Published: · Modified: by Carolyn
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This is the best keto cheesecake recipe! So rich and creamy, it will make you swoon at the first bite. With only 3g of carbs per slice, you can dig in with gusto!
Let’s just get this straight right now. Keto cheesecake is possibly as close to heaven as you will get on this earth. Or at least as close to heaven as you will get on a ketogenic diet.
I really do have a passion for making cheesecake and I am grateful that it’s so easy to make without sugar. When I first embarked on a low carb diet, cheesecake was among the first keto dessert recipes I made. And it was so good, I kept dreaming up all sorts of different flavors. Now I’ve got everything from Keto Strawberry Cheesecake to Mini “Snickers” Cheesecakes.
So you might say that it’s one of the things that keeps me happily sticking to my healthy diet. As long as I know that there is keto cheesecake in the world, I can handle anything.
Why you must try this recipe
This keto cheesecake recipe is made in the New York style. You may well be wondering how that differs from classic cheesecake, and I’ve got one word for you: texture.
New York cheesecake is more dense and creamy than the regular kind. It’s so smooth and rich, it’s like velvet on your tongue. And it has a very simple flavor profile, without too many additions. Most people top it with a simple berry sauce.
It often includes sour cream or heavy cream, and sometimes even a little butter to give it a unique velvety texture.
The end result is so rich and delicious, it doesn’t even need a crust! That keeps it simple and even lower in carbs. So you can eat more of it!
Reader Testimonials
“I’ve been making this cheesecake for over a year now and it comes out great every time. Thanks for such a great and easy recipe. It’s so nice to have a treat and not feel guilty about it.” — Annette
“This is absolutely THE BEST cheesecake I have ever made or tasted. Nothing else nowadays comes close to these macros while being *more* delicious than the sugar-laden cheesecakes out there. My non keto inlaws loved it and didn’t know it was sugar free.” — Angela
Ingredients you need
- Full fat cream cheese: Read the labels and avoid brands with lots of fillers, which can raise the carb count. Good organic cream cheese such as Organic Valley has only 1g carbs per serving (1 oz), and the USDA listing for cream cheese indicates that it has 1.2g carbs per ounce.
- Butter: This recipe uses unsalted butter.
- Powdered sweetener: I highly recommend using Swerve Confectioners for this cheesecake. I made this for a friend recently using an allulose based sweetener, and it took almost 24 hours to set properly in the fridge. So be mindful that any changes to the original recipe may affect the outcome.
- Sour cream: The addition of sour cream gives the filling a rich, velvety texture.
- Lemon zest: The lemon zest adds flavor but it’s not required for texture. Feel free to leave it out, or add lime zest or orange zest instead.
- Vanilla extract: Feel free to play with the flavors and use other extracts, such as almond.
- Eggs: Always use large eggs, and make sure they are room temperature.
Step-by-step directions
1. Generously grease a 9-inch springform pan. Cut a circle ofparchment to fit the bottom the pan and grease the paper. Wrap 2 pieces of aluminum foilaround the outside of the pan to cover the bottom and most of the way up the sides.
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter for 1 to 2 minutes, until completely smooth. Then beat in the powdered sweeteneruntil well combined.
3. Add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat until the batter is smooth. Scrape down the beaters and the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just barely combined. Pour the batter in the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan gently on the counter a few times to help release any air bubbles.
4. Set the pan inside a roasting pan large enough toprevent the sides from touching. Place the roastingpan in the oven and carefully pour boiling water intothe roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sidesof the springform pan.
5. Bake 70 to 90 minutes, until the cheesecake is mostlyset but still jiggles just a little in the center whenshaken. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, thencarefully remove the springform pan from the waterbath. Let cool to room temperature.
6. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the cake to loosen, the release the sides of the pan.Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Expert tips
Bain marie: Using a water bath, or a bain marie, creates a gentle heat the cooks the cheesecake slowly. This is a vital part of creating a rich, creamy texture. Make sure you wrap the pan tightly in foil so that water doesn’t leak in during cooking.
Room temperature ingredients are a must! If you add cold liquids or eggs to the cream cheese, it will clump badly. And once it becomes lumpy, it’s hard to rescue and smooth it out again.
Add the eggs last: This is one of the best pieces of advice I can give for making ANY cheesecake, keto or not. It helps you avoid over-beating the cheesecake mixture, which can cause cracking.
Don’t over-beat: Overly vigorous mixing whips air into cheesecake batter, causing it to rise and puff up, and then fall and crack as it cools. Beat each egg in until just combined and stop right there.
Jiggle it, just a little bit. You know your cheesecake is done when it’s mostly set but the center still jiggles slightly when you shake the pan.
Want to add a crust? If you really want a crust for your keto cheesecake, you can use the shortbread crust from Keto Lemon Cheesecake Bars. Press it into the pan, and pre-bake as directed in that recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it OK to eat cheesecake on keto?
Most cheesecake recipes have a high sugar content and shouldn’t be consumed on a keto diet. However, with a few minor changes, you can make cheesecake that is very low in carbs. And as it has a high fat content, it’s an ideal keto dessert.
How many carbs are in keto cheesecake?
This keto cheesecake recipe has only 2.9g total carbs per serving. This does not include the easy berry sauce or any other toppings or additions.
Can I freeze keto cheesecake?
Absolutely! This cake freezes like a dream. You can freeze the entire cake or cut it into individual slices and freeze those. As always, wrap it up tightly to avoid freezer burn. It will be good for at least 2 months.
My keto cheesecake cracked, what did I do wrong?
There are a number of possibilities. It could be that you over-beat the mixture, so be careful there. It may also be that you didn’t cool it properly before chilling. Once it cools to room temperature, run a sharp knife just around the inside of the pan to loosen it before you release the pan sides. Otherwise the sides will pull the cheesecake apart and cause cracks.
Serving Suggestions
This wonderful keto cheesecake is a blank slate. You can eat it simply as it is or you can add some delicious toppings. I’ve included a simple sugar-free berry sauce in the recipe notes. But you might also like these other delicious ideas:
- Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup
- Keto Pecan Praline Sauce
- Homemade Sugar Free Nutella
- Keto Caramel Sauce
- Fresh berries
Keto Cheesecake Recipe
This is the best keto cheesecake recipe! So rich and creamy, it will make you swoon at the first bite. With only 3g of carbs per slice, you can dig in and still manage your macros.
4.93 from 178 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: keto cheesecake, keto cheesecake recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Chill Time: 4 hours hours
Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 287kcal
Ingredients
- 24 ounces cream cheese softened
- 5 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ¾ cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300F and generously grease a 9-inch springform pan. Cut a circle of parchment to fit the bottom the pan and grease the paper. Wrap 2 pieces of aluminum foil around the outside of the pan to cover the bottom and most of the way up the sides.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter for 1 to 2 minutes, until completely smooth. Then beat in the sweetener until well combined.
Add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Scrape down the beaters and the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the eggs, once at a time, beating each until just barely combined. Pour into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top.
Set the pan inside a roasting pan large enough to prevent the sides from touching. Place the roasting pan in the oven and carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
Bake 70 to 90 minutes, until the cheesecake is mostly set but still jiggles just a little in the center when shaken. Remove the roasting pan from the one, then carefully remove the springform pan from the water bath. Let cool to room temperature.
Run a sharp knife around the edges of the cake to loosen, the release the sides of the pan. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Video
Notes
Easy Keto Berry Sauce: Combine 1 cup berries of choice and ¼ cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, until berries are soft enough to mash. Stir in ¼ cup powdered sweetener. Let cool to room temperature before pouring over the cake.
Storage Information: Store keto cheesecake in the fridge, tightly wrapped up, for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for several months.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Cheesecake Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 287Calories from Fat 222
% Daily Value*
Fat 24.7g38%
Carbohydrates 2.9g1%
Protein 5.3g11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them.I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
Reader Interactions
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Erin Shaerban says
Delicious 😋Reply
Tracy says
Followed directions exactly and came out perfectly. I made a chocolate ganache with Lily’s chocolate chips for the topping. Absolute heaven. Thank you! Will make again and again.Reply
EVMD says
i always love your recipes! do you think this will work as mini cheesecake cups? how do i adjust the time and temp so it turns out the same?Reply
Carolyn says
You will need to experiment on timing… check out some of my other mini cheesecakes for guidance.
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Amy Burris says
Hello. I just started on my Keto diet. I made this with the Swerve Powdered sugar and for some reason, the texture did not turn out as velvety as I usually have on regular cheesecake. I know that powdered sugar usually have cornstarch in it, so would that have been the issue? I just did not like the texture that came out of using the Swerve powdered sugar. I will try with the Swerve granular sugar and see if it is any better. thank you! Love the flavor by the way!!Reply
Carolyn says
Swerve has changed their formula to include a bit of tapioca starch in the powdered sweetener. That might have been part of the problem…
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Patty mcdermed says
I haven’t made this in a while but it is the best, it’s on my Easter list of desserts.Reply
Vivian Mcmillan says
Sounds yummy!
I don’t have a springform pan what other kind of pan can I use for this recipe?Thanks.
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Sunni Jeffers says
Could this be cooked in an Instant Pot? I think I will try it.
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Alli Hodgin says
Hi your food looks absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing. Can you help me figure out what the macros are in a 6 inch cheesecake I’m new to keto diet. Thank you!
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Carolyn says
You will need to find a good online calculator. My software can’t adjust it that easily.
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Karen Lara says
It looks so good. Looking forward to trying it!
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Gail says
This is such a wonderful, easy, creamy, and delicious Cheesecake! Doesn’t need a crust at all….and great with ANY sauce! YUM!! 😍😋Reply
Maya Frost says
scrumptious!!!Reply
Katherine says
The best, easiest to make and most delicious cheesecake ever! Change up the toppings for a variation of tastes and occasions!Reply
Dawna Fennewald says
This looks so yummy. I need to make it.everything I have made of yours has been outstanding
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Pamela Wright says
Best cheesecake ever fox a Keto plan. You would never know it’s Keto!Reply
Anna says
I haven’t tried a single recipe of yours that hasn’t ended up being delicious. what would we do without Caroline and her baking talent and generous spirit? Thank you for this simple, decadent desert that doesn’t make me sad after I’ve had a slice!Reply
T Herleth says
This is the BEST keto blogger on the Internet! Every one of her recipes are home runs!Reply
Nancy Quinn says
Absolutely delighted with this recipe!Reply
Jo C. says
This is amazing cheesecake! This is my very favourite keto recipe creator! I go to her before I go anywhere else for recipes! Number 1!
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Victoria says
I am NOT a baker, so I was hesitant to try my hand at making a keto cheesecake… To my surprise, it turned out great! My non-keto husband and mother loved it, too. I even took some of the cheesecake to work with me the next day for my coworkers to try and they couldn’t believe it was keto! Fantastic recipe!Reply
Carolyn says
Great to hear!
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Anna Alvarez says
I didn’t have a roasting pan so I used my cast iron. I pray it works without messing up my pan.
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Carolyn says
You should NEVER put water into a cast iron pan for extended periods of time like that.
Reply
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