What could be better than combining two decadent desserts in these keto cheesecake brownies? With just 3 net carbs per serving, these cream cheese brownie bars are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth on a keto diet.
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Why you'll love it
Is there anything more indulgent than combining two desserts into one decadent treat? Sure, simple desserts can be just as lovely as elaborate ones. I get it.
But sometimes, you need a dessert that feels like a celebration with every bite, you know? That’s why I decided to bring together rich, fudgy brownies and creamy, tangy cheesecake into one incredible treat!
These bars are out-of-this-world delicious. The flavors compliment each other perfectly with just the right balance of sweet cream and slightly bitter dark chocolate.
And to top it all off, these little bites of heaven are only 3 net carbs each. And there’s no flour of any kind in the recipe.
That’s right. Indulgent, guilt-free, and combining the best of both worlds with two of the most popular desserts out there.
So the next time you need a dessert for a special occasion, or you’re just in the mood for something extra, a keto cheesecake brownie may be just what you need.
Ingredients
This is about to become one of your favorite desserts! There are two parts to it - the gluten-free brownies and the light and fluffy cheesecake.
Flourless Brownies
Here are the ingredients I used to make rich keto brownies. When you are trying decide which sugar substitute to use, follow this keto sweetener guide.
- Unsalted butter
- Dark chocolate
- Low-carb sugar substitute
- Eggs
- Cocoa powder
Cheesecake Topping
I made a basic cheesecake layer. Here's what I used in it.
- Cream cheese
- Heavy cream
- Low-carb sugar substitute
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
Please note: Check out the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients used to make this low-carb recipe.
Tips
- Strain the cheesecake filling. If your cheesecake filling isn't thick enough, strain it before adding to the cooled brownies.
- Let it chill. Let the dessert chill for at least four hours so the cheesecake can set completely before you serve it.
- Use a chilled bowl. Whip the cream in a cold bowl. This will speed up the process of whipping the heavy cream.
- Use parchment paper. If you want to freeze cheesecake, I suggest covering the pan with parchment paper so that it doesn't freeze to the pan.
Instructions
First, we’ll whip up a batch of flourless brownies. Next, we’ll prepare the cheesecake topping. Then after your brownie layer has cooled, it’s time to assemble!
Making the brownie layer
This is the tastiest brownie batter you have ever made. The best part is that this brownie recipe is super-simple and low-carb. Even if you just make the brownie recipe, you'll love it by itself.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate and butter.
- Transfer the melted chocolate mixture into a mixing bowl and add the stevia and cocoa powder. Stir to combine.
- Whisk in eggs one at a time.
- Transfer the brownie mixture into greased pan, then bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Preparing the cheesecake layer
This cheesecake mixture is high-fat and high-protein. The cheesecake batter is rich, smooth, and has the most incredible flavors.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, stevia, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Slowly fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well-combined.
Completing the keto dessert
- Pour the cheesecake topping over the cooled brownies.
- Place the dessert in your fridge for 4 hours to set. Once they’re set, slice into squares and enjoy!
I love that dark chocolate contains powerful antioxidants. So not only are keto cream cheese brownies guilt-free, but they even provide a little health boost! Win-win.
Dark chocolate is not quite as sweet as milk chocolate. I find the longer I eat low sugar and low carb, the less sweetness I need in my treats.
Dark chocolate provides just the right amount of chocolate flavor without being overly sweet. It’s deliciously rich, just what I want from a fudgy brownie.
️ Serving suggestions
The cheesecake layer is also quite sweet, which balances the dark chocolate brownie layer. Together, I think the sweetness is just right.
The combination of dense, fudgy brownie with light and sweet cheesecake is truly decadent. When I’m craving something sweet, it’s the kind of satisfying treat I love!
Seriously, who can resist topping a keto brownie with cheesecake?
When baking for my family or friends, I’ll even sprinkle a little unsweetened cocoa powder on top. I think the end result looks almost as great as it tastes.
Next time you need a treat for a special occasion, or just want to treat yourself, you have to try these keto cheesecake brownies.
Serve this with a cup of bulletproof coffee or your favorite sugar-free latte.
Variations
There a lot of different ways to make a baked brownie topped with cheesecake. Here are a few of my favorite variations.
- Add more sweetener. If you prefer more sweetness or are making this recipe for a non-keto group, you may want to add some additional low-carb sweetener to the brownie layer.
- Drizzle with chocolate sauce. Add some chocolate drizzle on top of the chilled cheesecake.
- Top with fresh fruit. Add a raspberry or two on top for a healthy garnish to the dessert cuisine.
- Stir in chocolate chips. Stir in some low-carb chocolate chips for a double chocolate flavor.
- Make it minty. Add peppermint extract to the brownie crust.
- Use a muffin tin. Make mini brownie cheesecake cupcakes, which are basically brownie crust with cheesecake on top.
FAQS
Here are some questions people often ask about how to make keto brownie bottom cheesecake. If you don't see your question in this list, please leave it in the comments.
When I bake this recipe, I cut it into 16 brownie cheesecake bars.
At this size, each square will have 4 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber. So each serving will contain 3 net carbs.
Compare that to commercial cheesecake brownie squares, which can contain anywhere between 30 and 55 net carbs! I can only imagine the sugar crash.
These keto cheesecake brownies are the perfect treat when you want to indulge guilt-free.
If you made this in a springform pan, cover it in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to three days. Or store it in another airtight container for the same amount of time.
As long as the brownie mix is low-carb and keto-friendly, that can be a really fantastic way to save some time.
Related recipes
You’ll find all kinds of desserts on this blog, from easy chocolate fudge to fancy tiramisu. Looking for other low carb and keto friendly treats? Indulge in a few of these favorites:
- Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars taste just like peanut butter cup candies and can be enjoyed as a dessert or fat bomb!
- Keto Red Velvet Cake is made from scratch with low carb flours and topped with keto friendly cream cheese frosting.
- Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake is just as beautiful as it is delicious. This festive dessert is sure to please any crowd!
- Low Carb Peanut Butter Pie is a heavenly keto pie that doesn’t need to be baked in the oven.
- Keto Yellow Cake will take you back to birthday parties as a kid, expect you can enjoy it as an adult totally guilt-free!
- Vegan Cookie Dough Bars are a simple no bake treat made with only 5 ingredients.
Follow us on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM for even more tasty keto-friendly recipes!
Recipe
Keto Cheesecake Brownies
Video
Ingredients
Flourless Brownies
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3.5 ounces dark chocolate
- 3 tablespoons low carb sugar substitute
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
Cheesecake Topping
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup low carb sugar substitute or less to taste
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 8x8-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate and butter.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture into a mixing bowl and combine it with the sweetener and cocoa powder.
- Slowly whisk in the eggs one at a time and then transfer the brownies from the bowl to a square 8x8-inch baking pan to bake for 15-20 minutes. Once cooked, set the brownies aside to cool.
- Cheesecake Topping
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sweetener, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon.
- Blend the mixture until it is smooth and creamy.
- In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Slowly fold together the cream cheese and whipped cream until all the ingredients are well-blended.
- Pour the cheesecake topping over the cooled brownies and place the dessert in your fridge for 4 hours to set.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
First Published: September 17, 2018... Last Updated: January 7, 2019
Rebecca
What kind of sweetener do you use? Is it the Monkfruit glandular? I made these before and used that sweetener and the cream cheese topping seemed gritty.
Thanks,
Rebecca
The Low Carb Cook
I like to use the CLASSIC MONK FRUIT SWEETENER from LAKANTO
Josephine
Amazing recipe! I love how just a small piece is filling! It defiantly is satisfying and delicious!
Lisa Evans
Very very good. Totally agree with reviewer Chelsie. Will become a favorite. Thanks
Rita
Absolutely beautiful it’s hard to believe this is a low carb desert ! It’s the best one I have made up to now & no one would ever no
Malorie Edie
3.5 oz is that 1 whole dark chocolate bar? how much is 16 oz for the cream cheese? Is it tbsp or in cups?
Lisa MarcAurele
It depends on the brand of chocolate, but most large bars are a little over 3 ounces. For cream cheese, I typically buy 8 ounce blocks so it's two of those. A half ounce of cream cheese is generally equivalent to 1 tablespoon so 8 ounces is equal to 1 cup.
Laurie
Is the chocolate sweetened or unsweetened?
Lisa MarcAurele
Dark chocolate is used which is generally semi-sweet.
Lisa MarcAurele
Check your email for confirmation for the FREE printable meal plan. Perhaps it went to spam? You can totally ignore the special offer that comes up if you aren't interested.
Chelsie
I’ve made many Keto desserts and tried variations of cheesecake desserts and this is by far the best recipe I’ve came across. The bottom brownie was a little bit bitter but the sweetest of the cream cheese filling on top evened it out. Amazing and delicious. Will defiantly be making again. Thank you
Hilva Allen
A serving is 1/2" x 1 /2" ?
Lisa MarcAurele
It's best to keep the pieces small for keto. For low carb, it might be okay for larger slices.
Julie
My brownie portion came out way to hard…any ideas why that is? Otherwise it was delicious I was just hoping for a softer more fudgy brownie layer ….I cooked for the suggested time and temp
Shirley
Very small. How do you cut it so small.
Lisa MarcAurele
A small sized spatula! 🙂
Laura Vilendrer
Well 16 servings would be 2" x 2". 4 rows across and 4 rows the other way, 4×4 is 16
Jo-Anne Boudreau
Hi Lisa, this combo of brownie/cheesecake sounds delish!! I'm going to make it this weekend. I was wondering if you stabilize the whipped cream, would that eliminate the need to strain the cream cheese mixture and possibly improve the texture of the cream cheese mixture?? If so, what method would you recommend to stabilize the whipped cream?
Jo-Anne
Lisa MarcAurele
A little gelatin that's been bloomed in water is what I use for stabilizing whipped cream. And it likely would improve texture and eliminate the need to strain.
Shirley
Second time I have made this everyone loves it and they don’t know its keto
Rose
These are amazing! The chocolate layer is very dense and firm, not soft like a brownie, but more like a dark chocolate bar with some give when bitten into. Very chocolatey. The topping is rich and delicious. The cinnamon adds a hint of decadence. I used monkfruit sweetener, adding a little less and tasting as I went because I didn't know which sweetener was used. I kept out half in the fridge and they lasted for a week with no loss of quality. I froze the rest individually on a cookie sheet and them popped them into a freezer bag. I'm trying to give my body a break from them this week. They have been my go to every night after dinner for my sweet treat!
Janet Adey
How big is the square in order to get the carbs right please
Lisa MarcAurele
It depends on your pan size. I use a square pan and divide into 16 square pieces.
Janet Adey
It would help if you could tell me the pan size you use please
Lisa MarcAurele
I used an 8x8-inch square baking pan. I'll add that to the recipe card.
Brandy
What is it your sprinkling on top of the finished product, unsweetened cocoa?
Lisa MarcAurele
It's just unsweetened cocoa powder.
Ami
I followed the recipe exactly, and my family did not like the brownies at all. They tasted terrible...I think the problem was that I used unsweetened cocoa powder and didn’t increase the stevia. The topping was fairly good. We ended up tossing out the brownie and using the topping to dip strawberries in instead.
Pattie
What's the brownie texture like without flour? Can I add almond flour for a softer texture? If so how much would you suggest?
Lisa MarcAurele
It's more dense and fudge like. You can try adding almond flour, but I'm not sure how much you'd want to use. Maybe 1/2 cup?
Pattie
Thanks for your prompt response Lisa. I'll give that a try.
Debbiedowner
Lindt Dark Chocolate is not Keto friendly just FYI.....
Lisa MarcAurele
It's low carb and has very low sugar. But I do agree that strict keto should avoid eating it.
starlady gs
I haven't tried making this yet. I want to make it using a cupcake pan as you suggested. What temperature and bake time would you suggest?
Rebecca
These are very rich & dense. I would suggest making a smaller batch & testing for sweetness which for me wasn’t enough. I also took the advice of a previous commenter & added a little gelatin to the chocolate brownie. They are very good & I’m freezing half of my batch.
Maria
How many brownies does this recipe make? Thank you!
Lisa MarcAurele
It's listed at the top of the recipe: Servings 16 people (so that's 16 brownies)
Michelle
I only have liquid stevia on hand, would that work for this recipie? If so, how much would I use in the brownies and topping?
Thank
Lisa MarcAurele
It depends on the stevia you are using. If it's a one-for-one sugar replacer, the amount is the same. So once you find out the sugar conversion of your sweetener brand, it's easy to figure out how much you'll need.
Sandy
Lisa.....can I use unsweatened Cocoa Powder??
Lisa MarcAurele
It should work. I believe the standard conversion is 3 tablespoons cocoa and 1 tablespoon fat (butter or oil) to 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate. You may also want to add a little more sweetener if using unsweetened cocoa.
Colleen McCann
Hi Lisa~ I’m wondering about using 100% Baking Chocolate (which is 100% cacao) I have some Bakers brand on hand.
Do you think it would be too bitter? Thanks in advance and thanks for all your wonderful recipes!! Merry Christmas!
Lisa MarcAurele
You can use that and add additional sweetener if needed.
Katie Howard
Finally a keto dessert that tastes great. I followed your recipe exactly. I used Lakanto monkfruit classic as my sweetener. Two questions:
--first time using monkfruit. Is it always slightly crunchy?
--My topping did not set like a cheesecake would. more like a cool whip topping. Suggestions?
Thanks much,
P.S. We also love the coconut flour pancakes. a weekly breakfast treat!
Lisa MarcAurele
The erythritol in the monk fruit sweetener can crystallize if too much is used. It can help if you powder the sweetener in a small blender like a NutriBullet before using. However, I prefer to lessen the amount and add in a monk fruit extract (no erythritol) for additional sweetness. To get a firmer cheesecake, you can stream in a little gelatin water (bloomed and then dissolved in water) as you are blending the cheesecake part.
Katie Howard
Wow. Great advice. I will try your suggestions.
BTW tried your Muffin in a Mug this morning. Perfect! And so many possibilities!
Lisa MarcAurele
Hope the recommendations make it better for you!
Dawn
Heaven on a plate! Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa MarcAurele
You're welcome!
Julia
Hello, noticed a discrepancy in your recipe for the low carb cheesecake brownies. Ingredients call for 1/2 cup Seeetner in the topping but the instructions call for 3/4 cup sweetener. Can you please clarify which is correct?
Thanks a lot!
Lisa MarcAurele
I changed it to 1/2 cup as the 3/4 cup was way too sweet for me.
Hilde
I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS ?????
Easy to make and tast great ???
Andrea
I’m confused 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate is only eqivulent to just under 100 grams here in aus. Does this sound right? Sounds like no where near enough. Can I have all measurements in aus please as I’m making this in a few hours.
Thank you 🙂
Lisa
Yes. That is the correct amount.
Andrea
Ok thank you, will be doing it tonight! Can’t wait
Karina
About how many grams are the squares in each serving?
Lisa
The squares were not weighed and the calculator we use does not estimate serving weight.
Kristi Singleton
Woooowza!!! This recipe over delivered and is one I’ll use over and over!!!
Lisa
I'm so glad it worked out so well! Thanks for the feedback.
Jessica
What kind of dark chocolate you used and the percent of it? That way I know how you breakdown the nutrition facts. Thanks for sharing I'm ready to try it 🙂
Lisa
I like to use anything from 70-90%. The calculation is for 90%
Patsy
This looks delicious!
I only have Swerve sweetener but the recipe doesn’t specify which type to use.
Would I use granular or powdered erythritol?
Thanks
Lisa
Unless powdered is specified, it's granular.
Kim B
I have been on a keto diet for 6 weeks. This is the first low carb dessert that I like!!! I have tried a few and they were not worth attempting again. This, on the other hand was wonderful!!! Will definitely make this again and again!!! Thank you!
Lisa
You're welcome Kim. Wishing you much success on keto!
Lisa
I’m going to make these tonight for my family. I just need dark chocolate and heavy cream! I have one problem with a statement you made, you’ve made so many brownie and cheesecake recipes you could have diabetes.... really????? I’m a type one diabetic and I did not get diabetes from eating sweets. I was born this way with a dead pancreas . Saying something like that puts a bad stigma on people with diabetes. Most Type two diabetics don’t get diabetes from eating too much sugar, they become insulin resistant And their bodies don’t use insulin correctly. Your recipes have allowed me (type1) and my husband (type2) to enjoy low carb goodness. Please keep up the great work!!
Lisa
I can get that fixed. But, diabetes runs in my family. My mother is type 2 and my brother is type 1 so I'm more susceptible to it.
Jasmine
I was a little offended by that comment as well! My son(8) has type 1 and we all know sugar isn't the cause! Many people reading your story before the recipe will also think that..its our job to educate society about the facts of this disease. While I love your recipes.. I really hope you will edit that out at some point.
Lisa
Edited. It can be a contributor so the wording is somewhat misleading as there are many potential causes.
kim
This is a dessert my whole family would love! Adding it to my menu for the week!
Lisa
Enjoy!
Mary Bostow
Wow, this is stunning! I want to try it out! This recipe really impresses! I really like! Thank you.
Lisa
You're welcome Mary!
Claudia Lamascolo
These really are over the top decadent I just love brownies and these may be my new favorite recipe!
Lisa
Hope you try them Claudia!
Danielle Wolter
These sound delicious! I always use dark chocolate in my baking. I find milk is far too sweet for baked goods.
Lisa
Agree! Dark is best for baking.