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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These are fantastic! I highly recommend them. Even my non-keto/low carb family loved them. Thank you Carolyn!
Hi, I don’t have xanthum gum, was wondering if there is a comparable substitute and how much of it I would need!! Thank you so much!
You can just skip it.
So I made this today and can’t begin to put into words how amazing it is. Just the right amount of lemon taste and the crust is the perfect compliment to the cheesecake. Not too sweet, definitely just right. Carolyn, you continue to outdo yourself. Thank you so much!!
I know this is an older post but hoping you will still get this..can i use stevia products only?if so what types do i use such as powdered..liquid..etc?thankyou
You can just do liquid. Try 1/2 tsp in the crust and 1/2 tsp in the filling.
Absolutely delicious. I make this as a cake rather than as bars and it works well. I took it to a party and it was a big hit, even with all the gluten and sugar-eating people there.
May I ask which Stevia extract you use? The few that I’ve tried have been horrible and I’m reluctant to purchase any more.
I use NuNaturals. But since you say it’s so horrible, you may be one of the people who finds it super bitter no matter what brand. If that’s the case, leave it out of the crust entirely and add another 1/4 cup erythritol to the filling. If you can find powdered Swerve or another super fine erythritol, use that.
This filling recipe would work fine as a crustless cheesecake, right? Baking directions would remain the same? Looking for a low-carb lemon cheesecake for a birthday, and always hit your site first.
I think so but don’t bake in metal. Bake in ceramic! And grease the heck out of your pan first.
This is so good! A friend gave me fresh Meyer lemons and I immediately came here to find something use them in. I love cheesecake and lemon bars and this is the best of both worlds. One tip I’ve found when making cheesecake is to use the vitamix blender to blend it up. You don’t need to soften the cream cheese, just throw all of the ingredients in. The blender mixes it perfectly and adds a nice fluffy texture.
So glad you liked it. I may try that with my Blendtec!
I just made this, great! I am also a cheesecake glutton. I think I ate 1/2 a Costco cheesecake one Christmas when I was under a lot of stress….. 🙂
I used Truvia in the crust, otherwise as directex, but remembered I have powdered Swerve, so used that in the cheesecake and Yum! I did add a bit of Saigon cinnamon sprinkled over the crust. The Truvia seemed really strong and I was trying to diffuse the taste a bit.
The cheesecake is good, and a whipped cream topping is good on it…..I wonder if there is a way to add lemon to whip cream?
I think Truvia is stronger than Swerve, more concentrated. Try doing only about half of it next time.
I’ve made this recipe many times and it always turns out wonderful! It’s even been my birthday cake and will be again soon.
I’m wondering though, if I increased the recipe by a half and baked it in a 9 by 13 pan do you think it would work OK? Or would I need to double the recipe? Any idea how much longer I’d need to bake it? Or do you think that wouldn’t be a good idea?
I just made your chocolate fudge crumb bars (absolutely delicious!) and they were baked in a 9 by 13 pan which gave me the idea to increase this recipe.
Any thoughts?
I think you may have to double it to make it not too thin. 8×8 pans give you a surface area of 64 square inches and two of those comes to 128 square inches. 9×13 gives you 117 square inches so it’s much closer to a double of an 8×8 pan.
I’ve been on Keto for a few months now but just venturing into baking- it scares me with all the science required to bake! This was my second attempt at baking a keto dessert and it turned out really well! The more I practice baking, the more I will enjoy the fruits of my labor- thanks for a great and easy recipe!
So glad you liked it. Cheesecake is one of the easiest things to make low carb.
I made these but the crust was very dry and crumbly. Any suggestions?
What kind of almond flour did you use? If anything, they are usually overly moist so I suspect you may have used almond meal and not really fine almond flour.
Here’s a dumb question from a newbie baker… when you say “set aside and let cool”… how cool is cool? Till I can touch the pan without being burnt, or until the whole thing is room temperature?
Room temperature. Cool completely!
I am seriously obsessed with these. Thank you!!
I figured out the NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION for each bar (recipe makes 16). 159 calories, 3.5 grams protein, 15.4 grams fat and 2.5 grams carbs. Perfect keto dessert! These were delicious
Dear Carolyn,
making these right nowas they are a favorite. Question: the crust was still damp on top after 10 min in oven, should I bake it longer Thanks.
Damp on top before you added the cheesecake filling? Yes, it should be that way a little because they do get baked a second time round once the filling is on.