluten Free Nut Free Cheesecake Crust with Foodal's Dairy Free Chocolate Cheesecake.
Honestly though, if you just ate this as granola and decided "to hell with the cheesecake" you would have my full support. Crunchy, sweet, and superbly tasty this Gluten Free Nut Free Cheesecake Crust is going to satisfying in all the stages of cooking!
Did you make this recipe? Tell me about it in the comments! Looking for other go to's for gluten free, nut free options - I want to know!
Pin this recipe here!
Gluten Free Nut Free Cheesecake Crust
Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten free oats (255g )
- ½ cup light brown sugar (113g )
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted (for a dairy free option, try substituting vegan baking butter))
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a 13x9 pan, combine the oats, brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, salt and oil. Using your hands, evenly distribute the ingredients. Spread into an even layer in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- After baking let the oats cool completely, about 10 to 15 minutes. Oats will harden as they cool to a granola-like texture, stir occasionally to keep from sticking to the pan.
- Transfer to a food processor. Pulse 2 to 3 times to break up any larger pieces then process on high for 30 to 60 seconds until the oats resemble coarse crumbs.
- Add the coarse oat crumbs to a medium size bowl. While stirring, slowly pour melted butter over the oats. Once all the crumbs are coated with the melted butter, transfer to a springform pan to make the crust.
- Optional: If you want to remove the full cheesecake from the springform pan prior to serving, lightly grease the bottom of the pan with butter and line with a circle of parchment paper before adding crumbs.
- Lightly spread crumbs into an even layer on the bottom of the springform pan. Using your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Bake at 350°F for 7 to 8 minutes. Let cool completely before adding cheesecake batter of choice.
RAE ANN BENJAMIN says
Will the crust burn if I bake it for 5 minutes, then add the cheesecake batter and bake for an additional 50 minutes?
Lauren says
No, you should be fine to prebake and then bake again with the batter. I've used this crust countless times that way.
Nikki says
I was so happy to find this recipe as an alternative to graham cracker crusts. I followed the recipe to the letter, however it was too thick and too hard to cut through and eat for the cheese cake. I will have to think how I can make this crust much softer.
The crust on its own makes for great cookies.
Nikki
Lauren says
Hi Nikki! You could try using less butter when assembling the crust to soften the final product to make it easier to cut. Hope that helps!
Rose says
i am very frustrated because we baked the oats for 30mins, checking every 10mins, and after we waited for them to cool, we tried the oats and they were Burnt. So then we couldnt use them and had to start all over! or make a different crust. And it already had been 40mins! All that time and ingredients wasted because we followed the recipe. Not fun.
Michelle says
Great result as cheesecake/pie crust!! Much better flavor & texture than other alternatives since wheat gives us problems. But also doubles as a great GF homemade granola snack - I did everything the same but dis 2c oats, 2c nuts (& of course stopped b4 the grinding step). My hubby couldn't quit eating it.
Donna P says
Hi Lauren,
I want to try this recipe this weekend. Would you recommend instant, old fashioned or rolled GF oats?
Thank you
Lauren says
Any of them will work! I've made it with the Quaker brand GF quick oats. Anything but steel cut.
Kit says
hi
I'm going to substitute this for my normal crust on a twice baked cheesecake from the moosewood cookbook. the cheese gets a bake, then the soured cream topping gets a shorter bake too. I'm not sure if I should bake this crust first then add my cheese and bake again. it will basically mean the crust has been in the oven three times and I'm worried it will get hard and overbaked. what do you think?
thank you in anticipation
kit
Lauren says
Hi Kit! Your cheesecake sounds delicious! If you're using a water bath to bake the cheese I think your crust will be totally fine with the three visits to the oven.
Dannie says
I had baked this base for my 30th birthday lemon cheesecake and had to do GF as my mother unfortunately cannot have wheat or gluten, and I will be 100% honest, this is the best base I have EVER baked. I will be using this on all my cheesecakes going forward. Thank you so much 🙂
Lauren says
Thank you so much!!
Brent Ellis says
I use this base for my cheesecake in the restaurant I own and Head Chef for. We have a wide gluten free menu choice and this is forever popular with all of our customers.
Lauren says
Thanks Brent!!
josh says
just awesome. thanks so much
Daniela says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I am so excited to try it out !
Sharla says
Can this recipe be used for a baked cheesecake as well? I would assume you can process the baked oat mixture, press into the pan and then pour in cheesecake batter and bake like that? Or is this only recommended for a no bake cheesecake recipe?
Lauren says
Absolutely! I use this primarily for baked cheesecakes, like this NY style cheesecake. It's delicious.
Heather says
I ground mine up longer than the recipe stated, and used a blender. But it turned out great. I could eat the granola by itself before grinding it. I used 1/4 cup of honey and no brown sugar since I can't eat sugar.
Lauren says
Love the idea of a less sweet version! Such a great idea!
Angel says
Used this recipe with a vegan lemon tart recipe since my cousin has allergies and is vegan, and everyone loved this crust, it's extremely tasty! Also for another event, made Sally's Baking Addiction lemon pie and used this crust again, still works well, probably with any dessert that calls for a crust. I'm keeping this recipe in my pocket too now. Thank you!!!
Allison says
My mother has celiacs disease, so we are constantly looking for GF recipes that actually taste good. This crust was delicious! Thank you so much for sharing. This will be our go-to recipe every time we need to make a crust—it’s amazing!
Lauren says
Thank you Allison!!
Beth says
The recipe tastes wonderful but has was way too much butter when I tried to use this in mini cheesecake muffin tins. My paper muffin liners where soaked halfway up.