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
This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
- 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
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
My sister and I make this for her husband’s birthday. We only added slightly more sugar than recommended. We also put it in a water bath because that is how I always make cheesecake. I will be making it again this weekend for my dad! Thank you for the great tasting recipe. Noone would know it had a sugar replacement!!
This was dangerously good!!! Everyone loved it. You seriously would not know it was low carb, sugar free etc. Only problem is that I can’t stop eating it!!! ? Seriously though, thanks for all of your wonderful recipes. You are an amazing chef!
Absolutely delicious! Made this for a dinner party, was a huge hit with adults as well as children. I added chopped pecans to the brownie batter and also added them to the top of the cheesecake layer and then drizzled the chocolate sauce over all. Was a beautiful presentation. Will definitely keep this recipe in my LC file. Thanks!
So glad it was a hit!
This was so so so so so so so good…so good that I was shocked…so good that to me it tasted exactly like a regular, sugary cheesecake…except BETTER, because there’s a brownie bottom layer!!!!! I am so grateful for this recipe! Thank you for sharing it! I have a question: Would you recommend making and freezing this? Have you ever done that? Wondering how a thawed piece would turn out…
It would be almost as good as fresh! I have frozen many a low carb cheesecake.
Hi there,
First of all, thank you for the awesome recipe! The cheesecake is truly incredible. I feel like a lot of recipes that promise a keto version of an old favorite (especially desserts and breads) end up being sad and disappointing, but this tasted just as good—if not better—as the original!
I do have a quick question, though. The first time I made this, when I went to add the melted chocolate/butter mixture to the rest of the brownie ingredients, the chocolate seemed to seize up. Is there a way to prevent this or was it just a fluke?
Thanks again!
They may have been over-microwaved or over-heated a bit. Or it could have been the cold eggs making it clump up a bit. Hard to say but if you’re having trouble, melt the butter and chocolate double-boiler style (heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water) in the future.
My daughter has a nut allergy, what can I use instead of almond flour??
Sunflower seed flour
This looks amazing! I think I’ll be making it this weekend. I’m wondering, though, for those who don’t care for the texture of almond flour could coconut flour be substituted for the almond flour?
You can certainly try. Add only 1/3 the amount of coconut flour.
In the oven now and hoping it turns out. Once I popped it in I realized I did not put the heavy cream in 🙁 Hoping it still turns out.
How did it turn out without the heavy cream? Curious.
Just wondering… does the carb count include the chocolate sauce? The photograph is misleading if the chocolate sauce isn’t included. Perhaps you could list it with or without the chocolate sauce.
No the carb count does not include the chocolate sauce. Because it all depends on how much chocolate sauce you want to put on it. That part is up to you.
I just made this – AGAIN! It’s always been so popular that it’s a favorite for me to take to group get-togethers.
Yay! I thought it was time for a wee update to make my most popular recipe a little prettier!
This dessert is fabulous!!!! It amazes me that it is low carb. The ketogenic lifestyle is fairly new to me, but I have to say I have not missed carbs one bit and I have been eating much better, tastier foods.
This was amazing! I keep thinking that it just has to go against the keto way of eating! So good! Will definitely make again for special occasions.
You sure are popular… I had to scroll a LONNNNG way down to leave my comment. Anyway, I couldn’t believe when I read that you eat butter like a slice of cheese. OMG! I thought I was the only one that did that. Here in Canada we have a lovely butter called Natrel made with sea salt. It tastes so delicious! BTW, I sure enjoy your wonderful recipes. 🙂
Well, you happened to choose a VERY popular recipe to leave a comment on. They aren’t all like that, I promise 😉
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 46 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 174Calories from Fat 157
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17.4g27%
Saturated Fat 9.2g46%
Cholesterol 103mg34%
Sodium 112mg5%
Potassium 150mg4%
Total Carbohydrates 3.5g1%
Dietary Fiber 1.8g7%
Protein 4.5g
Vitamin A 9% • Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 3% • Iron 10%
Nutrition Grade C
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet
I put all the ingredients into a recipe calorie count. That’s what I got with a serving size of 10 for those asking about calories and this shows even less carbs.
I made this over the weekend and I must have done something wrong. I didnt have a springform pan (going to order that now) but used a Pie pan 9 inch, deep dish and lined it with parchment paper. I also only had lankato erythritol with monk fruit for the sweetener. My brownie part never really seemed to set on the sides so I just had to pull and put the cheesecake filling on it and then cook again. The texture was very grainy once completed and the brownie was very dry. I am sure I overcooked it but the flavor was good. Iw ill have to try again but with a different sweetener and springform pans. I want that fudgy brownie base.
Hi Lesley,
It should be quite fudgy and you really don’t want it to be fully set to achieve that. A springform pan is pretty important to this, because a pie pan won’t allow you to cook it as easily and not have it be fully set, if you know what I mean. Not sure the sweetener was the issue here, I really think it was more likely the pan.
Thank you. I will try again with my newly purchased springform pan. ?
What is the tin foil for? thanks
To keep the oils from leaching out of the base and dripping into your oven.
Can i use any sweetner? I have stevia. I just dont have the money to buy another sweetner. I wanna make this tomorrow. Im craving cheese cake sooooo badly.
You can use stevia in this. What kind do you have?
Can I use monk fritz for sweetener instead of serve I do not like the taste of swerve
If you mean an erythritol blend with Lakanto, then yes, that should work. But their powdered version is 2x as sweet so please adjust accordingly.
I talked hubby into making this for my birthday this year. Lucky me! It tasted great. Loved putting a little sugar free peanut butter on a piece too.
Would love to know which ganache recipe people like to put on top of this. I wasn’t fond of the one I tried. Any suggestions?
Love it! Best part is that I can allow myself to lick the beaters clean 😉
This looks absolutely delicious, and I love finding desserts that can freeze well so that I’m not tempted to eat them all too quickly! it. However, I’m not a big fan of nut chunks in my brownies. If I leave them out, do you think I’d need to add any additional almond flour for bulk, or should it be ok with just skipping them?
You can totally leave them out for this recipe.