Sweet, creamy, and low in carbs, this New York-style Keto Cheesecake will delight your senses. It has all the rich flavor of the classic, without the sugar. And only 3g carbs per serving!
Keto New York Cheesecake is possibly as close to heaven as you will get on this earth. Bold statement, I know, but it’s how I feel every time I take a bite of this luscious dessert.
When I embarked on a low carb diet, it was among the first dessert recipes I attempted to make over. And it was so good, I kept experimenting with all sorts of different flavors. Now I’ve got everything from rich keto chocolate cheesecake to individual keto cinnamon roll cheesecakes. But this simple New York style recipe remains among my favorites.
You may well be wondering how New York cheesecake that differs from other recipes, and I’ve got one word for you: texture. It is more dense and creamy than the regular kind. So smooth and rich, it’s like velvet on your tongue. And it has a very simple, clean flavor profile, without too many additions. Many people top it with a simple berry sauce.
★★★★★
Elizabeth says: “Carolyn thank you so much for this amazing recipe! It has become my husband’s absolute favorite dessert. He requests is every holiday! I’ve made it so many times I have it memorized now. Even the non-low-carb eaters in our family love it!“
Ingredient Notes
- Cream cheese: I recommend full-fat cream cheese for the best consistency.
- Powdered sweetener: You can use any sweetener you like best for this recipe, with some caveats. For more information, please read the Sweetener Options section.
- Sour cream: The addition of sour cream gives the cheesecake an ultra-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.
How to Make New York Keto Cheesecake
- Prepare the pan: Generously grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment 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.
- Beat the cream cheese: Beat the cream cheese on its own for 1 to 2 minutes until super smooth, then beat in the sweetener. Add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Be sure to scrape down the beaters and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs: Add each egg separately and beat in until just barely combined.
- Transfer to the pan: Pour the batter into the pan and set the whole pan inside a large roasting pan. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan
- Bake: Bake the cheesecake for 70 to 90 minutes, until mostly set but still jiggles just a little in the center when shaken.
- Chill: Loosen the pan sides and let cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.
Carolyn’s Tips for Success
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.
Add the eggs last! This goes for ANY cheesecake, keto or not. It helps you avoid over-beating the cheesecake mixture, which can cause cracking. Over-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.
You know your cheesecake is done when it’s mostly set but the center still jiggles slightly when you shake the pan. Shake gently so that you don’t get any water into 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.
Sweetener Options
As previously noted, you can use your favorite sweetener in this recipe. However, I want you to be aware that it may affect the outcome to some degree. I have made this recipe with erythritol, with allulose, and with a mix of the two.
Allulose tends to make the cheesecake very soft, even after chilling. And the more allulose you use, the softer it is. It takes at least 24 hours to firm up properly and if it sits out too long, it can soften up again. As long as you are aware of these issues, feel free to use what you like.
Frequently Asked Questions
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 New York Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 ounces (680.39 g) cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup (142.5 g) powdered 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 300ºF 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 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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Can I use granulated Swerve in this recipe?
yes, it should be fine.
This has been my GoTo for years and everyone thinks I just leave the crust off to save carbs! They have no idea there is no sugar until I tell them! I use Bocha sweet and it comes out perfectly. Topped with your caramel sauce and whipped cream❤️
I was scared to try to do a regular cheesecake without the instant pot forever. Well I finally did and this is the best cake ever!!!! I do lots of Caroline’s recipes and always like them but this cake just blew my mind. So creamy! Thanks to her tips it did not crack, looked professional lol My review is just WOW! Added the strawberries sauce on top and it was great too.
My grandmother made the worlds best crustless cheesecake. This is the closest recipe I’ve found that is sugar and gluten free. Brings back wonderful memories.
Less sweet than regular cheesecake. I loved it.
Hi, great recipe! I made all the mistakes and got a very lumpy result, but it is so tasty. I wanted to let you know that I cooked it in the Instant Pot, in the Instant Pot cheesecake pan that has a glass bottom and silicone sides. I gave it 30 minutes on the manual setting and let it release naturally until I remembered it.
The Instant Pot pan is only 7″ diameter, so it was a bit deeper than if I had baked it in a regular springform pan in the over.
I was wondering if this could have a crust of some sort
Hi! Please read the Expert Tips section where I offer a suggestion for a crust.
Sooooo good. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly! I froze mine in individual portions so now I have a delicious keto dessert whenever I have a craving.
So glad you liked it!
Wondering if any way to chocolate it up? cocoa? melted chocolate swirled? my husband loves chocolate.
Make her Death By Chocolate cheesecake on the website.
Yet again, another fabulous recipe. I’m thinking I’d like to use my mini cheesecake pans and give it a try. How long would I cook them?
I really don’t know, you will need to experiment and watch them. I haven’t made this as a mini.
Easy & Delicious -😋
Glad you like it!
I would love to make this recipe, but I do not have a springform pan. Is there something else I can use instead?
No, not really. Cheesecake requires a springform pan because it’s too fragile and soft to be flipped out like regular cake.
Made this for the first time for Christmas dessert. I did use powdered Swerve. It turned out perfect!
Hi my husband does not like the taste of any sugar free sweetner but splenda. Is there a way to substitute with granulated splenda?
You’re welcome to try. I don’t use it at all.
I actually tried both! He liked the one with Swerve much better! I had to use 2 cups of the granulated Splenda to get the right taste, it came out fine but not as good!! Thank you for the awesome recipe, I will definitely make this again in the future.
That’s great to hear…. but I am just impressed that you made two of them!
Would substituting lime zest and adding a little lime juice work also ?
Sure!
My cheesecake turned out really good. I’m really proud of my first try. I won’t be intimidated by cheesecake anymore, lol. Thank you so much for sharing all your wonderful recipes!
Yay, I am so glad you got outside your comfort zone and tried it out!