Let me state for the record that this dessert is so good, I may never make keto cheesecake any other way again. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but was utterly gobsmacked by the results. It has the ideal cheesecake texture, dense but insanely creamy. And the tangy sweetness melted delightfully on my tongue.
Baking in an air fryer is a whole new world to me, and I am having a wonderful time experimenting. Air Fryer Keto Cookies have become one of my go-to desserts, and my peanut butter stuffed Keto Air Fryer Brownies are a family favorite.
But it is a new frontier and requires different considerations from baking in a conventional oven. Most notably, the heat from an air fryer comes from the top, rather than the bottom, which changes the baking approach. If you don’t make the proper adjustments, the top of the dessert cooks too quickly while the center remains liquid.
I’ve had a couple of failures, especially when baking cakes. So I was concerned about this keto air fryer cheesecake not cooking though properly. But covering the top with foil to deflect the heat worked perfectly and the results were absolutely astonishing!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Perfect texture: I cannot rave about this enough. I could hardly believe how perfectly creamy it was.
- Crisp crust: I baked the crust a little before adding the filling and I think it offsets the cheesecake perfectly.
- Balanced sweetness: This air fryer cheesecake is both tangy and sweet, without being cloying.
- Straightforward technique: No fussing with a water bath, just make and bake!
- Make ahead recipe: You can easily freeze the whole cake or just portions of it, for when those cheesecake cravings strike.
- Low carb and gluten-free: No sugar or grains, and only 4.3 grams of carbs per serving.
Ingredient Notes
- Cream cheese: I recommend full fat cream cheese for an ultra creamy cheesecake.
- Pecan flour: You can really use any nut or seed meal for this crust. You can also make your own sunflower seed flour for a nut-free version.
- Sweetener: I recommend an erythritol-based sweetener for the crust. The filling can be made with other sweeteners but please be sure to read my Tips for more information.
- Sour cream: The addition of sour cream gives the filling a rich, velvety texture.
- Kitchen staples: Butter, eggs, vanilla extract and salt.
How to Make Keto Air Fryer Cheesecake
- Prepare the crust: Combine the nut flour, sweetener, and salt and then stir in the butter. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a springform pan.
- Bake the crust: Air-fry for 8 minutes on the bake setting. Remove and let cool completely.
- Prepare the filling. Whip the cream cheese until ultra-creamy. Mix in the sweetener, sour cream, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the eggs and beat until just combined.
- Add to the pan: Pour the filling over the cooled crust, tap the pan to release any air bubbles and cover pan tightly with foil, shiny side up.
- Bake the cheesecake: Air-fry on the bake setting until the sides are set but the center still jiggles when shaken. Remove the foil and bake again until lightly browned and the center jiggles only slightly.
- Cool completely: Cool the cheesecake then run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate a few hours or up to overnight.
Carolyn’s Expert Tips
You don’t have to bake the crust first, but it does make it firmer and more crisp. I think it contrasts better with the creamy filling this way.
When making any kind of cheesecake, always beat the cream cheese for a few minutes by itself. And always add the eggs last. These two things will ensure a super creamy cheesecake filling.
If you want to use an 8-inch pan, you will need to increase the amount of the crust. I recommend using 1 cup of almond flour, 3 tablespoons of sweetener, and 3 tablespoons of butter. You don’t need to increase the filling, but the cake won’t take as long to bake.
Sweetener Options
For the crust, I highly recommend an erythritol-based sweetener so that it firms up properly. The filling can be made with your preferred sweetener, with some caveats. The more allulose you use, the faster it will brown. So you will need to keep a close eye on it.
I used a combination of erythritol- and allulose-based sweeteners (about 50/50) and it did become somewhat brown but not overly so. Keep it covered with foil until close to the end helps. If you intend to use 100% allulose-based sweeteners, I recommend lowering the temperature by 25 degrees.
What to Serve With Keto Air Fryer Cheesecake
Delicious with fresh berries or on its own, but you can also serve it with…
Air Fryer Keto Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 3/4 cup (82.5 g) pecan flour, (or almond flour)
- 2 tbsp (20.29 g) granular sweetener, erythritol recommended
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28.4 g) butter, melted
Filling
- 24 ounces (680.39 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (95 g) granular sweetener, erythritol, allulose, or a combination
- 1/4 cup (57.5 g) sour cream
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
Instructions
Crust
- Grease a 7-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment. Grease the parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the nut flour, sweetener, and salt. Stir in the butter until well combined.
- Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Air-fry on the bake setting at 325ºF for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
Filling
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium for 2 minutes until ultra-creamy. Then beat in the sweetener, sour cream, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Scrape down the bottom and the sides of the bowl. Then add the eggs and beat until just combined.
- Pour the filling over the cooled crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Cover the top of the pan tightly with foil, shiny side up.
- Air-fry on the bake setting at 325ºF for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sides are set but the center still jiggles when shaken.
- Remove the foil and bake at 300ºF for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned and the center jiggles just slightly.
- Remove and let cool completely, then run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours, or up to overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Air fryers cook and bake more quickly than conventional ovens, so a cheesecake will bake through faster. But it’s important to understand the heat from an air fryer comes from the top, rather than the bottom. This means that you need to take precautions so that the top of the cake doesn’t become overly browned before the rest of the cake has cooked through. Using foil to cover the cake for the first 20 to 30 minutes helps offset this issue.
Yes you can! This cake freezes really well. 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.
This Keto Cheesecake recipe has 4.3g of carbs and 0.9g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.4g net carbs per serving.
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.
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This is so good, and so easy! I have been making cheesecakes in my instant pot, but I like this method better. It turned out perfect! I used almond flour for the crust since that is what I have, but I may get some pecan flour for next time – because there will definitely be a next time!
I am making this recipe right now. Can’t wait to see how it turns out. Just wondering if I could add OOOF flavors without compromising the results? Have some banana’s foster I would love to try.
My air fryer is not like the one you show. I have a Breville toaster oven/air fryer. It is shaped like a toaster oven, My air fryer is a basket but in the shape of an oven rack. So it is not as deep as an air fryer basket.
Would this recipe work just as well in my kind of air fryer?
I used to have that one. I think you can just set the pan inside the oven and proceed as directed.
I made this last night and now am shamelessly eating it for breakfast. So good and easy too. My airfryer doesn’t have “features” so no bake option but it worked just fine: 325 for 25 then 300 for 10 uncovered. I used a silicone cover as I don’t have foil. I’ve successfully made Basque cheesecake in the airfryer per King Arthur Baking directions. It came out great too. I used their recipe but I think yours is similar. I like the pecan flour crust. It is more reminiscent of a graham cracker crust. I will make this cheesecake again as why not, it’s easy and delicious
looks delish. can i add chocolate or peanut butter. do you have a recipe? would this recipe also work out in a regular oven?
Thank you for also giving the Beatrix measurement. I can’t wait to make this one too. That was a challenge but no recipe you shared ever disappointed. would it be possible to make a raspberry swirl in it, the keto way? That’s my favorite.
I dont have an air fryer but my oven has an air fryer option. Would this work the same?
I really can’t say for sure… but it’s worth a try. If it’s a regular sized oven, then the heat will not get as intense usually… which may mean you need to cook it longer. Hard to say without knowing the oven!
My. airfryer has 2 drawers side by side, so I wouldn’t be able to fit a 7″ pan in there. Do you think it would work if I baked this in 2 smaller pans?
Yes but the timing is going to change. What size pan would you use? You need to figure out the area of a 7-inch circle (radius 3.5 inches), and then the size of your two pans…
Oh no not math! lol. I think i can fit up to a 6″ pan in each drawer.
You don’t have to do the math… google will do it for you. You can just google “area of a 6 inch circle”. But if you’re using a 6 inch pan, you won’t want two of them. Just do one and reduce the recipe by 25% all around.
The area of a 7 inch pan is almost 40 sq inches. The area of a 6 inch pan is almost 30 sq inches. So reducing the recipe by 25% works perfectly for the 6 inch pan!