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:
- ½ cup butter melted
- ⅔ cup Swerve Granular
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 to 2 tablespoon water
- ⅓ cup walnuts or pecans chopped
Cheesecake Filling:
- 12 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup Swerve Sweetener
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon 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.
Reinette says
I only found your site a couple of days ago and I am completely hooked! Everything looks wonderful and very helpful to a keto person.
Thank you for your time and effort to create beautiful, delicious and best of all, low carb recipes that looks and taste like normal food.
Jen says
I made this today. I can’t believe how delicious it is. Rich and sweet! When I tasted the brownie batter and filling I thought it might not be sweet enough after it was baked, but actually I might decrease the sweetener a little next time, and there will be a next time. It’s a weird feeling to eat a small slice of this and not want more and more and more, and not feel shaky from all the sugar. Bless you for all you do to bring us these healthy and delicious recipes. I tried a keto diet 10 years ago but couldn’t keep it up because there was very little info on the web, and very few products in the stores. I’m starting it again and I feel much more confident that I’ll be able to keep it up. My endocrinologist will be very happy, too!
Carolyn says
Wonderful! Good luck you can do this.
Winter says
I just made this in Operation Replace Sweets. My man is low carb but indulges in traditional processed sweets one time a week. I plan on replacing them with keto versions and I am working on replacing his bread with a lower carb version. I am Keto, so this recipe works for both of us.
This tastes like cheesecake. Nothing funky. The brownie base is thick and dense and I believe it makes the dessert. It was not complicated to make. The one draw back…giving it time to cook and then set in fridge 🙂 If anyone is wanting a good keto cheesecake I can say this one was a good fit for us.
Marta says
How much should I adjust the baking time if I want to double the cheesecake filling?
Carolyn says
I don’t know, I’ve never done that. So you will have to just keep adding time until it’s done.
Vikki says
This is the firsy time i have ever commented on a recipe. Needed to share my love for this creation. I modified the recipe by using 1/8 cup coconut flour instead of almond flour, due to nut allergies, and made 12 mini cheesecakes in muffin tins. Baked the brownie bottoms in muffin liners for 10 minutes, then added the cream cheese filling and baked for 15 minutes at 300. Absolutely amazing. New to keto and loving every minute of it, especially when I find recipes like yours, thank you so much!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Vikki!
Pam says
I made this today. It has a terrible after taste. I didn’t have Swerve, so I used Stevia/Splenda. Would this have caused it to have the after taste?
Carolyn says
Yep…stevia and chocolate together are often bitter and I am not a fan of the aftertaste of Splenda.
Lisa George says
I made this yesterday for my son’s 31st birthday party. It was AWESOME!!!!!!!!
Angela says
Found this recipe early in the morning. Ran to town to get ingredients. Ugh, could not find Swerve anywhere!! It’s too late to order it online. Has anyone tried just using granulated Stevia? If so, how much? I read through the comments and came across someone using Stevia. Can you report on how it cam out? Thanks
Carolyn says
What brand is it and is it supposed to measure like sugar?
Angela says
I think it’s Great Value brand. I’m not sure how it measures like sugar because i through the bag away. I’m new to this Keto way of life. I’ve learned a lot, but still have much more to learn about sweetners and there substitutes. Can’t wait to delve in to your site!! Thank you. I got sooo excited about this recipe with so many great reviews. Too many desserts that i’ve tried have been such a let down in taste.
Angela says
oops, just found that it measures cup for cup like sugar
Carolyn says
Okay good luck. One word of warning is that stevia and chocolate together can be a little on the bitter side…
Lydia says
I baked this wonderful Brownie Cheesecake for the first time last night and tried a small slice of it after lunch today.
WOW! No wonder it’s so popular. This cake is so rich and delicious it can be cut into 16 servings and no one would feel shortchanged. This recipe’s a keeper! Thanks Carolyn.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Lydia!
Mel says
Hello! Baked this but as I didn’t have unsweetened cooking chocolate, I used maltitol cooking chocolate and omitted the sweetener in the brownie base. For the cheesecake, didn’t have swerve and added erythitol instead.
The brownie base was hard and not chewy/fudgy like typical brownie – is it normal and is it due to my chocolate? The cheesecake layer was alright, just too soft as compared to the brownie base 🙂
Carolyn says
That sounds awful and yes, I think the maltitol sweetener is to blame here. Ugh, maltitol is awful because even though it’s a sugar alcohol, it tends to raise blood sugar as much as real sugar does. Sorry it didn’t work out.
Marisol says
Would this work in a paper lined cupcake pan? I like grab and go snacks and it’ll be easier for me to control my portions that way.
Carolyn says
I can’t see why not, I just don’t know what the baking time will be. Start with less and watch them!
Emily says
Hi!
My mom is diabetic, so I used your recipe for her birthday cake, and we love it! It is absolutely delicious!
I was doing the carb calculations for my mom, and we were getting held up on the Swerve. If we follow the recipe, the 1 1/4 cups of Swerve (3/4 in the brownie and 1/2 in the cheesecake) have us at 240 grams of carbs in the whole cake (4g per tsp which amounts to 60 tsp in the 1 1/4 c used for the recipe) and 24g per piece if split into 10 pieces. I followed the recipe exactly, but in the Swerve alone, we go way over the 6.71 g in the recipe notes.
Where am I going wrong? Please tell me it’s in my calculations and not that this recipe is too good to be true!
Carolyn says
the only way you are going wrong is actually counting the Swerve as carbs. Although it technically has carbs, they have zero impact on blood sugar as they get excreted in the urine without ever entering the blood stream. I have tested this over and over on myself and it holds true for me and for most diabetics. So they need to be subtracted from the total carb count.
Allison says
Simply the best cheesecake! One of our favorites!
Donna Pequignot says
I made this last weekend and my 20 yr olds scarfed it down..having no idea it was sugar free. Now they want me to make it again. It was to die for.
Kendra says
I made this for my non-keto family in order to participate in the festivities. This dessert is by far the BEST cheesecake I’ve ever tasted (backed by my husband). I ended up with gooier crust, so I used it to “swirl” when the cheesecake mixture pushed it up along the edges. Made for a very ‘fancy’ looking cheesecake. It did take much longer to cook than suggested, but no bother.
My dad, who isn’t a sweet fiend, even requested this for HIS birthday.
Positively WONDERFUL recipe, thank you!!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Rachael says
Can lakanto monkfruit/ erythtitol be used instead of swerve? I couldn’t find swerve granular locally so it’s being shipped and I don’t want to wait to make this! If so, what’s the conversion? Thanks!!
Carolyn says
I think Lakanto measures like sugar, as Swerve does, so it would be the same amount.
Rachael says
Thank you! I always thought lakanto seemed so much sweeter, even though it says 1:1, I always use half!
Sarah says
I made this last night. We have backyard chickens and their eggs are pretty small. Your recipe called for 2 eggs in both the brownie and the filling. Since our eggs are small, I used 3. I’m new to backing. Is this logic correct?
Also, my brownie layer is much thinner than yours. Any idea what happened? Thanks in advance.
Carolyn says
That sounds about right on the eggs. I have no clue why yours would be thinner. Is your springform pan wider than 9 inches in diameter?
Sarah says
No, ma’am, I bought a 9″ springform just for this recipe.. guess I’ll have to try again with store bought eggs. I didn’t think that’d throw it off..
Sherri says
This is the bomb! Thanks!
Melissa says
Do you use Swerve granular or powdered for this recipe please? Thanks!
Carolyn says
If it doesn’t specify powdered, then it’s the granular.
Ellie says
I’ve just made this cheesecake for the first time – I’m waiting for it to cool down. I’m not sure what it’s going to taste like, however, I licked the bowl clean of the cheesecake mix and it was FABULOUS – so rich and creamy. So if that’s any indication of what the baked cake is going to be like, I can’t wait to get into it!
Chelsea says
Hi! I am makimg this right now, and just have a quick question. I was able to get the swerve to dissolve in the cheesecake portion, but for some reason, it would not dissolve in the brownie portion. It is very grainy and mealy looking in my mixer. I used finely ground almond flour, swerve granulated with some confectioners subbed in (i ran out of the granular), and everything else the same. Any idea why the swerve would dissolve in the cheesecake part but not the brownie? Also wondering if this will come out more like a crust because of that… thanks!!
Carolyn says
It should be fine once baked.