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These Amazing Sugar Free CheesecakeBrownies are flourless, low carb, keto, gluten free and grain free!
Best Cheesecake Brownies
It’s July!! I can’t even believe how fast the summer is flying by since school finished. Right now we are all about pool parties and easy food and treats to enjoy fun times with family and friends. What my kids love most is brownies. And I love cheesecake. So I married them and made these! The best of both Low Carb Recipes in my opinion, the ultimate Cheesecake Brownies!
Fostering a life style that’s active and balancing special snacks like these brownies are goals I strive for regularly in my home.
Easy Cheesecake Brownies
Just because they are made without sugar or gluten or grains doesn’t mean we can eat them for breakfast! Emphasizing this to my kids is always a challenge as an allergy friendly food blogger. Sometimes they think because my treats and snacks don’t have sugar they can splurge a little more and that’s just not the case. Snacks and treats have there place in a balanced life style for not only my kids, but myself. These easy cheesecake brownies will be completely satisfying so one is all you’ll need to feel content.
Homemade Quick Cheesecake Brownies
Brownies like these are the perfect make ahead treat for when you’ve got a bunch of kids coming over and need something fast. These whip up in 30 minutes and prep time is around 15-20 minutes. Easy to transport to a party as well! These were given the thumbs up from my kids, after 3 attempts to make them fudgey AND flourless!
Brenda’s Notes:
- You can also make these without the cheesecake topping if you don’t feel like getting fancy, they are equally as good. You would need to deduct the cheesecake topping ingredients and input the rest of the ingredients into a calorie counter like myfitnesspal.com to figure out the nutrition info.
- If you don’t have instant espresso you can leave it out but it does help enhance the chocolate flavor in the brownies.
- You can sub the chocolate liquid stevia with vanilla liquid stevia or plain liquid stevia.
- You can also use another sweetener of choice. Here is my conversion chart.
- Swerve sweetener is less sweet than most erythritol sweeteners so if you were to substitute it, I would say just use 1/2 cup in the brownies and remove the chocolate stevia.
- I like the brand Lily’s Sweets for sugar-free chocolate chips and that’s what I used in this recipe. You can use 85% dark chocolate instead as well.
- If you don’t use Swerve or stevia in the cheesecake filling you can replace it with a sweetener of choice that equals about 1/2 cup of sugar.
- This recipe was first published in July 2016.
Sugar Free Cheesecake Brownies (Keto, Low Carb)
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Sugar-Free Cheesecake Brownies {Gluten Free and Low Carb}
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp chocolate liquid stevia
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1 tsp instant espresso
- 3/4 cup Swerve sweetener
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sugar free chocolate chips
Cheesecake Topping
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup Swerve sweetener
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla liquid stevia
- optional topping: 2 ounces sugar free or 85% dark chocolate candy bar or chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a stand mixer, add the first 5 ingredients and blend on high until combined well.
- In another bowl whisk together the next 5 dry ingredients.
- Pour this into the wet ingredients and blend on high until combined.
- Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
- Grease an 8 by 8 baking dish.
- Pour half the brownie batter into the pan. Set aside remaining batter.
- Prepare the cheesecake topping using a stand or hand held mixer to blend until smooth.
- Pour half the cheesecake topping onto the brownie batter in the pan.
- Pour the remaining brownie batter over the the cheesecake topping.
- Finish with remaining cheesecake topping.
- Use a butterknife to swirl the batter and cheesecake topping together.
- Decorate with optional chocolate bar chunks or chips if desired before baking.
- Bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick in center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes
Net Carbs: 4.3g
No flour?
NONE!!! Flourless!!!
Do u know the carb count for this cake?
All listed in nutrition info to right of recipe.
Goodness! These brownies are to die for! I love the chocolate pieces on top that read “chocolate” – neat! Now, hand me a slice or three 🙂
I think you did a great job making them fudgey and flourless! I think they wouldn’t be the same without the luscious cream cheese topping!!
I am a great chocolate and brownie lover and I already know thats not good for our health, But your this recipe with low carb and gluten free will surely give some good taste as well as good health. Thank you so much for that.
I think I just found my contribution to Christmas lunch. I certainly wont feel like I am missing out on anything with a piece of this in front of me.
I don’t have liquid stevia…just the powder. Can I use the powder instead? They look amazing!!
If it’s the pure extract just use 1/4 tsp.
How do you store these? They were awesome!
Air tight container, refrigerate. Thank you!
How much xylitol instead of swerve? Swerve not available here.
5 1/8 c vanilla?
49 tsp cocoa powder?
73 tsp swerve?
Am I reading this right?
there is a glitch with the recipe plug in, I’m sorry i’m working on fixing it
How can you get 20 servings out of an 8×8 pan? The brownie squares in the pictures look to be huge. What is the dimension of a 1/20th piece?
I cut 5 across and 4 rows. They are super dense so a little is all you need.
Have had these in the oven now for 35 minutes and they aren’t even close to done….the batter was pretty thin, anybody else have this problem?
Yes I had the same problem. Not a fan of this recipe, it tastes nothing close to a brownie.
yes had mine in for 35 plus and extra 5 min still giggled in middle but edges were burning. Took it out and let it set. It set a little but when cutting it was still gooey in middle, that breing said, they are delicious though. I put them in the fridge to see if they Harden a little more as I like the gooeyness but would like to have a nice square. Well done though thumbs up
Same. I just came to the comment to see if anyone else had this issue. After 36 minutes they’re still liquid in the middle but the edges are done. The pan needs to be bigger and I’ll add a TBSP of coconut flour next time.
I’m very confused by the nutrition facts. I calculated around 16g of net carbs per 1/20 serving when I go by the ingredients alone. Can you explain how you calculated the 4.3 net carbs?? I so want to try these, but I can’t do it if it’s that many carbs. Thanks!
HI Rachel, I do not include the sugar alcohols from the Swerve sweetener (erythritol) so that might be why you have higher carbs. I was told that since it does not effect blood sugar I do not need to factor in into the recipe therefore these brownies are 5.5 grams of total carbs then fiber is 1.2, when subtracted the net carbs are 4.3 grams.
Brenda: Who told you that you dont have to count the sugar alcohols from the sweetener? My Nutritionist and my dietician have both told me that I must count sugar alcohols and also where did you get the information that sugar alcohols do not increase blood sugar levels? You are sorely misinformed.
My dietician & my nutritionist have both told me that sugar alcohols are to be counted. Also, read what WebMD has to say:
https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-are-sugar-alcohols
Wanda – in the very link that you posted, the last paragraph says:
“One exception: If erythritol is the only sugar alcohol listed, subtract all of the grams of sugar alcohol from Total Carbohydrate.”
Generally speaking at least half, if not all sugar alcohols are subtracted when calculating Net Carbs.
Unfortunately regardless if you are a dietician or nutritionist, if you don’t specialise in LC, this is the sort of misinformation you are given – a bit like the information that the diabetes association of nearly every country in the world and non LC specialised doctors give: You must eat carbs all day!!
Thank you so much for this; this past year my Father in law was diagnosed with Diabetes, and my Mother in law has Celiac and has a severe nut allergy. Both my in- laws loved this and my family said that it did not feel like they were eating anything “diet” or altered. I will be making this for many family functions now!
What can I exchange with the instant expresso? I’m on disability and did stamps so getting extra ingredients that I’ll use for one recipe isn’t exactly economic for me. Also, I have liquid stevia but not the chocolate liquid stevia, can I use that and add some extra cocoa powder or is the chocolate really needed? Thanks in advanced!
Just leave the instant espresso out. Using the regular stevia is fine.
Derek, I’d just use regular instant coffee. I normally don’t use instant coffee, and it comes in a big jar, so I just go to a Dollar Tree or 99 Cent and More type store and buy the small one they have. I only use instant coffee for recipes and they don’t normally use that much.
I’ve tried making both ways (with and without cream cheese layer) and both times these “brownies” ended up with a really spongy texture and took about 10-15 minutes longer to bake than stated. They do taste good though, as long as you can get past that odd texture! Definitely not for those counting calories though, as the nutrition info is based on 20 tiny squares, so it ends up being about 115 calories for a bite size piece and I’m not sure the carb count is really accurate.
I have made three batches of these because they are so amazing. I use a 12 muffin tin filled nearly to the top with brownie mix and a heaping spoonful of cheesecake mixture on top. Baked for 15 min. Even my non-Keto friends are amazed. They taste just like chocolate surprise cupcakes.
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing! As a recently diagnosed diabetic, this will be my turn-to “sweet cravings” recipe. I have never really craved sweets, but I do love cheesecake type desserts. This is perfect! So delectable, yet no sluggish feeling after eating a bar (or two or three) from the sugars/carbs.
HI
About to make these, just wondering can I sub the swerve for extra stevia and also would Greek yogurt or ricotta cheese work instead of cream? Thank you
Yes to the stevia swap with swerve. Yogurt or ricotta to switch with sour cream? or do you mean cream cheese? If with the sour cream, yes yogurt would be a good sub.
Hi,
I did these brownies but wanted to know how could I do it to replace stevia with tagatose
my family does not like the stevia flavor.
If tagatose measures cup for cup like sugar then use 1 cup. I don’t use it so not sure how sweet it is compared to stevia.
I made these and they were absolutely delicious, even my non-keto family were pleasantly surprised! I will definitely be making these again!! (Probably sooner rather than later ?). Thank you Brenda!
Thank you Petra!
In a word – awful. The chocolate batter was like water. Baked texture is spongy. Have no idea how you “layer” the cream cheese with the chocolate water. Gross. Sorry.
Wow so sorry you feel that way.
I will make this recipe and this will be absolutely delicious, thanks fro sharing this article.
Thanks for sharing this article.
It looks yummy!
The batter so very watery….am I missing something?
Hey,
Nice recipe. Thanks for your contributions for us.
I do keep mixture overnight in the fridge. It is the best way for me.
These were AWESOME!! I’ve had such a hard time finding a ‘sugar free’ recipe that I AND the kids like (only have one other – chocolate pecan pralines). I hid the leftovers in the refrigerator praying that my 18 year old doesn’t find them so that I can have another when I get home tonight LOL!!
Thank you so much!
These were terrific! We made them last night. Brownie batter is soupy…but have faith! They baked up perfectly. [I added 1.5 Tbs. coconut flour to help absorb some of the liquid.] EASILY 20 servings (we actually got 24), as they are so rich and dense! We will make these again. =) Thank you, Brenda, for these wonderful FREE recipes!
THANK YOU!
You’re welcome! =) And these are nut-free, as well…unless I missed something. =)
Yep nut free, my youngest has a tree nut and peanut nut allergy so I try to make things he can eat.
About to make for the second time- the first batch hit the sweet spot and then some! Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!
I will try to do them this weekend so my family can enjoy and comment. Maybe give me better share and I’ll have more motivation to make them better. Thank you for sharing the receipt.
AMAZING!!! I wondered about the brownie batter as it wasn’t smooth and was thin. However, coming out of the oven, gorgeous, and eating, gooey and delicious! Bless the person who cut them into 24! I cut them into 9 and could have eaten a bunch at once! I used a mix of Swerve, xylitol, and some stevia because hubby gets the cooling effects from Swerve. You would NEVER know this was sugar free! I’m going to make this over and over and serve to friends!
THANK YOU!
I’m about to make these now. I’m really craving chocolate cake
but do not want the sugar and transfats which usually are included in store bought.
“…blessed the person who cut them into 24” Lol! That was funny. I really hope I feel the same?
Seriously! I cut them into 9 squares ?
Wow. This recipe looks healthy. I will try this out for my kids. I will be back with reviews after trying this.
WHat can I use instead of sour cream?
Greek yogurt or coconut cream.
Made these last night. Followed recipe ingredients exactly. But the cooling effect of the Swerve kept causing my butter and cream cheese to seize up so I was never able to get batter smooth. Also, the texture today when cutting them is almost dry and crumbling – not sure what I did wrong. But the taste is delicious and chocolatey – a slight grainy texture I think must be from the Swerve.
Thanks Brenda for this beautiful cheesecake brownie’s reciepe. I can’t wait to try this weekend. I am sure my kids will love this.
I like this cake very much because it will be my recommendation for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner in my family’s dessert menu
Hello Brenda!
Thanks for sharing it!
It looks yummy!
It looks like too tasty!
Will definitely try it
Thanks to you!
Hi Brenda,
I am n the keto diet, would love to try this recipe it looks amazing
Is there a big difference is this kind of cacao powder https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/301676049?sc_cmp=ppc*GHS+-+Grocery+-+New*PX+%7C+Shopping+GSC+%7C+All+Products*New:+F%26D:+Food+Cupboard:+Food+Cupboard*PRODUCT_GROUP301676049*&gclid=CjwKCAjw-4_mBRBuEiwA5xnFIAktdbzXnbGpXp9RwAeu4dQIfDe0cgnerzVayFhK_-OkVEhA9PuC3xoCkbEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I have already spent a lot on almond flour, coco flour, erythritol I will soon be broke
Thanks
I just made this recipe and it turned out great. I used an 8 x 8 glass baking dish. I missed the part about layering the brownie and the cheesecake. So I had already dumped the brownie mix into the pan and then I just poured the cheesecake on top and swirled it around. I didn’t have swerve on hand but I had another sweetener called Pyure, which is a Stevia and erythritol blend. In the notes it said for other sweeteners to use the equivalent of a half a cup of sugar. In the case of Pyure you would use half the amount. So I used a quarter cup and I would say that it really wasn’t sweet enough. So I would definitely make this again but either use more of the sweetener or add Splenda to the mix. I did not use any liquid Stevia. My daughter said she felt like it should have more cheesecake in it. She really likes cheesecake LOL. So I might try doubling the cheesecake and then pouring it on and see how it goes. I didn’t have any issues with the batter being excessively watery. And it set just fine after 35 minutes of baking. I’ve made other flourless cakes before, not necessarily low-carb or otherwise. You just have to make sure that you bake them long enough and that time can vary depending on the type of pan you’re using. One trick is to put foil just around the edges or even over the whole thing if you notice that the edges are starting to get brown before the center has set.
Thanks agajn for another great recipe, how long would you think this would keep out of the fridge?
Just a day since it has cheesecake in it, should be refrigerated.
This is one of the best Recipe, you have shared online. I will surely give it a try.
Just finished making this I used 2 mini muffin pans making 24 servings. I didn’t have any issues with the batter being too thin. They are DELICIOUS!!
Thanks for sharing, will love to try out this Sugar-Free Cheesecake Brownies soon!
Your website has teach me a lot about low carb and no sugar recipes. Thank god that i found your website. It has helped me unknowingly to manage my sugar levels very cleverly. God bless you dear!
Hi! It’s my husband’s 40th birthday and was recently diagnosed as diabetic from severe pancreatitis. He is requesting these brownies but I don’t have any liquid stevia. Can I leave it out? And if so, do I make any other adjustments to stevia?
You can leave it out but you’re removing sweetness so you need to supplement it another sweetener you like. The swerve alone is not sweet enough but you could swap the Swerve with monk fruit sweetener in the same amount which might be enough sweetness.
If I make these again and I probably will, I’m not putting in the espresso. I feel like it made them a tad bitter.