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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Do you know if the recipe can be doubled for a thicker cheesecake. I have made it several times and it is absolutley divine, but is thin. Wanting to take as a dessert to a party and would like a more substantial look. Thanks!
Doubled would be very hard to cook through. 1.25 or 1.5 would be better but… why not just get an 8 inch diameter springform pan? Then it would be higher but less wide.
Thanks! I will give it a try:)
This cheesecake is phenomenal! I made at Xmas & everyone loved it. Making it again today for Valentine’s Day. I actually make it on top of a Sooo Ketolicious Crust & it’s perfect.
Is it possible to use this recipe and cook in instapot, if so do u have directions available? Thank u
Sorry but this is a baked recipe and would be much too large for an instant pot. You can search my blog for instant pot cheesecake, as i have two of them.
Actually I was able to split the recipe into 2 6” pans, cooked at 28 min, rest 10min….there fridge, oh my gosh lady, this cheese cake it seriously amazing
I am SO excited to try this! Does anyone know how long this cake stays good for? I’m hoping to find something that I can make on a Sunday and stretch until Friday (or at least Thursday) for a week of treats 🙂
In that case, I recommend divvying it up into individual servings and freezing some of it. Cheesecake is best for 3 to 4 days.
Your cake is delicious. I did it once, my family is love it. I will make it again on my mom’s birthday. Many thanks.
next time i’m trying it with less erythritol. too sweet.
I have made this recipe twice now. The first time I used the water bath but the top cracked anyway. The second time I let the mixture sit on the counter for an hour and a half because I had to go out. When I got home I put it in the oven and placed a 9 by 12 baking pan below it full of boiling water and it cooked beautifully, no cracks. Either way it is the most decadent and fabulous cheese cake ever. I make a crust for it because it deserves one.
You are my HERO! I can do this Keto thing with this cheesecake in my life!
What should you grease the pan/parchment paper with?
Butter, coconut oil, avocado oil… your choice!
Thanks! I’m looking forward to making this for tomorrow night!
This was absolutely delicious! My non-keto family asked me to make Christmas dessert this year since I’ve made several of your desserts for them over the holidays, so I felt quite honored that they wanted me to make a Keto dessert! My mother requested Amaretto cheesecake. I increased your recipe by 25% for everything except the sweetener, I kept that the same. I used 1 dram of Amaretto flavoring as well as using almond extract. I used your crust recipe from the Death by Chocolate cheesecake and added some almond extract to that as well (I also added some Espresso powder). I topped with toasted sliced almonds. It was a HUGE hit with everyone! This recipe is the perfect starting point for SO many options, and I can’t wait to keep experimenting. Thanks for all you do Carolyn!!
This cheesecake is outstanding!! By far the best keto cheesecake I have made. I used a pre-made vanilla crust & it was so delicious. Will definitely be keeping this recipe & make often.
Excellent!! So indulgent and makes me feel like I am having a real dessert!! Any ideas how long this will keep in the refrigerator? I could eat the whole thing but trying not too so thinking I should freeze some of it after a few days since I am eating it by myself…
New fan and reader here! This recipe is absolutely amazing. I found it 2 days ago and finally made it today. I let things come to room temperature and made exactly as written (except I made 2/3 of it as I only had 2 blocks of cream cheese). I had those foil pot pie pans and used 5 of those instead. They went inside a roasting pan with water around. They baked perfectly in 60 minutes. The tops are not browned. They’re cooling right now but I couldn’t resist! I dug into 1 already and it is just amazing that this is low carb! With your blog, doing low carb should be doable! I am on day 9 only and was already missing my beloved sweets. Thank you again! I bet they taste even better when chilled. LOL
So glad you liked it and that they satisfied that craving!
Can you post a picture of how to wrap the tinfoil
No, sorry I don’t have one. I am sure you can google such a thing, though.
Yes, I am totally confused about the tin foil?!
This will be the fourth time I am baking this wonderful cheesecake. Even the sugar eaters love it. But my question is, can it be frozen? I usually make it , chill it, serve it. But this Christmas I am doing most of the family dinner. Any make a heads are great. Thank you!
Yes, it can be frozen, just be sure to wrap it up tightly.
Hi, I have two questions actually. The first one is:
Can I use Erythritol? I have it granulated… But I could pulverize it in my grinder giving it more the consistency of powdered sugar… In which case, should I use half the amount? If I were to pulverize my granulated, I might get double the volume of powdered…
Because this is baked, you can use the granular… although pulverizing it might help a little.