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 ¼ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup Swerve Sweetener
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter melted
Cheesecake Filling:
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener (more if you like it sweeter)
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest (about 1 large lemon)
- 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon 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.
AzTony says
I’m planning on making this recipe. A couple of questions: Can I use allulose or a combination of monk fruit and allulose? I have a 9 x 9 pan, I realize that will make the bars thinner. Should I increase the cream cheese or just keep it the way it is and decrease the cook time? Thanks
Carolyn says
Allulose may mean that they take longer to set, although you can use it. As for the second question, that’s entirely up to you.
Mary says
This looks delicious! I do have a quick question, the recipe says swerve sweetener and the link references swerve granular for the crust. Though in the video you say powdered swerve sweetner. I have both granular and powdered … which should I use ?
Carolyn says
Doesn’t matter that much for the crust.
Mary says
Ok because I have both, do you recommend a particular one for the crust ?
Carolyn says
The powdered is sometimes less gritty in the crust. I don’t seem to get grittiness with the granular but a few other readers do.
Anna says
Excellent! And very simple! Will be making again. Thank you!
Barbara White says
Love this light and fluffy cheesecake. So lemony and refreshing, and SO easy to make. I only had on hand 12 oz of cream cheese, but they still turned out perfect and it seemed like plenty of cream cheese.
Kay M. says
This recipe is so much better than I was even hoping it would be. I am a cheesecake snob, as I’m known for making fabulous classic cheesecake over the past few decades. This shortbread crust is soft and tender, and I expect to be using it for other things in the future.
I’m going to experiment, and try a chocolate cheesecake for the next time I make this. Thanks, Carolyn!
Annette Grable says
These are amazing! I️ could, but won’t, eat the whole pan myself! By accident I️ bake the crust about five minutes too long. Distractions and not setting a timer! But, it didn’t burn and I️ actually like it better than a regular cheesecake crust, which is usually a little mushy. This turned out like a cookie and had good crunch.
Igina says
I should be sleep, but I’m finising up these bars. Carolyn! Friend! SIS!! You are all these titles in my head! These bars are so good! Thanks for a great recipe! All of your recipes always are on point! Looking forward to trying many more!!
Carolyn says
LOL, thank you!
Daphne says
This looks like an amazing recipe! Would I be able to do this in cupcake liners instead? What would you recommend for baking time and temperature?
Carolyn says
I am sure you can but I can’t guide you on the time as I haven’t tried it. Just keep a close eye on them!
Pam says
I have made these about 3-4 times now. I even added key lime juice instead of regular lemon juice. These are so fantastic and my husband and I love them. Thank you!
Jillann says
I made these today as 8 individual servings as I simply did not have enough cream cheese to make the bars. I cooked for 22 minutes in cupcake pan and chilled outside as I simply couldn’t wait two hours to dive in. These are amazing! I topped with a few berries and whip cream. This is a keeper for sure! Thank you.
Carolyn says
Sounds great!
Larisa says
Could I use 8 oz of cream cheese and 8 oz of mascarpone instead of the 16 oz of cream cheese?
Carolyn says
Sure, why not?
Pam says
These are absolutely delicious and came out perfectly. I added one additional tablespoon of lemon juice because I didn’t have any zest. The only problem is that my husband and I can’t stick to one piece at a time. Thank you so much Carolyn for a wonderful recipe!
Jennifer says
I don’t have heavy whipping cream..is there something else I can replace this with?
Carolyn says
Well you need some sort of thick liquid or sour cream to get the right consistency.
Keisha says
Hello All Day I Dream About Food:
I’m on Keto and was looking for new recipes to add to my menu rotation. I came across this recipe and tried it today (New Year’s 2021). This recipe is very delicious and easy to make. This is definitely a great start to a new year. I’m so excited to try more of your recipes.
Rita says
These bars are totally awesome! How do you cut them so neatly into bars? I did not cut into them until after a whole day in the refrigerator. I read somewhere that to dip the knife into hot water, but that didn’t help. I then boiled water and that helped somewhat. What is your trick to have such beautifully cut treats?
Carolyn says
First, I have a bench knife like this one: https://amzn.to/37t7kOB They are super useful because you can cut straight up and down in a pan, so you don’t drag the knife through the cheesecake bars. Secondly, I heat mine up over the flame of my gas stove for 3 or 4 seconds.
Leila says
I tried today to make these bars and they are delicious! Thank you for wonderful recipe,I am thinking it will become frequent desert in our house .
Helen says
Really enjoyed this recipe. Really delicious. Thank you. I cooked the base for too long, but it worked well as it ended up very crunchy and biscuity. I think I will add some walnuts to the base next time. I used erythritol sugar for top and bottom. I used the same quantities as the swerve, maybe a small amount less. Best Keto dessert ever!
Annette says
This recipe is the best I have found to date! My husband and I absolutely love it! Also, guests can never tell it’s low carb until I tell them afterwards. (; The only thing I changed, I use brown sugar Swerve for the crust and regular, granulated Swerve for the filling.
Carolyn says
So happy to hear that!
Carrie says
Today I made your lemon cheesecake Bars, also I boiled down some frozen blueberries with some swerve and zantham, put a spoonful of that on top of the bars added some homemade whipped heavy cream and…oh…my…so delicious! My husband said it should be illegal, ????????
Thank you! ❤️
Sherri says
I made these bars and we found the lemon overpowering although they were good. The next batch I used lime and cut back on the amount of lime juice and zest. WOW! Just like key lime cheesecake and delicious!! My husband is a diabetic and now he can have something for the old sweet tooth. Theses bars did not have an impact on his blood sugar at all. I also used a ceramic dish and there was no need to grease it as they came out perfectly. With ceramic I lowered the oven by 25 degrees and added 10 minutes to the baking time. Thank you for this wonderful recipe, it will be a regular in our home!