Keto Brownie Cheesecake is the best of all possible worlds, combining fudgy low carb brownies and sugar-free vanilla cheesecake. It’s my most iconic keto dessert recipe, with good reason!
My famous Keto Brownie Cheesecake gets an update! It’s now easier to make and even lower in carbs. So you can feel free to dig in without concern.
And dig in you should! This recipe has been on my blog since 2013 and it’s adored by readers far and wide. Even folks who don’t follow a keto diet rave about it. I get asked to bring it to all sorts of parties and get togethers. And I’m always happy to oblige!
You really can’t go wrong when you combine fudgy brownies with creamy keto cheesecake. It’s an absolutely mouthwatering combination.
Why you need this recipe
This recipe really is a must make for any keto dessert lover. It starts with a base of my fudgy keto brownies, which is a bit of a departure from the original recipe. But it makes it extra easy and lowers the carb count per serving.
Then it’s topped off with a layer of vanilla cheesecake, and baked to creamy perfection. And the layers look absolutely stunning when you cut it into slices.
While making any cheesecake is a little time consuming, this recipe is quite straightforward and easy. If you’re new to keto baking, brownie cheesecake is a great place to start.
It freezes well, too, so you can practice portion control. And it has only 3.3g net carbs per serving. Yay!!!
Reader Testimonials
The keto brownie cheesecake is the absolute bomb!!!! Love the fudgy brownie base with the cheesecake top….. I think this is my favorite Keto dessert of all time! — Joanne
This was the first keto bakery by recipe I ever made, and it was instrumental in making me realize I really could do the keto lifestyle. Have made it many times since then with no disappointments along the way. My non-keto friends have been served this wonderful brownie cheesecake and loved it. Absolutely the best recipe Carolyn has created… in my humble opinion. Oh, yeah, it freezes well, too. — Marcia
NO DESSERT COULD TOP THIS. By far the BEST cheesecake I have ever had. Its mind-blowingly good. Nothing pairs better than a classic brownie cake with a rich cheesecake. OMG. I want moreeee. What would I do without you Carolyn? Your recipes are always a SUCCESS. Love you and your work. — Mandy
Ingredients you need
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- Butter: Use unsalted butter for best results.
- Almond flour: Make sure you are using finely ground almond flour for a fudgy brownie consistency. To make this nut-free, you can swap out with sunflower seed flour in the same quantity.
- Cocoa powder: I prefer Dutch process cocoa powder as it has a deeper, richer chocolate flavor. I try to use really quality brands like Rodelle or Ghirardelli because it bakes better. I don’t recommend raw cacao powder, as it doesn’t dissolve well into the wet ingredients.
- Eggs: Large eggs are the standard for baking.
- Swerve Sweetener: I recommend Swerve or another erythritol-based sweetener for this recipe. Using another sweetener will change the texture and consistency. Learn more about keto sweeteners here.
- Chopped nuts: This is optional, but I like to add some chopped walnuts or pecans into the brownie layer.
- Cream cheese: Use full fat cream cheese as low-fat contains fillers that high in carbohydrates.
- Heavy cream: A little heavy cream helps thin out the cheesecake layer and make it even creamier. You can also use sour cream.
- Pantry staples: Salt and vanilla extract
Step-by-step directions
1. Make the brownie base: In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sweetener, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and whisk until well combined. Thin the batter with a little water, if necessary.
2. Bake the brownies: Spread in a greased 9-inch springform pan and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are set but the center is still a little wet and soft. Let cool.
3. Prepare the cheesecake filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese for two minutes, until very smooth. Beat in the sweetener until well combined. Then add the eggs, cream, and vanilla and beat until just combined.
4. Bake the cheesecake: Pour the filling over crust and spread evenly. Bake until the edges are set and the center still jiggles slightly when shaken, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
5. Let cool completely: Let the cheesecake come to room temperature, then run a knife around edges to loosen and remove the sides of pan.
6. Refrigerate: Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely set, at least 3 hours.
Expert tips and FAQs
Don’t over cook the brownie base: You don’t want the brownie base to be too firm after the first time it is baked, because it will dry out more. It should be semi-cooked, since you will be baking it a second time with the cheesecake filling.
A little jiggle is a good thing. You know your cheesecake is done when it’s mostly set but the center still jiggles slightly when you shake the pan. It will continue to firm up as it cools.
Don’t rush the chill time: Properly chilled cheesecake is worth the wait! It will have much better taste and texture if you allow it to chill the full 3 hours.
Nut-Free Option: Replace the almond flour with sunflower seed flour and skip the chopped nuts.
This keto brownie cheesecake recipe has 5.2g of carbs and 1.9g of fiber. Thus it has a net carb count of 3.3g
Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap or place it in a resealable container. It can last in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also freeze the entire cake or individual slices. As always, wrap it up tightly to avoid freezer burn. It will be good for at least 2 months.
Coconut flour behaves very differently from almond flour, and several other adjustments must be made to accommodate this. However, you can try using my Coconut Flour Brownies recipe for the base.
Serving suggestions
Keto Brownie Cheesecake tastes delicious as is, but you can also add some tasty toppings. Here are a few fun ideas:
- Keto Chocolate Sauce: You can make my homemade version, or try the new Keto Fudge Sauce from ChocZero. (Use FOODDREAMER for 10% off all ChocZero products).
- Make it a caramel brownie cheesecake by drizzling on some of my delectable Keto Caramel Sauce.
- Top with fresh berries or swirl in some sugar-free raspberry sauce.
- Add some keto-friendly chocolate sprinkles.
Keto Brownie Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Brownie Base:
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, melted
- 2/3 cup (136.5 g) Swerve Granular
- 2 large (2) eggs
- 1/2 tsp (1/4 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (56 g) almond flour
- 1/3 cup (21.5 g) cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 to 2 tbsp water
- 1/3 cup (29.25 g) walnuts or pecans, chopped
Cheesecake Filling:
- 12 ounces (453.59 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (91 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 2 large (2) eggs
- 1/4 cup (59.5 g) heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the brownie base:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and butter a 9-inch springform pan. If your springform pan is prone to leaking, place it on a cookie sheet.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sweetener, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and whisk until well combined.
- Stir in a little water at a time to thin the batter to a thick but pourable consistency. Stir in the chopped nuts, if using.
- Spread evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until set around edges but still soft in the center. Let cool 15 to 20 minutes.
For the filling:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300F.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese for two minutes, until very smooth. Beat in the sweetener until well combined. Then add the eggs, cream, and vanilla and beat until just combined.
- Pour the filling over crust and spread evenly. Bake until the edges are set and the center still jiggles slightly when shaken, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Run a knife around edges to loosen and then remove the sides of pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I made this for Christmas and didn’t tell anyone that it was low carb till after it was gone. It was Awesome! It turned out beautifully and was extremely delicious! I drizzled some low carb chocolate sauce on top and added a few almond slices to make it look fancy. ?
I forgot to add that I used xylitol for the sweetener.
Thank you for this delicious recipe! This was our Christmas dessert for this year. I used the THM sweetener chart to use Gentle Sweet and it was perfect.
Wonderful!
I made a half recipe of this and it turned out wonderfully. The brownie is delicious while it is still warm! I also took half of the cheesecake filling and added some peanut butter(for those who don’t mind the extra carbs!) and it was great as well.. Thank you!
Hi! I want to try what you did – 1/2 regular and 1/2 with peanut butter added. What size pans did you use? Did it change the cooking time?
Thanks!
Have you made this as cupcakes? If so, how many does this recipe make? how much brownie/cheesecake in the cup? How long to bake?
Thank you!
I have not made it as cupcakes. Sorry!
Loved the texture and the flavor of this amazing cheesecake. Will make it again. Thanks
So I found this recipe on another blog. She does credit in one tiny sentence once that the original recipe came from all day i dream about food, but the recipe is almost exact. All she did was omit walnuts (which i personally think is a mistake) and she changed the sweetener to truvia. When you click to print that copy only credits herself and doesn’t even mention the original recipe. Can bloggers do this? What happened to actually creating your own recipes? I hate when food bloggers just ride the coat tails of other bloggers by producing the same product someone else spent hours to create throw in a tweak or two and then take most of the credit. It’s shameful!!
Hi CArly,
It’s certainly in poor taste, for sure. Do you have a link to the blogger who did this? I will reach out and see if she’d be amenable to changing it.
Made tonight. Awesome! 8 people had a small slice, still have over 1/2 cake left. Will try freezing it.
Right now mine cooks perfectly at the 35 min at 300 (and then I just turn off the oven and let it cool in the oven so it won’t crack) but I would like to double (or 1 1/2 times) the cheesecake portion of this as its is very thin. How much additional cooking time do you think it would need?
I don’t know but probably at least another 10 to 15 minutes.
I made this yesterday for my husband’s birthday. And it turned out awesome, delicious and amazing???
I also drizzled some keto caramel sauce on top. Heavenly. Thank you.
Thank you Carolyn for this absolutely amazing dessert. I lowered the fat somewhat by using the super lowfat cream cheese by Kraft. To brighten things up and to please the boss’s wife, I made a sugar free raspberry sauce and simply drizzled a few tablespoons over perfectly sliced wedges (no mess). My dessert served 10 and EVERYONE complimented me on it. I shall, no doubt make it again and again – an elegant delight. Win, win, win!!
I have been a Type 1 diabetic for 56 years (am now 68) and certainly enjoy working with your low carb recipes.
Keep up the excellent work.
Sincerely,
Joyce
Hey!
I know this recipe is older, but I’m hoping for a little bit of advice. I am looking to make a strawberry cheesecake with this recipe. If I make the puree from your “Low Carb No Bake Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake” and add or swirl it in, would it make the cheesecake too wet to set?
Thank you in advance.
You are planning on baking it? I think if you swirl it in, it should work.
I am planning on baking it.
Thanks for responding so quickly! I’ll be trying it this weekend.
This is my favorite desert with THM. The brownie batter alone is so yummy. I bake mine with half xylitol and half pyure and it comes out great. I also on one occasion only used half a pound of cream cheese so it was more a brownie with a cream cheese frosting. SO YUMMY!!
So glad you like it!
I was thinking about doubling the recipe and making it in a 9×13 pan. Do you think that would work? Would you double the recipe in that scenario or one and a half it?
I’d do 1.5x the recipe. I think doubling might be too big.
Hi! i’m a french girl trying to adapt your receipe to french ingredients and measures. I would love to try this beautiful cheesecake for my Type1D daughter an my other celiac daughter!
Please can i replace your Swerve by sucralose ? What is the size of the cup you use to measure butter, flour ??
Many thanks for your reply
I did this wonderful cake today with xylitol it was perfect! Thank you so much for this receipe.
We are no longer doing keto but low carb (grain and sugar free almost always maybe occasional gluten free grain). Would this not be ok for us with the fat content? We aren’t high carb like we used to be.
I don’t think you have to be keto to benefit from low carb and high fat.
Thank you! Do you still eat 70-100g quality carbs per day?
Do i need to butter the bottom of the spring form pan before I put foil on or should I butter the foil on the bottom after putting it on or neither? Just making this for the first time and want to make sure I’m getting it right. Thanks so much!
The foil does not go on the bottom inside of the pan. It only wraps around the outside. So simply grease the inside as normal.
I’m browsing the comments looking for a recipe or the sugarfree chocolate sauce that you used.It’s delish without it but I would like to make the sauce too
Try this…you could just do a half recipe, it would be more than enough: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2015/01/the-best-low-carb-hot-fudge-sauce.html
I made this today, not my first low carb cheesecake but the brownie was irresistible to try. No matter how long I mixed that much butter would not mix into the rest of the batter. I literally had to pour off excess butter before and after cooking. I measured all the ingredients by weight. Just an observation, next time I would only use 4 to 6 tablespoons worth of butter.
Something wasn’t right there. What brand of almond flour did you use? Because that should not happen and I stand by my ingredients and amounts.
Just made this today, but the brownie batter was chunky. Some of the fat separated out while it baked, like when chocolate is overlooked, but that wasn’t the case–my butter/chocolate mixture was smooth and had a nice sheen.
Can I use Splenda instead of Swerve? If so, do I use the same amount?
Thanks!
Depends on which Splenda you are using…if it’s the baking blend, I think that’s meant to measure exactly like sugar. So does Swerve so you can sub in the same amount.