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This Easy Sugar-Free Low Carb Cheesecake is Thick, Creamy and Satisfying! Keto, Crustless, Grain Free and Gluten Free!
You really can’t beat a thick, dense, creamy cheesecake. The thicker, the better in my opinion. I don’t want a fluffy and light texture when it comes to cheesecake. Mousse is another story but for cheesecake, it’s got to be dense.
When you finish eating your slice you are s.a.t.i.s.f.i.e.d. in all the right ways.
This keto cheesecake will not disappoint you. If in the past you’ve made other sugar free, low carb cheesecakes and felt they were just ok, you will never need another cheesecake recipe after trying this one. I promise you.
I’ve got a Peanut Butter Cheesecake and a Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse pie recipe and thought about making this one a different flavor, but decided the basic is by far the best. You can totally change it up by adding sugar free chia jam or different extracts in the mixture.
In my process of testing this recipe using different amounts of ingredients to get the texture I was seeking, even the first attempts were devoured by my family. They weren’t as good as this one, but they weren’t complaining. 🙂
Brenda’s Notes:
- You can certainly swap out the sweeteners I used with whatever sweetener you prefer. I combine Swerve and stevia in my recipes because they balance each other out well. Swerve can tend to have a cooling effect so I just use a small amount and some people say stevia is bitter, but the vanilla stevia is really not bitter, it’s the best choice here.
- Feel free to use at least 1/2 cup of sweetener of choice if you like just a small amount of sweetness for your desserts. Use up to a full cup if you want to have a sweeter cheesecake.
- The key to not getting the cheesecake to crack is allowing it to sit in the oven in step number 5, don’t be tempted to open the door, just be patient.
- I decided to skip the crust, but you can certainly use this Crust recipe if you prefer.
ENJOY!
Update 4/2018: I made this recipe for company and by accident I added 1 cup of sour cream instead of using 1/2 cup as in my original recipe. It came out even better and thicker and creamier and I just had to adjust the recipe because of it. It didn’t change the carb count at all. It only changed the calories from 363 per serving to what you now see below. Also the slices are LARGE! You may not even be able to finish one piece. The original recipe was for 8 servings but it really is too much so I changed the amount to 12 servings. If you decide that is too small and want 8 servings your calories will be 380 and your carbs will be 4grams as opposed to what you see below.
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Low Carb Keto Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 24 ounces cream cheese 3 (8 oz.) packages, softened
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla liquid stevia
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup Swerve confectioner's sweetener
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
-
Combine all ingredients into a stand mixer or use an electric hand mixer until you have no clumps and a smooth texture.
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Grease an 8 inch spring form pan and pour the batter into the pan. Even off the top then wrap the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil.
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Place the spring form pan into a large roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with hot water, until half way up the sides of the spring form pan.
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Bake for 45 minutes. Turn off oven, do not open oven door. Let the cheesecake stay in the oven for 1 hour.
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Remove cheesecake from the oven, remove aluminum foil and cover cheesecake with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight.
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Top with sugar free whipped cream and sugar free maple syrup if desired!
I ran the numbers on the nutrition facts and I got 68 calories per slice and 3.5 carbs. That was using Neufatchel cream cheese and Low fat sour cream. Would it turn out okay with the low-far alternatives?
It would work fine to swap those but won’t be as thick and creamy.
Watching Dr. Berg on YouTube, he suggests that low fat options of foods tend to have a greater insulin response than the regular fat version. It’s worth giving a look!
Would powder Stevie work in place of swerve
Stevia
I’m sorry I don’t use powdered stevia that measures cup for cup like sugar.
I made this yesterday and it is awesome. I froze half and am eating the other half all by myself!!! Thanks for a great recipe.
How long would this last in the fridge?
At least a week.
Can this cheesecake be cooked in an instant pot?
Could I add the contents of 1 vanilla bean to this recipe? My husband’s favorite is Vanilla Bean Cheesecake (think Cheesecake Factory!) and I’d love to surprise him with a LC version. Thanks! Love your recipes….
Absolutely….no dessert suffers from vanilla bean! 😉
U said bake for 45 minutes, then turn off , don’t open oven. Let cake stay in oven 1 hour. Is that 1 hr total so it is 15 minutes after u turn it off or sit in oven 1 hour after u turn it off?
I am curious of this as well….. I think it’s supposed to bake for 45 minutes and then remain in oven for one hour with it off, and do not open the door, this prevents cracking..
Bake for 45 minutes then shut the oven off and do not open the door. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hr. So it’s a total of 45 minutes baking time and 1 hour more in the oven with oven being turned off. Prevents cracking.
????
You’ll cut the carbs WAY back by sticking with just erythritol, and ditching the Swerve, which is loaded with carbs due to the oligosaccharides. It won’t matter if you’re not diabetic, but since I am, I’d need a big dose of insulin to cover the sugars they add to Swerve. That’ll also knock you out of your ketosis with that much oligosaccharides.
We’re cooking it right now–I’m excited to try it!
Swerve IS erythritol and many diabetics use it without issue. It does not and has not knocked me out of ketosis.
I don’t have Vanilla Stevia – can this be left out?
It can be but you’ll need to replace with another sweetener at least 3/4 cup in sweetness.
What about using Truvia as the sweetener?
You can choose to use any sweetener you prefer.
Hi, I’m Not able to find the swerve confectioners sugar here where I’m at. What would you suggest as a replacement. Thanks
Any sweetener will work, what do you have available?
I used a granular sweetener but put it in my nutribullet to powder it.
Hello! My store only carries the granulated Swerve. Would this work? Or would it make it too grainy?
I believe you could put the granulated Swerve into a food processor or blender perhaps and grind it to make it finer in texture.
Would this still work if I only used 2 8 oz. blocks of cream cheese and 1 cup of sour cream? I want to make it now and don’t feel like running to the store for 1 block of cream cheese. 🙂 Thanks!
I think it would be fine or maybe just reduce sour cream by 1/2 cup, you won’t get the height but the taste will still be good.
Instead of sour cream, could you use lowfat plain greek yogurt? It has far more protein, and ultimately tastes the same.
I cannot wait to try this!!! In step 5, after it bakes for 45 min, I am supposed to leave it in the oven for another full hour, correct?
yes
I would like to make these into cupcakes and freeze them. How long would you suggest I cook them before turning off the oven and leaving them there for an hour?
Thank you in advance, I am excited to try this recipe!
I haven’t made them into cupcake form but I do think you’ll need to reduce the cooking time by half, they won’t need as long as a whole cake.
Where did the 2g of sugar come from?
There are natural sugars in sour cream and cream cheese.
I’ve torn my pantry apart looking for my 8″ spring for my pan, but the smallest one I have is 9″. How should I adjust the recipe for a 9″ pan? 25% more of everything? Baking time? Thanks
Yes definitely up the amounts by 25%.
I made it and increased by about 25% and it came out beautiful. The only issue I have is there is a “metal” taste. I’m wondering if that’s from my springform pan? Maybe next time I’ll line my pan with parchment. It’s got to be the metal of the springform pan leaching into the cheesecake. It was in the pan for 24 hrs. I’ll definitely make this again though! Great recipe!
mine is in the oven now. When do I take it out of the soring form pan? After it comes out of fridge? We are supposed to be bringing
it to a friends house but I dont have time to refrigerate it. Thibk
I could put it on ice in a cooler while we travel?
It definitely needs to be refrigerated so hopefully you put it on ice and I wouldn’t remove from the spring form pan until it has been chilled for at least 3 hours.
Hi, i love this recipe! My boss wanted me to do the peanut butter cheesecake version but I thought it sounded more complicated. So Instead I used this recipe and added “TRU NUT” powdered peanut butter to the batter (to taste). Then added the sugar free peanut butter cup (crumble) to the top. Just thought I would share cause it was super easy and came out great!
You cover the bottom of the pan with foil or you put foil over the top when cooking? What does putting on the bottom do? Asking just cause i want to know if there’s a special reason for it ?
I covered all around the outside bottom of the pan so water doesn’t seep into the crust.
Is liquid stevia the same as extract?
no the pure extract is powdered and much stronger, you won’t use the same amount.
Just tried this recipe as a base, I was looking for a pumpkin cheesecake recipe, I could not find one I liked. So, I used this as a guide and exchanged the sour cream for a can of pumpkin and added pumpkin pie spice (home made) it filled 20 silicone cupcake cups. Baked in water bath for 26 min let cool in the oven as written for 45 min. The are wonderful and I plan to take them to work to celebrate National Dessert Day. The macros fit in my Keto lifestyle, 4g carbs 1g fiber 13g fat 4g protein, 142 net calories, 1 Glycemic Load
Would I be able to swal one of the cream cheeses with a tub of mascarpone?
Sure great idea!
I dont have a roasting pan. I do have a spring pan. Please help ASAP.
You just need a large pan big enough to hold your cheesecake in to allow it to have water around it about half up the sides, this will help it cook evenly and reduce cracking.
This recipe sounds delicious, but I will be making it in a 9″ springform pan since I don’t have a smaller size. I read in the comments above that I should increase everything by 25%, but what about the eggs? I also do not have vanilla liquid stevia and prefer to just use all swerve. How much swerve confectioners sweetener should I add? Thanks!
I would say add an extra egg and yolk and increase Swerve to 3/4 cup.
Can this be made in an instant pot? If so what would you suggest for the cooking time?
Sorry it could be I’m sure, but without having tried it myself I can’t really say how long.
How can i cook this with a graham cracker crust do i put graham cracker crumbs in the. Spring form pan then pour in the mixture and cover the pan with foil to prevent moisture?
The texture of this cheesecake looks incredible!! Love that topping too, it makes it fun and so pretty!
Can I use Monkfruit instead of the other sweeteners. How would I measure it, the same amount?
Thank
You
I’m planning on making this cheesecake today for a friend with Gestational Diabetes. I ordered Swerve from Amazon but for some reason they haven’t shipped it yet even though I ordered it at the beginning of the week, and I can’t find it locally ? How much more vanilla stevia could I use to substitute, or I have powdered sucralose, can I substitute that? I’m not sure how to compare these sweeteners so that I get the right proportions. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
I think you would need to use at least 1-2 teaspoons of stevia if you don’t have the swerve. Try adding just 1 teaspoon before adding eggs so you can taste the level of sweetness. Add more if needed then add eggs and continue. Hope that helps!
Hi,
I don’t like the taste of swerve wondering….
Can I use Monkfruit instead of the other sweeteners. How would I measure it, the same amount?
Thank
You
I only have a 7” springform pan—-should I DECREASE everything by 25%? (I saw to increase it by that much for a 9” pan!) Will the size of the pan affect the cooking time?Also, if I choose to make cupcakes instead, do you still do the water bath? I’m assuming you just do water to under the edge of the cupcakes. (Dumb questions, but I’ve never baked using a water bath before!) Thanks!
I don’t think you need to decrease the amount of everything for the 7 inch. Yours will just be higher than mine which you might like. yes still use a water bath and only go half way up the cups with water.
I followed the directions to a tee. Or did I? When I removed the cheesecake from the aluminum foil, water was dripping from the bottom of the springform pan and there was quite a bit of water inside the aluminum foil. 🙁 I hope I didn’t ruin it. It smelled great while baking and it looks beautiful (it’s sitting in the fridge right now). But I could also smell somewhat of a metallic smell when I removed it from the water/aluminum foil. I didn’t find a breach in the foil so not sure what went down. The foil wasn’t real tight around the pan…could condensation have caused the issue?
Possibly condensation or the foil wasn’t wrapped tightly enough, but once it sets in the fridge if should be fine.
don’t want to spend the money for a spring form pan. could I use a cake pan?
Oh sure a regular cake pan will work just might be a bit harder to get the pieces out.
I followed the directions but it came out real eggy. It had the consistency of a light quiche. It also was not sweet enough. Did I mix it too long?
This recipe sounds delicious. Can’t wait to try it. Unfortunately, I always seem to have a question or two.
1. Under the nutritional breakdown portion you stated one piece was 253 calories using one cup of sour cream. Yet in another part there was an update from you on 4/18 stating that it should be 363 calories. So is it 253 or 363 using one cup of sour cream and is there also an increase in fat grams with the increased sour cream?
2. I read that others either had the wrong size pan or didn’t have a 9 inch spring pan. You mentioned that either a different size spring pan or regular pie pan could be used. Just wondering if a glass pie pan can also be used or a larger or smaller spring pan without changing the recipe?
The recipe nutrition info is correct as stated in the recipe card. The update I made said I accidentally used the 1 cup of sour cream and adjusted the nutrition info accordingly, BUT I also changed serving size to 12 instead of 8 from what I originally had. Yes a smaller spring pan can be used. If you’re referring to a glass pie dish? yes that would work, might be difficult to remove.
Just curious has anyone made this recipe and omitted or forgot to include the lemon juice. If so how did it come out.
I didn’t have lemons, so I used a 1/4 tsp of lemon extract. Everyone loved it.
I just had my first slice. It’s so good! I think that I may have it for breakfast tomorrow. If I wanted to make this as cupcakes, what would the cook time be? Thanks
What would my measurements bc if I strictly used trivia vs the swerve abs stevia combo?
I would guess at least a cup of Truvia.
To Nicki comment dated July 2018
Would love to try this recipe using powered peanut butter. How much did you add and has anyone else tried different variations? If so please share your comments and include amounts.
Many Thanks
So good I can’t believe there’s no sugar in it!! I used xylitol.
Brenda,
Do you use the sweetleaf vanilla creme or just the plain sweetleaf vanilla? I really want to make this, please let me know. Also will medium eggs work? Also what type of salt? table? kosher?
I use large eggs, but medium might work too. I use sea salt, either stevia is fine.
I made this for my daughter’s birthday celebration as most of the family must watch our sugar intake. I used an 8 in square glass baking dish greased and lined with parchment. I followed the recipe as written, but I noticed when the 45 minute baking time was done, it didn’t look like it had risen very much, but during the 1 hour in the closed oven, it rose quite a bit. I’ve never made a real cheesecake like this before and wonder if that was normal for it to raise during the hour with oven turned off? Can’t wait to taste it, but it smelled divine while baking. I will let you know what the family thinks. A lot of prayer went into this, too. I put it in the oven and said “well, LORD, the rest is in your hands!” LOL!!
Hey!
Really want to try this recipe but I’m cooking it for someone whos rather picky. I cannot use any natural sugars like honey, agave or maple syrup (because my dad has gout) and he does NOT want me to use sweetners of any kind, so I’m not sure how it will alter the ratios, do you have any ideas/ suggestions?
I made this recipe and carefully followed the directions. The cheesecake was beautiful, but it was very salty?
Could it be the sugar? I don’t know what I did wrong.
Help
I’m not sure as there is no other salt added except the 1/4 tsp, maybe you added more by accident?
This is the easiest and most delicious recipe. The only things I do differently is I use a half cup instead of a full cup if sour cream. And I add more vanilla because I always add more vanilla. ?