Now my famous low carb Brownie Cheesecake comes in miniature! A perfect keto grain-free dessert for two.
So you had to know this was coming, right? I mean, c’mon! You should have seen this coming a million miles away. You must have seen the writing on the wall. The signs were so obvious, so glaringly obvious. You’d have to be completely oblivious to have missed them. I’d even go so far as to say that this recipe was pre-destined, pre-ordained by a higher power. There was no escaping it. One could not change the course of fate. The gods of dessert decided long ago that I would be making a mini low carb brownie cheesecake for two some day in my life. And that day was just last week, when my husband was traveling and I wanted just a wee bit of healthy dessert. I am happy to say that I have fulfilled the prophecy and lived up to the dessert gods expectations.
Really, from the moment I started making low carb mini cakes, this really was an obvious one. I mean, my full size Brownie Cheesecake is far and away one of the most popular recipes here on All Day I Dream About Food. And why shouldn’t it be? Creamy dreamy vanilla cheesecake atop a thick crust of dense, rich grain-free brownie. Bam. Done. Best dessert ever. Don’t even try to find anything that tops it because that, my friends, is an impossibility.
But you know, being the best dessert ever does have its downfall. And that is temptation. When it’s that tasty, when it rivals the best conventional desserts in flavour and richness, you run the risk of wanting to plow your face right into the pan and gobble the whole thing one go. This is a course of action I do not generally recommend, except in times of extreme need and stress. Even then, I caution you to proceed carefully, as you are likely to spend a great deal of time with a tummy ache. That much cream cheese and chocolate in one go would fell even the most dedicated of dessert eaters.
Solution: make the best low carb dessert ever in miniature, just enough for you to share with a loved one. That way, if hard times hit and stress-eating is upon you, you can in fact plow your face into the pan and eat the whole thing in one go, without the resulting tummy ache. Problem solved.
Cook’s Notes: If you don’t have mini cheesecake pans, you can cook it as several mini muffin-tin cheesecakes. Be sure to line them with parchment liners for easy release. Or you could make them in a 4-inch ramekin and simply eat it straight out of the ramekin. Grease it well!
Brownie Cheesecake for Two
Ingredients
Brownie Base
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tablespoon almond flour
- 1 ½ tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 large egg divided (this will be split between the crust and the filling)
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon chopped pecans or walnuts optional
Cheesecake:
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ tablespoon Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tablespoon full fat sour cream
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cheater's Chocolate Ganache (optional):
- ½ ounce sugar-free dark chocolate chopped
- ½ tablespoon butter or peanut butter, that's good too!
Instructions
Brownie Base
- Preheat oven to 325F and grease a 4-inch mini cheesecake pan. Wrap bottom outside of pan in foil to avoid leakage.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter. Whisk in cocoa powder, almond flour, and sweetener until smooth.
- In a glass measuring cup, whisk egg until lightly beaten, then add about HALF of the egg to the bowl (reserve remaining egg for filling mixture). Add vanilla extract and whisk until well combined. Stir in chopped nuts.
- Spread in prepared mini cheesecake pan and smooth as best you can (I used my fingers). Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until set around the sides but not in the center. Remove and let cool while preparing the filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- Reduce oven temperature to 300F.
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with sweetener until well combined. Beat in the remaining egg from the crust, the sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour over the brownie base and spread to the edges.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until edges are set but filling jiggles just slightly in the center.
- Remove and let cool, then refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours. Run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan and release the sides.
Cheater's Chocolate Ganache
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate together on high in 30 second increments. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cheesecake just before serving.
Notes
Anu says
This is so delicious! The smallest springform pan I had was 7 inches so I doubled the recipe hoping that would do the trick. It did, to some degree, and although I ended up with a very thin cheesecake, it was 100% heavenly and absolutely yummy! Will definitely make this again, just need to get my math right! For a full sized cheesecake, I suppose 4 times the ingredients should do the trick? I’m quite happy to keep trying until I get this right ????
Carolyn says
As long as it tastes good…right??? 🙂 You do know I already have a full size version? That’s what this is based on… https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/brownie-cheesecake-low-carb-and-gluten-free/
Anu says
Oh wow, I didn’t know! Thank you SO much for bringing that to my attention, I absolutely must try that version… hooray 🙂
Carolyn says
Enjoy!
Dani says
Should the filling be baked separately from the brownie base or once I finish mixing the ingredients for the filling should I put it on the brownie base and bake it all for 25 minutes?
Carolyn says
The instructions are pretty clear. Bake the base for a bit, then top with the filling and bake again as directed.
Chelsea says
WHY AM I ONLY SEEING THIS NOW, holy heck god bless you for this recipe.
Carolyn says
Enjoy!
Erin says
Every about this amazing! Huge weakness for me!
Lindsay Cotter says
This decadent bliss has my name written all over it!
gerry speirs says
Cheesecake for one 😉
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
I might make this a “FOR ONE” recipe 😉
Jennifer Farley says
This is so delightful! I can’t wait to make and eat this!
Jennifer Blake says
My hubby LOVES cheesecake so this is perfect for date night!
karen says
How is it that the base on the pic is so thick? The ingredient amounts are so minimal.
karen says
So I’m guessing the picture is of the full version recipe. The base did not come out that thick on this recipe.
Carolyn says
No, you can tell from the size that it’s the mini version. I don’t post photos that aren’t the real recipe, that would be very false advertising.
Belinda says
You’re recipes are absolutely genius!! I’ve loved every recipe of yours I’ve tried. The peanut butter chocolate cheesecake has gotten me in trouble, it’s so quick and easy I can throw it together in under half hour total! This cheesecake is no exception, thank you so much for creating winners!!
Sandy says
Could I double this for a 7 inch springform pan?
Rita says
I have followed for a while now and just love the recipes. I’m so thankful you share them while I’m trying to live this woe. It’s so nice to have things figured out already for me lol. I made this for my birthday cake and it’s so good! Thank you so much!
Carolyn says
I am so glad you find it helpful!
Barb says
I make these today (extras for the freezer!), and they came out fabulous. I made the recipe exactly as it appears, but had to bake them a bit longer as my oven runs a bit cool.
Please PLEASE come up with more of the “for two” cheesecake recipes! I’m doing the strawberry one as soon as I get more cream cheese!!!
Carolyn says
Working on it! 😉
Barb says
Awesome!! I made the strawberry ones today, and they turned out fabulous too! So light and fresh tasting.
Cheryl says
Strawberry ones?
LuAnne Chavez says
We just finished the mini chocolate peanut butter cake and it was amazing! I’m going to make this one today but I don’t have a mini cheesecake pan. If I make it in the 4″ ramekin, how many would it make?
Carolyn says
Just one cake in a 4 inch ramekin because my cheesecake pan is also 4 inches. You won’t be able to lift it out intact, probably, but could slice it and serve pieces.
Mary says
Hi – just made this for my hubby’s birthday – it’s chilled now but it’s not firm on the middle – is this how it’s supposed to be or should I put it back in the oven?
Carolyn says
It should be firm in the middle after it cools. I suspect your oven runs a little cool. If you really want to have it without re-cooking, pop it in the freezer. It will be tasty!
Megan says
This looks delicious! I don’t have almond flour on hand. Could I use coconut flour in it’s place?
Carolyn says
No, not in this recipe. it would absorb too much.
KAYCE says
I made these into six “cupcakes” but my net carbs are coming out to 7.6 each?!
Carolyn says
What program are you using? Is it counting the erythritol? Because it technically has carbs but they don’t affect blood sugar.
Tanya says
We made this tonight and we loved the cheesecake part of it but the brownie/crust was bitter. We didn’t have swerve so we used Splenda. I’m wondering if I should have added more Splenda. Is the measuring ratio different between Swerve and Splenda?
Carolyn says
Splenda and chocolate together are often bitter. I don’t know how your kind of Splenda measures, but Swerve measures like sugar.