This is the best keto cheesecake! So rich and creamy, it will make you swoon at the first bite. Even those not on a keto diet declare it to be absolutely delicious.
Let’s just get this straight right now. Keto cheesecake is possibly as close to heaven as you will get on this earth. Or at least as close to heaven as you will get on your ketogenic diet.
I really do have a passion for making cheesecake and I am ever so grateful that it is easy to make keto friendly. When I first embarked on a low carb diet, cheesecake was among the first keto dessert recipes I ever tried to make and it was as good as any conventional version out there.
So you might say that it’s one of the things that keeps me happily sticking to keto. As long as I know that there is keto cheesecake in the world, I can handle anything.
And for all the haters who say this lifestyle isn’t sustainable, I respond with this dreamy, creamy New York Style keto cheesecake. You just can’t argue with that!
New York style keto cheesecake
You may well be wondering what New York cheesecake is and how it differs from standard cheesecake.
I’ve got one word for you: texture. New York cheesecake is more dense and creamy than the regular kind. It’s so smooth and rich, it’s like velvet on your tongue. And it has a very simple flavor profile, with nothing fancy added.
It often includes sour cream or heavy cream, and sometimes even a little butter, to give it that unique velvety texture.
New York cheesecake is so rich and delicious, it doesn’t even need a crust! I skipped it for this keto version, making it simpler and even lower in carbs!
How to make keto cheesecake
There are so many delicious and wonderful cheesecake recipes out there in the world, and so many different flavors to choose from. But the New York-style is an absolute classic and a must-make keto cheesecake recipe.
Here are my best tips for getting it right:
- This is a crustless keto cheesecake, which saves on carbs and cuts down on overall effort. I highly recommend lining your pan with parchment paper to make serving it a little easier. But if you’re dying to include a crust, try using this one from my Keto Lemon Cheesecake Bars.
- Baking in a water bath helps keep this dense cheesecake from cracking. Be sure to wrap the bottom of your springform pan in several layers of foil, to avoid any extra moisture seeping into the pan.
- The addition of sour cream helps give the filling a truly creamy texture. You won’t taste the sour cream at all, I promise
- Room temperature ingredients are a must! If you add cold liquids or eggs to the cream cheese, it will clump badly. And once it becomes lumpy, it’s hard to rescue and smooth it out again.
- Don’t over-beat the mixture. Overly vigorous mixing whips air into cheesecake batter, causing it to rise and puff up, and then fall and crack as it cools. Beat each egg in until just combined and stop right there.
- Jiggle it, just a little bit. You know your cheesecake is done when it’s mostly set but the center still jiggles slightly when you shake the pan.
- Chill it properly. It can be tempting to rush the chilling process but if you want the best keto cheesecake, leave it alone for at least 4 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
No problem! I have tons of great keto cheesecake recipes that have crusts. Use the search box in the top righthand corner and take your pick. For a plain crust, I recommend the one from my Lemon Cheesecake Bars. But a chocolate crust would be delicious too, so use the one from Death By Chocolate Cheesecake.
You can but I can’t guarantee the results. I made this for a friend recently using an allulose based sweetener, and it took almost 24 hours to set properly in the fridge. So be mindful that any changes to the original recipe may affect the outcome.
Not at all. The lemon zest adds flavor but it’s not required for texture. Feel free to leave it out, or add lime zest or orange zest instead.
There are a number of possibilities. It could be that you over-beat the mixture, so be careful there. It may also be that you didn’t cool it properly before chilling. Once it’s room temperature, run a sharp knife just around the inside of the pan to loosen it before you release the pan sides. Otherwise the sides will pull the cheesecake apart and cause cracks.
Cheesecake needs to be refrigerated at all times. Wrap it up tightly with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out in the fridge.
Absolutely! This cake freezes like a dream. 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.
What to serve with New York keto cheesecake?
This wonderful cheesecake is a blank slate. You can eat it simply as it is or you can add any number of wonderful toppings. I’ve included a simple sugar-free berry sauce in the recipe notes, but here are some other ideas:
- Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup
- Keto Pecan Praline Sauce
- Homemade Sugar Free Nutella
- Keto Caramel Sauce
- Fresh berries
Click here for more delicious Low Carb Cheesecake Recipes
The Best Keto Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 24 ounces cream cheese softened
- 5 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300F and generously grease a 9-inch springform pan. Cut a circle of parchment to fit the bottom the pan and grease the paper. Wrap 2 pieces of aluminum foil around the outside of the pan to cover the bottom and most of the way up the sides.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then beat in the sweetener until well combined. Add the eggs, once at a time, beating after each addition. Clean the beaters and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat until the batter is smooth and well combined. Pour into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top.
- Set the pan inside a roasting pan large enough to prevent the sides from touching. Place the roasting pan in the oven and carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
- Bake 70 to 90 minutes, until the cheesecake is mostly set but still jiggles just a little in the center when shaken. Remove the roasting pan from the one, then carefully remove the springform pan from the water bath. Let cool to room temperature.
- Run a sharp knife around the edges of the cake to loosen, the release the sides of the pan. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Elaina says
Oh my… scrumptious!!! I was going to do one that asked for 6 box of cream cheese and I just thought that was too much, I searched and found your recipe I am so happy I did it’s perfect and it taste just like the real thing or better. Thank you!
Nina says
what can i replace with sour cream? I know some will recommend yogurt but is it fine to replace it with cream instead?
Carolyn says
New York cheesecake (and this recipe) require the sour cream for proper texture. More cream cheese won’t really do it although you can try greek yogurt.
Melba Moon (MJ Flournoy) says
OMG! this is my favorite Keto Cheesecake recipe! Hubby loves it, I love it. Easy to make. I can’t praise it enough. Thank you for this recipe!
Kim & Pete says
We will never go back . . . this is amazing.