This is the best keto cheesecake recipe! So rich and creamy, it will make you swoon at the first bite. With only 3g of carbs per slice, you can dig in with gusto!
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 a ketogenic diet.
I really do have a passion for making cheesecake and I am grateful that it’s so easy to make without sugar. When I first embarked on a low carb diet, cheesecake was among the first keto dessert recipes I made. And it was so good, I kept dreaming up all sorts of different flavors. Now I’ve got everything from Keto Strawberry Cheesecake to Mini “Snickers” Cheesecakes.
So you might say that it’s one of the things that keeps me happily sticking to my healthy diet. As long as I know that there is keto cheesecake in the world, I can handle anything.
Why you must try this recipe
This keto cheesecake recipe is made in the New York style. You may well be wondering how that differs from classic cheesecake, and 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, without too many additions. Most people top it with a simple berry sauce.
It often includes sour cream or heavy cream, and sometimes even a little butter to give it a unique velvety texture.
The end result is so rich and delicious, it doesn’t even need a crust! That keeps it simple and even lower in carbs. So you can eat more of it!
Reader Testimonials
“I’ve been making this cheesecake for over a year now and it comes out great every time. Thanks for such a great and easy recipe. It’s so nice to have a treat and not feel guilty about it.” — Annette
“This is absolutely THE BEST cheesecake I have ever made or tasted. Nothing else nowadays comes close to these macros while being *more* delicious than the sugar-laden cheesecakes out there. My non keto inlaws loved it and didn’t know it was sugar free.” — Angela
Ingredients you need
- Full fat cream cheese: Read the labels and avoid brands with lots of fillers, which can raise the carb count. Good organic cream cheese such as Organic Valley has only 1g carbs per serving (1 oz), and the USDA listing for cream cheese indicates that it has 1.2g carbs per ounce.
- Butter: This recipe uses unsalted butter.
- Powdered sweetener: I highly recommend using Swerve Confectioners for this cheesecake. 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.
- Sour cream: The addition of sour cream gives the filling a rich, velvety texture.
- Lemon zest: 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.
- Vanilla extract: Feel free to play with the flavors and use other extracts, such as almond.
- Eggs: Always use large eggs, and make sure they are room temperature.
Step-by-step directions
1. 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.
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter for 1 to 2 minutes, until completely smooth. Then beat in the powdered sweetener until well combined.
3. Add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat until the batter is smooth. Scrape down the beaters and the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just barely combined. Pour the batter in the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan gently on the counter a few times to help release any air bubbles.
4. 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.
5. 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 oven, then carefully remove the springform pan from the water bath. Let cool to room temperature.
6. 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.
Expert tips
Bain marie: Using a water bath, or a bain marie, creates a gentle heat the cooks the cheesecake slowly. This is a vital part of creating a rich, creamy texture. Make sure you wrap the pan tightly in foil so that water doesn’t leak in during cooking.
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.
Add the eggs last: This is one of the best pieces of advice I can give for making ANY cheesecake, keto or not. It helps you avoid over-beating the cheesecake mixture, which can cause cracking.
Don’t over-beat: 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.
Want to add a crust? If you really want a crust for your keto cheesecake, you can use the shortbread crust from Keto Lemon Cheesecake Bars. Press it into the pan, and pre-bake as directed in that recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most cheesecake recipes have a high sugar content and shouldn’t be consumed on a keto diet. However, with a few minor changes, you can make cheesecake that is very low in carbs. And as it has a high fat content, it’s an ideal keto dessert.
This keto cheesecake recipe has only 2.9g total carbs per serving. This does not include the easy berry sauce or any other toppings or additions.
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. It will be good for at least 2 months.
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 cools to 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.
Serving Suggestions
This wonderful keto cheesecake is a blank slate. You can eat it simply as it is or you can add some delicious toppings. I’ve included a simple sugar-free berry sauce in the recipe notes. But you might also like these other delicious ideas:
Keto Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 ounces (680.39 g) cream cheese, softened
- 5 tbsp (71 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (182 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 3/4 cup (172.5 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tsp (1.5 tsp) vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
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 for 1 to 2 minutes, until completely smooth. Then beat in the sweetener until well combined.
- Add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Scrape down the beaters and the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs, once at a time, beating each until just barely 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.
Video
Notes
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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Love all your recipes!! Tyvm
This is absolutely THE BEST cheesecake I have ever made or tasted. Nothing else nowadays comes close to these macros while being *more* delicious than the sugar-laden cheesecakes out there. My non keto inlaws loved it and didn’t know it was sugar free.
When I was a kid, my mom made a cheesecake with strawberry jello on top, and I always considered that to be the one that “set the bar”. Well, you’ve matched it in taste but surpassed it by making it keto. It’s my hubby’s fave dessert, my daughter & son-in-law rave about it, and my BFF called it “the perfect cheesecake”. I couldn’t agree more. Thank you so so much for bringing back fond memories and providing new ones for me and my family!
Do you prefer erythritol or allulose?
Did you read the FAQ section where I talk about using allulose and the cheesecake took over 24 hours to set? I think Swerve is the best for this recipe.
Can you cut the cream cheese down? To say like 16 oz?
Are you trying to make a smaller cheesecake? If you only cut back on the cream cheese, you’re going to have a mess on your hands. All ingredients need to be scaled accordingly.
So, finally made this yesterday, and let it in the fridge until today to try it. It has THEE PERFECT cheesecake consistency density. I am thrilled that I made this. Next time I will leave out the zest, as I prefer a more vanilla flavor than a lemon one, but that is just a personal preference thing.
Thanks for this recipe, Carolyn. It’s a keeper for sure!!
How did it come out without the lemon zest???
I have been known amongst my family for my traditional NY style cheesecakes for decades. I just made this recipe of yours for the first time, and it’s in the oven as I type this. I must say that the batter tastes almost exactly the same as the traditional cheesecake I always make for my family.
I am in LOVE with the shortbread crust in your recipe for lemon cheesecake bars, so I made that crust for the bottom of this cheesecake. I can’t wait to eat this tomorrow. Like always, cheesecake requires overnight chilling in the fridge in order for the flavors to bloom. I’m really looking forward to this.
Enjoy, hope it tastes as good as you hope it does! 🙂
I’m so excited to try this! Would it be possible to make the topping with frozen fruit?
Absolutely!
Gonna try this tonight, but think I’ll add that perfect shortbread crust recipe of yours (from the lemon cheesecake bars) as the crust. I have made traditional cheesecake for decades, and am missing it.
So delicious! Thank you much for sharing!
I made this cheesecake yesterday for my daughter’s birthday celebration. She requested it instead of our usual birthday cake because she is trying to eat less sugar. I must say that it came out perfect and delicious! I used a 9” springform pan and baked it 80 minutes. I topped it with fresh blackberry sauce and fresh whole blackberries. It was rich and creamy and everyone loved it!
Donna
Happy Birthday to your daughter!
An absolutely delicious New York style cheesecake with some of the best “making” directions I have ever encountered. I had to bake both of the ones I made for the 90 minutes and they both came out picture perfect looking when sliced and plated. I served them with a choice of Maine blueberries and Keto brownies, so most people had to have 2 pieces!!!
So good to hear!
Hi can you freeze the cheese cake in individual pieces.
I can’t see why not!
Even with swerve at zero carbs, the carb count seems off a bit. 24 oz of cream cheese is 45 net carbs. Total recipe seems a little over 50 so at 12 servings, that’s just over 4 net carbs. It’s still keto friendly but I can’t find the difference ad I am wondering if I am missing something. I am a cheesecake addicts I will still try it, but I might cut smaller slices.
Sounds to me like you are purchasing cream cheese that has too many fillers. Good organic cream cheese such as Organic Valley has only 1g carbs per serving (1 oz), and the USDA listing for cream cheese indicates that it has 1.2g carbs per ounce.
Carolyn, I’m ready to make this cheesecake for the first time and I’m enthusiastically encouraged by the fact that I can change the number of servings when in the recipe. I’ve noticed that several people are unsure about measurements if they scale down the recipe and I just thought I’d share a few thoughts about changing measurements of ingredients. First, if you are scaling down to 6 servings from 12 (as the recipe is written), just about everything works easily with the exception of the sour cream which comes in at .38 cups. If you think about your old math measurements, 1/3 cup is equivalent to .33 cups so .38 cups of sour cream is just a lightly rounded 1/3 cup of sour cream! Sometimes we make things much harder for ourselves just because we’re out of our element. Also, for those who are looking to reduce the cost of Swerve sweetener: Swerve is just erythritol and can be purchased as that MUCH cheaper than Swerve. If you look at the ingredients listed for Swerve, erythritol is the only ingredient. Just search Amazon for erythritol to check for a wide range of prices. Hope this helps others!
Thanks, Cheryl..glad to know erythritol is the same as Swerve, these things can be so confusing!
Ive made this many times and love it so much i think it competes with traditionally made cheesecake ! I do have a question do i cut it to make 12 slices for the 3g carb count ?
How are you cutting it right now? I typically eyeball it but if I have to portion it out equally, I get a really big sharp knife, heat it up a bit, and cut once straight through the middle. Then imagine it as a clock and cut right between where 1 and 2 o’clock would be, across to where right between 7 and 8 o’clock would be. Then once right between where 4 and 5 would be to where 10 and 11 would be. That will cut it into 6ths, and then you simply cut each of those wedges in half.
Baking in the oven right now for a Christmas Day treat. I added a crust made from my keto granola. Will probably drizzle some cranberry sauce on my piece tomorrow. Thanks for all the great recipes and Merry Christmas.