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This rich and creamy New York style low carb keto cheesecake is easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and tastes JUST like the real thing. No one will ever guess it’s a sugar free cheesecake!
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This creamy, indulgent dessert is perfect for a low carb diet! The main ingredients, like cream cheese and eggs, are already keto friendly. The other advantage is that you can really play around with the sweetness level.
Personally, I prefer less sweetness. Some desserts need a lot of sweetness to get the taste right, but not cheesecake. The recipe is very flexible in that area.
And I think you’ll be surprised how easy this keto cheesecake recipe is to make! Cheesecake may seem like a more elaborate dessert, but it’s actually very straightforward.
You’ll make the crust by pulsing together a few ingredients in a food processor, then pressing the dough into your pan. The filling comes together by beating the ingredients together one at a time. Then you simply pour the filling into the crust, bake, and allow it to cool.
Ready to see the step-by-step instructions?
How to make keto cheesecake
For best results, I recommend letting all of the ingredients come to room temperature before you start prepping. Then simply prep the crust, make the filling, and bake.
Preparing the mock graham cracker crust recipe
- If you’re using whole or sliced almonds, start by grinding in a food processor until finely ground. Alternatively, you can use almond meal or almond flour.
- Mix or pulse in your low carb sweetener and cinnamon until well-combined.
- Stir in the melted butter until a dough forms.
- Press the dough into your pan.
- Set aside — the crust will bake with the cheesecake, it doesn’t not need to bake separately (unless you want an extra-crispy crust, in which case you could pre-bake it for 8-10 minutes)
Making the low carb cheesecake filling mixture
- Start by beating the cream cheese on low speed until light and fluffy.
- Add in the low carb sweetener and beat on low until mixed.
- Beat the eggs in one at a time on low, making sure each one is fully mixed in before adding the next one.
- Add in the extracts.
- Beat in the sour cream on low speed until incorporated.
- Pour mixture into prepared crust.
Baking and setting
- To keep the oven humid (which helps prevent cracking), add a pan of water to the oven while it’s pre-heating and leave it in while the cheesecake bakes.
- Bake the cheesecake in the oven at 325°F for about an hour and fifteen minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the top is slightly browned and the edges are set, but the center is still jiggly. Remember that oven times can vary, so you’ll want to keep an eye on it.
- Turn off your oven.
- Leave the cheesecake in the oven with door ajar for an hour. This helps the temperature adjust gradually.
- After an hour, remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool completely on a wire rack for about 4-5 hours.
- Place in the refrigerator and allow it to chill for at least 24 hours before serving.
Tips to prevent cracking
There are plenty of tips and tricks to help keep your keto cheesecake from cracking. Starting with room-temperature ingredients and the water bath always serve me well.
You also want to beat the ingredients on low until just incorporated when making the filling. Over-beating can lead to cracking when the cheesecake bakes.
However, a cracked cheesecake is NOT the end of the world! It will still taste delicious. Avoiding cracks is just for looks.
And if your cheesecake does crack? Sounds like a perfect reason to cover it up with a decadent sauce!
How to make strawberry sauce for your cheesecake
Cheesecake is delicious all on its own. But it also goes so well with sauces drizzled on top!
My personal favorite is strawberry sauce. It’s a great balance of sweet and tart flavors. Plus the red looks beautiful on the white cheesecake.
If you’re looking for an easy and low carb fruit sauce, check out my strawberry sauce for cheesecake recipe. It’s also amazing over pancakes or mixed into yogurt.
But if you want a change from strawberry, try drizzling on sugar-free blueberry syrup or raspberry sauce.
How does it taste
Honestly? This low carb cheesecake recipe tastes JUST as good as a regular one!
That’s because the base of a traditional recipe uses many ingredients that are keto friendly. Cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, and extracts are all perfectly low carb.
It’s just the crust and the sugar that make traditional cheesecake high in carbohydrates.
So to make this a perfect keto treat, all you have to do is replace the sugar with a low carb sweetener and use a keto friendly crust.
The remaining ingredients stay the same. That’s why you won’t be able to tell the difference between this 4g net carbs per serving version and a high carb one!
What sweetener is best
Over the years, I’ve made this recipe with a variety of sweeteners. All have worked out pretty well!
My favorite way to sweeten keto cheesecake is with a mix of sweeteners. This helps eliminate any after-taste from one particular low carb sweetener. In my opinion, the best mix is a monkfruit and erythritol blend mixed with a stevia and allulose blend.
If you want to use different sweeteners, that’s fine! Check out my Keto Sweeteners & Low Carb Sugar Substitutes guide to find the best option for you.
Storing leftovers
Baked cheesecake stays fresh for a while.
If you plan to eat all of it, simply store in the fridge. It will definitely keep for 1 week, and some readers have reported that it was fine after 2 weeks!
To store longer term, you can place it in the freezer for at least 3 months. For easy serving, I recommend freezing in single serving slices.
Then, when you’re ready to thaw a slice, place it in the fridge for about 3-5 hours. If it’s not quite soft enough, you can also let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
That way, you can enjoy this indulgent keto treat any time the mood strikes!
Other low carb cheesecake recipes
Looking for other variations on to enjoy? Check out a few of these favorites:
- No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake is the perfect way to satisfy your craving for chocolate and peanut butter without using the oven.
- Keto Brownie Cheesecake Bars combine two classic desserts into one indulgent treat!
- Keto Blueberry Cheesecake is delicious, easy to prepare, and uses a simple blueberry puree swirled in for a truly stunning dessert.
- Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes are another wonderful way to bring together two of everyone’s favorite desserts!
- Keto Chocolate Cheesecake is an unbelievably rich and decadent treat that’s made in a pressure cooker instead of the oven.
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Keto Cheesecake
Recipe Video (Click on Image to Play)
Ingredients
Crust:
- 6 ounces sliced almonds about 1 ½ cups almond flour or meal
- 3 tablespoons low carb sugar substitute
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 5 tablespoons salted butter melted
Filling:
- 32 ounces cream cheese softened (four 8 ounce blocks)
- 1 cup low carb sugar substitute add up to 1 ½ cups if desired (some may prefer less)
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract optional
- 16 ounces sour cream at room temperature
Instructions
Crust:
- Place sliced almonds in food processor and process with cutting blade until a finely ground.
- Pulse in low carb sugar substitute and cinnamon (if using).
- Stir in melted butter.
- Press into bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Set aside. NOTE: I used a 9-inch pan, but a 10-inch pan can be used as well for a shorter cheesecake. You can also pre-bake the crust for 8-10 minutes to make it crisper.
Filling:
- Beat cream cheese on low speed until light and fluffy.
- Add low carb sugar substitute. Beat on low to mix in.
- Add each egg, one at a time, beating on low after each addition.
- Mix in extracts, then beat in sour cream on low speed until incorporated.
- Spread cream cheese mixture over crust.
Cooking:
- Bake at 325°F for about an hour and fifteen minutes (I find it's better to lower the temperature to 300°F when using a dark pan) just until the top has browned and center is still jiggly. Keep an eye on it at the end of baking time as ovens can vary. Turn oven off.
- Leave cheesecake in oven with door ajar for an hour. Then, remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to the refrigerator.
- Chill at least 24 hours before serving.
Notes
- Make sure all the ingredients are room temperature.
- Don’t over mix! Over-mixing can cause the top to crack.
- Bake for an hour. Then turn oven off and let it cool in the oven for at least an hour then remove and allow to finish cooling at room temperature. A slow cool helps prevent cracking.
- Use a pan of water in the oven to make it steamy while preheating and keep it in the oven during baking.
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
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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.
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: February 6, 2017… Last Updated: January 8, 2020.
Tom Hewitt
I changed a few things in my version. I used 4 oz Pecans & 4 oz walnuts with no almond flour at all. I added some cinnamon & some Stevia. And that was my crust. I did not add butter as the pulverized nuts had a dampness to them as I always keep my nuts in the freezer to preserve freshness. I then baked the crust for 15 minutes.
Then I used Neufchatel rather than full cream cheese. And I used plain Greek yogurt rather than sour cream.
Everyone LOVED how this turned out and tasted!!
JoyLynn MWright
Tried this recipe… need to add more sweetness. But it turned out just like the picture. Very happy I now have a desert I thought I was going to have to give up.
Tani
Could this be made in a muffin tin with paper? Any changes to cooking times?
Lisa MarcAurele
Cooking time would be less as the molds are smaller for the cheesecake. But since I haven’t tried it myself, you’d have to just keep an eye on them for doneness.
Cathy
Lisa, if I half the recipe and use a 7″ push pan, how long would I bake it at 325 degrees? Also, can I use 1/3 fat cream cheese and low fat sour cream?
Lisa MarcAurele
I’d start checking it after about 50 minutes to look for doneness. If you’re watching calories and fat, low fat dairy is fine to use.
Deb
I just put this cheesecake in the fridge for the 24 hour set, it looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! I followed your recipe exactly, and used 3/4 cup of Lakanto sweetener. I entered the recipe in My Fitness Pal and it comes up as 17 carbs per piece. I looked at each individual ingredient and the carb counts seem accurate, so I am wondering where the discrepancy might be…I would rather be at 4!
Lisa MarcAurele
The erythritol carbs in Lakanto aren’t counted as they shouldn’t have an impact.
skittles
this looks great! how many calories would you say each slice is?
Lisa MarcAurele
As listed in the Nutrition section of the recipe card, there are about 309 calories per slice.
Laura
Love it.
Nicky
When is the best time to remove it from the spring form?
Lisa MarcAurele
The sides should be removed after the cheesecake is cooled completely.
ChihYu
Thank you for this delicious keto-friendly cheesecake! So glad to be able to enjoy a favorite dessert!
Heather H
Whyyyy does it have to be so good?!
Jean Choi
So tasty! I love cheesecake so much and the fact that this is low carb makes it so perfect for our family.
Clara
In all how many slices in the whole Cheese cake
Lisa MarcAurele
I like to slice it into 16 pieces as it’s so rich.
suzanne coombe
My co-worker sister made this for the holiday and had intentions of bringing leftovers for us low-carbers to try…but she forgot them in the fridge. It was a very long and sad night : (
Marky
This looks like a truly tasty treat. I have one question. Do you think I could cook just the filling in a sauce pan on the stove top? I’d just like to pipe the filling on to other things, like cookies.
Lisa MarcAurele
I’m not sure how that would work out. I’d do a small batch to test. You might be able to just leave out the eggs for piping.
Kandis Mueller
I LOVE THIS RECIPE!! This is the best cheesecake I have ever tasted!!! AND it was quick and easy! I tried it for Christmas dinner and it went flawlessly! She speaks the truth! Thank you, thank you!
Ang
This cheesecake looks so tasty! I can’t wait to try it 🙂
marie morash
tks for the great low carb recipes, hope to try them all
Lisa
This was the best cheese cake I’ve had! Better than the high carb one! Thank you!! How long does it keep in the fridge?
Lisa MarcAurele
I’ve stored it for a week or two without issue.
Gerry Adams
Straight sour cream for topping is very sour. Next time I would sweetened it with 6 to 10 packets of sweetener.
The top never got brown, only the edges and after 1.5 hours, I turned off the oven. It left the crust a bit over cooked. Other recipes say bake for an hour, then put the sour cream topping on and bake for 10 more minutes. That’s what I’ll do next time. Other than that, it was quite good.
Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa MarcAurele
There is no sour cream topping. The extracts and sour cream are blended into the cream cheese mixture. I’m not sure where you are getting that this cheesecake has a sour cream topping and that’s likely why it didn’t work out.
Jeryle lohan
Do you have to pre heat the oven?
Lisa MarcAurele
Yes. Always preheat the oven when baking cheesecake.