A treat that combines two delectable desserts: chocolate brownie cheesecake squares. And each square has only three grams of net carbs!
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It’s a good thing I’m eating low carb and making low sugar recipes. Otherwise, with all the keto cheesecake and low carb brownies recipes I created over the years, I’d probably be severely overweight with all the recipe testing.
Can you tell I love dessert? Well, I certainly love baking healthy treats for my friends and family.
But portion control and will power are still a must when it comes to eating low carb.
You have a little more leeway when you’re reducing sugar. So if you eat two chocolate brownie cheesecake squares, that’s still only 6 grams of net carbs.
However, as with all my other desserts they are meant to be eaten either occasionally and definitely in moderation.
A Match Made in Heaven: Brownies and Cheesecake
Sorry, I’ll stop preaching to the choir now and tell you how I make this sweet treat that won’t bust your gut.
The key to making brownies that won’t spike your blood sugar is making them with no flour.
But then the question becomes, how do you do that without getting the texture to disintegrate like saltine crackers in soup?
Here’s how I do it….
First, after preheating your oven to 350 degrees, spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with no-stick cooking spray. I prefer Spectrum Naturals Coconut cooking oil spray.
(As you can see, I bake quite a lot. I get 6 cans of the spray at a time.)
While the oven is preheating, take a medium saucepan and over low-medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter (I prefer Kerrygold or any other grass-fed variety; Kerrygold seems most economical) and 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate.
Why Go Dark?
Allow me to veer off topic for a moment. I’ll get back to the recipe shortly.
But first, I want to address why I use dark for this recipe, because I get asked questions from time to time such as:
“Will the taste be too rich?”
“What’s the advantage of using dark over milk?”
Let me answer the last question first.
Nutritionally, dark cocoa is far superior for your health. Primarily because it contains something that’s not even technically a nutrient.
And that something is a natural chemical in plants that are powerful antioxidants.
The type of antioxidant is “flavonoids.”
As you’ll see in the list of ingredients, not only do I use the dark kind, I also use cocoa powder.
Both of these are high in flavonoids, which means it may lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. In addition, flavonoids also improve glucose metabolism and are good for your blood vessels.
Furthermore, the flavonoids in cocoa (they’re called “flavanols”) may help improve brain function in seniors with mild cognitive dysfunction.
The problem with milk cocoa is not only is it loaded with sugar and calories, it’s also lower in flavonoids. In comparison, unsweetened cocoa powder, which I use in the chocolate brownie cheesecake squares, has 88 to 96 percent cocoa solids.
As for the dark I use for the flourless brownies, it contains anywhere from 45 to 80 percent cocoa solids, which is the only part that contains these beneficial antioxidants.
Milk choco contains only 5 to 7 percent cocoa solids.
As for the taste, dark is perhaps more of a refined taste, but as your taste buds evolve and get used to a low carb palette, it these brownies will taste more natural and less overpoweringly sweet.
Brownie Cheesecake Bars
So now I’ve sold you on going dark, let’s get on with the recipe, shall we….?
Now that the chocolate and butter are melted, you’ll pour the mixture into a mixing bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of stevia (or other safe and natural sweetener; you may have to adjust the amount) and the cocoa powder.
You’ll need 3 large eggs to produce the 16 square yield. But you’re not cooking the eggs, you’re simply whisking them in one at a time to the mixture.
Once the oven is done pre-heating, transfer this mixture to the baking pan that you sprayed with non-stick spray. Allow to bake for 15-20 minutes.
Set the cooked brownies aside to cool before adding the topping for the chocolate brownie cheesecake squares.
Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake Squares: healthy cheesecake topping
To make the cheesecake topping, combine 16 oz of soft cream cheese, about 1/2 cup sweetener, three teaspoons vanilla extract (get the kind from Madagascar, it’s the best), and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
Place these ingredients in a large mixing bowl. It should be smooth and creamy when done.
Next, take one cup heavy whipping cream. And in another mixing bowl add it and whisk it with a hand mixer. Mix until stiff peaks form in the heavy cream.
When that’s done, slowly fold together the cream cheese and whipped cream until all ingredients are well-blended.
Finally, pour the cheesecake topping over the cooled brownies. Now all you have to do is wait patiently for four hours while the squares are in the fridge!
In the meantime, feel free to browse my other low carb dessert recipes like the low carb no bake cheesecake and Italian lemon ricotta cheesecake.
Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake Squares Recipe
Enjoy the recipe!
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Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake Squares
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Ingredients
Flourless Brownies
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3.5 ounces dark chocolate
- 3 tablespoons low carb sugar substitute
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
Cheesecake Topping
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup low carb sugar substitute or less to taste
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 8×8-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 stevia and cocoa powder.
- Slowly whisk in the eggs one at a time and then transfer the brownies from the bowl to a square 8×8-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, stevia, 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
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Nutrition
Additional Info
Note 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.
Unauthorized use of this material without written permission from Lisa MarcAurele is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes.
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Lisa MarcAurele has been creating low carb recipes since 2010. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites!
Lisa MarcAurele says
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Chelsie says
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 says
A serving is 1/2″ x 1 /2″ ?
Lisa MarcAurele says
It’s best to keep the pieces small for keto. For low carb, it might be okay for larger slices.
Jo-Anne Boudreau says
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 says
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.
Rose says
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 says
How big is the square in order to get the carbs right please
Lisa MarcAurele says
It depends on your pan size. I use a square pan and divide into 16 square pieces.
Janet Adey says
It would help if you could tell me the pan size you use please
Lisa MarcAurele says
I used an 8×8-inch square baking pan. I’ll add that to the recipe card.
Brandy says
What is it your sprinkling on top of the finished product, unsweetened cocoa?
Lisa MarcAurele says
It’s just unsweetened cocoa powder.
Ami says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Thanks for your prompt response Lisa. I’ll give that a try.
Debbiedowner says
Lindt Dark Chocolate is not Keto friendly just FYI…..
Lisa MarcAurele says
It’s low carb and has very low sugar. But I do agree that strict keto should avoid eating it.
Rebecca says
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 says
How many brownies does this recipe make? Thank you!
Lisa MarcAurele says
It’s listed at the top of the recipe: Servings 16 people (so that’s 16 brownies)
Michelle says
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 says
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 says
Lisa…..can I use unsweatened Cocoa Powder??
Lisa MarcAurele says
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 says
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 says
You can use that and add additional sweetener if needed.
Katie Howard says
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 says
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 says
Wow. Great advice. I will try your suggestions.
BTW tried your Muffin in a Mug this morning. Perfect! And so many possibilities!
Lisa MarcAurele says
Hope the recommendations make it better for you!
Dawn says
Heaven on a plate! Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa MarcAurele says
You’re welcome!
Julia says
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 says
I changed it to 1/2 cup as the 3/4 cup was way too sweet for me.
Hilde says
I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS ?????
Easy to make and tast great ???
Andrea says
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 says
Yes. That is the correct amount.
Andrea says
Ok thank you, will be doing it tonight! Can’t wait
Karina says
About how many grams are the squares in each serving?
Lisa says
The squares were not weighed and the calculator we use does not estimate serving weight.
Kristi Singleton says
Woooowza!!! This recipe over delivered and is one I’ll use over and over!!!
Lisa says
I’m so glad it worked out so well! Thanks for the feedback.
Jessica says
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 says
I like to use anything from 70-90%. The calculation is for 90%
Patsy says
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 says
Unless powdered is specified, it’s granular.
Kim B says
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 says
You’re welcome Kim. Wishing you much success on keto!
Lisa says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Edited. It can be a contributor so the wording is somewhat misleading as there are many potential causes.
kim says
This is a dessert my whole family would love! Adding it to my menu for the week!
Lisa says
Enjoy!
Mary Bostow says
Wow, this is stunning! I want to try it out! This recipe really impresses! I really like! Thank you.
Lisa says
You’re welcome Mary!
Claudia Lamascolo says
These really are over the top decadent I just love brownies and these may be my new favorite recipe!
Lisa says
Hope you try them Claudia!
Danielle Wolter says
These sound delicious! I always use dark chocolate in my baking. I find milk is far too sweet for baked goods.
Lisa says
Agree! Dark is best for baking.