These keto cheesecake bars are a lemon lover’s dream! A creamy lemon cheesecake filling baked on a tender almond flour crust. Sugar-free and grain-free but oh so delectable. Keto desserts don’t get more delicious than this.
I’ve just fallen in love with these keto lemon cheesecake bars all over again! I haven’t made them in years and years, but I got it in my head that it would be fun to re-make them and shoot a video. And then when I took a bite, I was forcefully reminded about how seriously delicious they are.
That tender shortbread crust! That creamy bright lemon filling! Oh my. They both just melt in your mouth. And the fact that they are keto-friendly and less than 4g total carbs?
Bring. It. On.
Trust me, keto bakeaholics, you’re going to be really happy I decided to re-visit this old recipe. Originally published in June 2013!
A Keto Cheesecake Obsession
I have Cheesecake on the brain. Fortunately, it’s not a serious affliction as there are far worse things to have on the brain than cheesecake. But there is only one known cure for this disease and that is to make, and then to eat, copious amounts of keto cheesecake.
Cheesecake-like things, such as keto cheesecake popsicles, cheesecake ice cream, and cheesecake bars are also acceptable forms of medication. This is still an experimental treatment, however, and the results are not guaranteed. There is a real danger that the cure will not assuage the symptoms, but instead exacerbate them, until one’s brain is so consumed with cheesecake, it’s all one can think or talk about.
This is when the real problem starts. Because who wants to spend time with someone who can talk about nothing but cheesecake? Well, I might. But I am strange like that.
And given the popularity of all of my keto cheesecake recipes, I think I can safely say that many of you also suffer from this obsessive cheesecake disorder.
How to make Keto Cheesecake Bars
There are so many great ways to make keto cheesecake that we have plenty of fuel for our collective obsession. Lemon cheesecake bars like these are easier to make than a full size cheesecake, and they’re so low carb, you can have two and still meet your macros for the day.
A few quick tips on how to make the best lemon cheesecake bars:
The shortbread crust:
This is my favourite keto crust recipe and I use it often. It’s so tender, with great flavor, and it holds together well. Be sure to bake it for 10 minutes, and then let it cool before adding the filling. It won’t be completely baked through but this firms it up enough to stand up to the cream cheese filling.
Soften that cream cheese properly!
You want to leave it at room temperature for at least a half an hour, and it should have plenty of give when you press a finger into it. If it’s not properly softened, your bars will end up with cream cheese lumps. Beat it well to smooth it out before you add any other ingredients.
Beat the eggs in last and don’t over-beat.
A little trick I learned when writing The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking is to beat the eggs in at the last minute, and only until just combined. Many cheesecake fillings suffer from being over-beaten, which causes them to rise too much during baking and then fall and crack.
Don’t rush the chilling time
When you smell these coming out of the oven, the temptation will be to dig in right away. But you will end up with some lovely lemon cheesecake goo if you do so. Be sure to let them chill for at least 2 hours.
Truth be told, I had to rush the chilling time when shooting this video! My cheesecake was only barely set and some of the bars look a little worse for wear. So do as I say and not as I do!
Can you make Lemon Cheesecake Bars ahead?
If you’re making these keto cheesecake bars just for your family and you want to put some away, they should freeze well. Again, wrap them up in some plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn. You can do them as individual servings or simply wrap the whole piece at once.
Flash freezing is recommended if you want to store them in the freezer. Simply place the unwrapped bars on a cookie sheet for a few hours to firm them up. Then you can wrap them more easily without crushing or damaging them.
More delicious keto cheesecake bars
- Keto Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars
- Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars
- No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake Bars
- Keto Pecan Cheesecake Bars
- Keto Blackberry Cheesecake Bars
- Espresso Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Keto Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 1/4 cups (140 g) almond flour
- 1/4 cup (45.5 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling:
- 16 oz (453.59 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (91 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener, (more if you like it sweeter)
- 2 tsp lemon zest, (about 1 large lemon)
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, sweetener, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until well combined.
- Press evenly into the bottom of an 8-inch square pan and bake 10 minutes - it won't be cooked through. Set aside and let cool.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 275F.
Lemon Cheesecake Filling:
- Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the sweetener, and then beat in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and cream until no lumps remain.
- Beat in the eggs until just combined - do not overbeat as this can cause cracking.
- Spread the filling over cooled crust and bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until filling is just set and the center barely jiggles when shaken.
- Let cool 30 minutes, then chill for at least 2 hours.
- Garnish with powdered sweetener and additional lemon zest, if desired.
Video
Nutrition
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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made this for work and have several people who are diabetic or keto and everyone loved them.
Yay!
Love them! Great lemon flavour. I omit the sugar substitute in the crust as I find it too sweet. I find almond flour brings a lot of sweetness with it.
Thank you!
I absolutely love these!! do you think they would work still skipping the shortbread? Im avoid nuts at the moment.
thank you for your thoughts.
You mean making it without a crust? I think you will need to experiment!
This recipe is fantastic! Being a big lemon lover, this is the bomb❤️❤️❤️
This looks incredible! Do you think it’d work for me to make 1.5x the amount of filling and bake it in a similar-sized round pan? I’m hoping to create a deeper, round cheesecake that I can serve in wedges.
Probably! I can’t give you an exact timing, so keep your eye on it in the oven. It will definitely take longer to bake.
This is our favorite keto dessert! You knocked it out of the park, Carolyn💕
These are the best keto dessert ever. I’d eat them everyday if I could.
This is my go to dessert. It’s perfect
The BEST Keto Cheesecake bars, hands down!!
In the video, you say you add 1/4 cup POWDERED Swerve sweetener when making the crust, but the recipe just says add 1/4 cup of Swerve sweetener (which means granular to me). Now Swerve granular has been reformulated to contain allulose, which can cause issues in baked goods. Swerve Confectioners does NOT contain allulose.
Is it generally ok to just replace Swerve granular with confectioners in recipes, or would it be better to use some other erythritol based blend?
It’s not always okay but in this recipe, you can.
Mmm making this for the second time. So delicious but I was disappointed at the yield, wanted more! So I noticed the first time there was plenty of volume of filling for 9×12 but would need more crust. I made 1 1/2 crust recipe and normal filling and it came out just right.
So delicious, thank you!
I also found a couple big morels in my yard, which is gold. I haven’t had them in over 10 years. I used your cornstarch trick that you do for chicken wings. Fried them in butter w/a lil avocado oil. Oh my, so crispy! So yummy! So wish I had MORE!
No worries, lot’s of cheesecake comfort! 😉😊
You’re the best!
I have never been able to make a cheesecake turn out right. I have a family full of diabetics and they love it. I have made it 3 different times and it turned out perfect every time
Great to hear!
We love the flavor of these lemon bars. They are Great 👍 and low carb. I have made these 3 times now.
I made these bars and they were fantastic! My husband loves lemon bars and thought these were excellent! Just remember to reduce the oven temp as I missed that step but they still turned out ok.
Today I decided to quadruple the recipe because we love it so much. We’re going to cut and flash freeze them so they’re always available if we need something sweet. QUESTION: my brother-in-law, who is not keto also really loves the recipe. can I make this recipe and substitute regular sugar? do you think it would turn out?
I wish I could advise but since I haven’t baked with sugar in a gajillion years, I can’t really guarantee the results.
You are sooo talented. Sometimes I am shocked that every recipe of yours that I have tried has been spot on. We are so grateful for your talents. This recipe is perfect. I doubled it and it turned out great.
Thanks so much!