You know those times when you are really torn between chocolate and vanilla? Well, this Keto Marble Cheesecake solves all your problems! Creamy swirls of vanilla and rich chocolate, together in one stunning low carb dessert that looks like it came from a bakery.
I pulled out all the stops for this one and it tastes like it. It brings together the best of my New York Style Keto Cheesecake with my famous Keto Chocolate Cheesecake. The texture is velvety smooth, the flavors are balanced, and the swirls make it feel extra special.
Be sure to pay close attention to all the special tips for this recipe. It’s not at all difficult to make but careful preparation will give you the best marble cheesecake experience!
Why you’ll love this marble cheesecake
- Eye-catching bakery-stye swirl
- Perfect balance of chocolate and vanilla
- Nut-free chocolate crust (made with pumpkin seed meal!)
- No water bath required
- Freezer friendly
- Great for holidays and parties
Ingredient Notes
- Pumpkin seed meal: For the crust I went nut-free and used pumpkin seed meal. You can also use sunflower seed flour or almond flour.
- Cocoa powder: Dutch process cocoa imparts a deeper, richer chocolate flavor.
- Sweetener: If you want a crisp crust, I recommend using erythritol-based sweeteners. The filling works with erythritol or allulose, but read the tips section for more information.
- Sugar free chocolate chips: Choose a brand that melts well, like Lily’s.
- Cream cheese: I recommend full fat cream cheese for the smoothest consistency.
- Heavy whipping cream: A little heavy cream smooths out the filling and makes the cheesecake even creamier.
- Pantry staples: Butter, eggs, and vanilla extract.
How to Make This Recipe
- Prepare the crust: Combine the pumpkin seed meal, cocoa powder, and sweetener. Stir in the melted butter then press mixture firmly into the bottom of a springform pan. Bake 10 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate: Combine the chocolate chips and the butter and melt in the microwave or double boiler until smooth.
- Prepare the vanilla batter: Beat the cream cheese until super creamy then mix in the sweetener and vanilla extract. Then beat in some of the heavy whipping cream. Beat in the eggs one at a time until just barely incorporated.
- Divide the batter: Transfer about one-third of the mixture to another bowl and stir in the melted chocolate. Beat in the remaining heavy cream to help lighten the mixture.
- Assemble the cheesecake: Alternate scoops of vanilla and chocolate batter, swirling with a knife or offset spatula as you go. Shake the pan gently to even out the filling and smooth the top. Place in the oven and bake until the filling is mostly set.
- Cool the cheesecake: Turn off the oven, crack the door open and let the cheesecake to sit inside for another hour, then cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until firm.
Tips for Success
One of the common issues when making a marble cheesecake is that the chocolate batter ends up thicker than the vanilla batter. It can make it difficult to swirl them together properly. They also bake differently and can cause cracks in the top of the cake. That’s why my recipe adds additional cream to the chocolate batter, to thin it out a bit.
I tried a new technique in this recipe, baking the cheesecake at a low temperature and allowing it to remain in the oven while it cools down. While it takes longer, this method doesn’t require a water bath to keep the cheesecake from cracking. I think it worked out well!
If you prefer the water bath method, you can follow the instructions in my Keto Coffee Cheesecake.
Sweetener Options
Allulose and erythritol bake very differently, so it’s important to understand how your choice of sweetener will affect the cheesecake. Erythritol gives it great texture but can recrystallize after baking. It’s also non-hygroscopic, meaning that it doesn’t retain moisture, so the cake can dry out faster.
Allulose often makes cheesecakes quite soft and they don’t set up as nicely. It can also cause the cake to brown faster on the sides and top. But because it is hygroscopic, the cake stays more moist after baking.
I like to use erythritol in the crust, for crispness, and a mix of erythritol and allulose in the filling. I find that the combination of the two gives the cake good texture and avoids recrystallization. I usually use a 50/50 split.
More Keto Cheesecake Recipes to Love!
Keto Marble Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/4 cups (80 g) pumpkin seed meal, or almond flour
- 3 tbsp (15.22 g) cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup (47.5 g) powdered sweetener
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter, melted
Filling
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) sugar-free dark chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp (14.2 g) butter
- 24 ounces (680.39 g) cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup granular sweetener, erythritol or allulose, or a combination
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) heavy whipping cream, divided, room temperature
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin seed meal, cocoa powder, and sweetener. Stir in the melted butter until well combined.
- Press mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, and then remove and reduce the oven temperature to 300ºF.
Cheesecake Filling
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and the butter. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium for 1 to 2 minutes, until super creamy. Beat in the sweetener and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Then beat in 1/3 cup of the heavy whipping cream. Taste the mixture and adjust sweetness as desired.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time until just barely incorporated, scraping the beaters, and the bottom and sides of the bowl in between.
- Transfer about one-third of the mixture to another bowl and stir in the melted chocolate until well combined. Beat in the remaining heavy cream to help lighten the mixture (it will thicken considerably when you add the chocolate).
- Alternate scoops of vanilla and chocolate batter, swirling with a knife or offset spatula as you go. You will have slightly more vanilla batter than chocolate batter so make the chocolate scoops a little smaller for more even distribution.
- Shake the pan gently to even out the filling and smooth the top. Place in the oven and bake 10 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 250ºF and continue to bake for another 60 to 70 minutes, until the filling is mostly set but still jiggles a little in the center when the pan is shaken.
- Turn off the oven and crack the door open with a wooden spoon. Allow the cheesecake to sit inside for another hour, then cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours to firm up.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can! This cheesecake freezes beautifully. 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.
I don’t recommend it for this recipe, as you would need to add more sweetener to offset the bitterness of the chocolate. Additionally, unsweetened chocolate will thicken the chocolate batter a lot more and you may have trouble with the swirl and with cracking.
This keto marble cheesecake recipe has 7.0g of carbs and 2.0g of fiber per serving. That comes to 5.0g 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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I like it! I’d put a little less sugar substitute in the filling because it seemed extra sweet.
I made this and it turned out wonderful and my family loved it!! I was so surprised it turned out as good as it did. I for one am not a baker but I followed your recipe to the letter and it came out perfect and delish!!
Thank you Caroline!!
Great to hear!
this cheesecake is fantastic made it Friday and are last Saturday for a thanksgiving gathering and no one could tell it was keto. preparing one more for tomorrows thanksgiving dinner
Great to hear!
Looking forward to trying this recipe, my granddaughter Val, hubby Elijah & great-grandson~ Clayton Ray Brower are coming for Christmas 🎄
Merry Christmas 🎁