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
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Hi! I’m about to make my first cheesecake (and my first keto cheesecake…yours)!
Can I use Bocha Sweet instead of Swerve? If so, is there a conversion or just a straight 1:1 ratio?
I just ordered BochaSweet to use to make your dulce de leche and cannot wait to try that recipe too.
In a cheesecake like this, Bocha sweet should be fine. And yes, it’s a straight conversion although I find BS a little less sweet tasting once baked. But it’s hard to say since all of us experience these sweeteners differently.
Thank you! its about to go in the oven!
Can I use sugar free Jell-o mix instead of sweetener?
I don’t think it would be very good in this recipe. It would affect the consistency a lot.
Oh my, oh my! I had to adapt this to the 16 oz. of cream cheese I had on hand. Easy enough to reduce everything by a third. I added the zest of a whole lemon and the juice from a lemon. This cheesecake recipe is FAB-U-LOUS. PERIOD. END OF THE STORY. It is far superior to the low carb cheesecake offering at Cheesecake Factory. I am still swooning from the one tiny taste I had from the little sample cheesecake I made with the batter. My oh my! I can’t wait to have a real portion. I shall savor it slowly and bow and curtsy to your brilliance! I can keto forever like this.????
So glad you liked it!
This cheesecake is by far my favorite (and I have tried several)!! It truly tastes like New York Style cheesecake. I have taken this to family events where people are not on keto and they LOVED it too! Thank you so much for this recipe!
So glad to hear it!
Well, I must say this Keto NY style cheesecake is the BOMB!! I made it last night, followed the instructions carefully, even added a vanilla bean to this baby because I had one left and I didn’t think carb wise it would hurt but only add more to the flavor and OMG! Carolyn, Sweetie, this is DEFINITELY a keeper. I also made a sugar free, very simple seedless Raspberry Sauce to go over it and I actually licked my little plate (I could have put it back in the cabinet; you wouldn’t have known there was a slice of cheesecake on it!????) My hubby & I are making a lifestyle of Keto and than transitioning to low carb eating down the line. Sweetie, thank you so much for sharing this gem with us!????
So glad you liked it!
Love this recipe. So much easier and better than the others I’ve tried. My only issue is I always forget it makes so much. Can the batter be frozen before its baked so I can just thaw it next time?
Because it has eggs, I wouldn’t freeze the batter. But you can slice it all up after baking and freeze then. Or, if you have a smaller pan, you could cut the recipe down. They do sell 6 inch and 7 inch springform pans.
I have made this cheesecake 3 times . The first time it was real creamy, the next two times not as creamy and the top browned. Any suggestions as to what I am doing wrong?
That’s hard to say without more info. Did you switch sweeteners or brands of anything in the recipe?
This is my go to cheesecake, not surprisingly from my go-to low carb woman – your site is awesome and so helpful to a keto newcomer who loves sweets…
I made this for a friends 50th birthday…covered it in whipped cream, berries and shaved chocolate…i didnt even get to try that one as my non-keto friends devoured it. Amazing every time…
Tip – if water gets in the bottom from the water bath – open your spring form and take the outer piece off…put a big plate on top of your cake and flip it over…let it dry out for a few hours with the wet bottom up…should be good to go in not too long!
Thanks for the tip!
Please tell me that I can bake your wonderful sounding cheese cake in large muffin tins, six tins hold about a cup each I think. How long to bake is my question? Thank you, Tommie
I have no idea, sorry. I didn’t try it that way. You will need to experiment.
Hi, anyone tried to bake it in a crockpot?
I am currently making this cheesecake and have had it in the oven for 90 minutes…the entire thing is still jiggley and im hoping it firm sup when cooled looking forward to the end result but im a bit worried….any advice…i follewed the instructions exactly
Sounds like your oven runs on the cool side. You may want to get an oven thermometer to check on that.
This looks so amazing I am off to buy some cream cheese to make this tomorrow!
I’ve made this recipe several times now, my father in law LOVES it as does everyone else. My husband though is missing a crust. Do you have any suggestions for adding a crust of some sort to this recipe? I was just thinking of making a crust from another keto cheesecake recipe but don’t want to mess up this yummy one that everyone loves.
Hi Patty. I have tons of cheesecake recipes that have a crust. Search those and you can take your pick!
I made this last night for my birthday and served it at church to a lot of non-Keto people. I was embarrassed. It was pretty but did not serve easily because of the parchment paper. It became mushy. Possibly it did not cook long enough ( 70 min) or I didn’t beat long enough. It tastes ok but I was not impressed
Well you can see from the overwhelmingly good responses that something went wrong. It should not be mushy. A few possibilities and the main one is that your oven is not running hot enough. Also, if you used a different sweetener, then that may be an issue as well. I stand by this recipe firmly as one of the best keto cheesecakes out there.
My birthday was March 24th and I made this for my birthday cake , it was fun to have a cake that i could eat for my birthday
Happy birthday!
Carolyn, this looks amazing! Thank you, I will try this right away)
I am very excited to try this recipe. If I don’t care about the top cracking, do I need a water bath? If I don’t use a water bath, how long do I bake it for? Confession: it’s in the oven now and I just realized maybe the water bath is necessary for reasons beyond the cracking.
A water bath provides much more gentle heat for a big cheesecake. You could put a pan of water underneath too. Hope it works out!
If I dont have a 9 inch springfoam pan but I have an 8 or 10 inch , which should I use
Either would be fine but obviously you have to adjust the baking time.
Just what the Doctor ordered. Yum! Thank you
Carolyn, this cheesecake looks amazing! I can’t wait to make it!