This is the best keto cheesecake recipe you will try. Even people not on a low carb or keto diet love this unbelievably creamy cheesecake!
Five ingredient keto cheesecake
I’ve gotten so many requests in the past few months to come up with an easy homemade keto cheesecake recipe.
And this one is so deliciously smooth and creamy, no one would ever believe it could possibly be low carb.
But don’t just take my word for it.
This recipe currently holds over 3,000 positive reviews, from readers who have tried and love the keto cheesecake!
And the sugar free dessert is quick to whip up at home. It also includes a no bake option for those who do not wish to heat up the oven.
Also try this Keto Mug Cake Recipe
New York style low carb cheesecake
This keto cheesecake can absolutely hold its own against any traditional cheesecake.
Eat it plain, or topped with strawberries or a scoop of Keto Ice Cream.
To test the final recipe and make sure it received the seal of approval even from people not on any special diet whatsoever, I sought out the toughest audience.
This included friends who are not vegan, gluten free, or keto, and who do not normally eat healthy desserts in general.
They all LOVED the cheesecake, so you know it must be really good!
Their verdict was that if they had not known the secret ahead of time, they never would have guessed it wasn’t just like any other recipe made with traditional ingredients.
You may also like these fluffy Keto Pancakes
Sugar free cheesecake ingredients
The recipe calls for cream cheese, yogurt, pure vanilla extract, sweetener of choice, almond flour or almond meal, and optional lemon juice.
Be sure to use full fat cream cheese. For vegan keto cheesecake, choose a plant based cream cheese. I have not tried substituting low fat light cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese so cannot personally recommend those.
Regular, dairy free, or Greek yogurt all work. If using vanilla yogurt, omit the vanilla extract in the recipe. You can also experiment with flavored yogurts such as strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, or peach!
Pro tip: Many yogurts are surprisingly high in carbs. If you are counting carbohydrates and want this cheesecake to truly be keto, seek out a low carb yogurt. My favorite is Kite Hill Greek yogurt, which is dairy free and high protein.
Pretty much any all purpose sweetener is fine, including erythritol or xylitol for a sugar free dessert.
Regular sugar, pure maple syrup, and coconut sugar also all work in the recipe. It will not be ketogenic but will still have much less sugar and fewer calories than traditional cheesecakes, while tasting just as delicious.
Use leftover almond flour in this Almond Flour Banana Bread
Keto cheesecake recipe video
Above, watch the step by step video
Keto crust options
Since most cheesecakes are already flourless, modifying the recipe to be keto friendly doesn’t require many adjustments at all.
I started with my favorite go to cheesecake and simply changed three things: the thickener, the sweetener, and the crust.
This homemade keto cheesecake crust calls for almond flour as the base. If you do not have any on hand or want a flourless option, simply pulse raw almonds or pecans in a food processor until they turn to a flour consistency.
Or you can use a different crust recipe or even make the cheesecake crustless if you prefer, and each slice will have just 200 calories and under 2 grams of net carbs.
Trending now: Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
How to make keto cheesecake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and line the bottom of an eight or nine inch springform pan with parchment paper. Prepare your crust, if using.
Fill any baking pan about halfway with water. Place it on the oven’s lower rack.
Bring the cream cheese to room temperature so it will be easy to blend. Add all cheesecake ingredients to a blender or food processor, and blend just until smooth.
Spread this cheesecake filling over the prepared crust. Place the pan on your oven’s center rack. Bake 30 minutes for a nine inch pan or 38 minutes for an eight inch pan.
Keeping the oven door closed, turn off the heat and let the cheese pie sit in the oven for an additional five minutes. Then remove it from the oven and cool the under baked cake on the counter for around twenty minutes.
Refrigerate overnight, uncovered or very loosely covered with paper towels so that moisture can escape. It will firm up considerably during this time.
Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for three to for days. Or slice and freeze in an airtight container for up to three months.
Baking tips for the best keto cheesecake
The most important thing with cheesecakes is to not overbeat the batter, which could introduce air bubbles that might burst in the oven and cause cracking.
Likewise, letting the cheesecake cool gradually prevents any sudden temperature changes that could also cause the cake to crack.
No water bath is required, but I do like to put a baking pan with water underneath the cheesecake as it cooks, which adds moisture to the oven and acts as a further buffer against the infamous cheesecake cracking.
If you want to skip the pan of water, or if your cheesecake does end up cracking for any reason, all is not lost: You can easily hide the cracks with a layer of fresh berries, whipped cream, or perhaps even some Homemade Nutella.
When you take the pie out of the oven, it should still look underdone and jiggly in the center. The cheesecake will continue to firm up considerably as it cools and extra moisture evaporates. By the next day, you will have a rich and decadent, perfectly textured keto cheesecake.
It tastes so much better than anything you’ve ever eaten from Cheesecake Factory.
If you want a no bake dessert
For a no bake cheesecake, simply replace half a cup of the yogurt in the recipe below with softened coconut butter or coconut oil.
Instead of baking the keto dessert, just chill the unbaked cheesecake until firm. Then slice and enjoy. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
I hope you love this cheesecake as much as we all do!
The recipe was adapted from this Vegan Cheesecake Recipe.
Keto Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 oz cream cheese (or vegan cream cheese)
- 2 cups yogurt
- 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
- 2/3 cup erythritol (sugar or maple syrup also work for non-keto)
- 1/4 cup almond flour
Instructions
- Feel free to use a store-bought crust or make it crustless. Here's the crust I used: 2 cups almond or pecan flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 4-6 tbsp melted coconut oil OR enough water to make it slightly sticky. Combine all ingredients, pour into a lined 8 or 9-inch springform pan, press down evenly. Set aside while making the filling.To make a keto cheesecake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Fill any baking pan about halfway up with water, and place it on the oven’s lower rack. Bring cream cheese to room temperature, then beat all ingredients in a blender or food processor just until smooth (overbeating can cause cracking as it bakes). I do usually include the lemon for a classic cheesecake flavor, but it will still work if you don’t have any on hand and need to leave it out. Spread filling on top of prepared crust. Place on the middle rack (above the rack with the water pan). Bake 30 minutes (or 38 minutes if using an 8-inch pan), and do not open the oven at all during this time. Once time is up, still do not open the oven, but turn off the heat and let the cheesecake sit in the oven an additional 5 minutes. Then remove from the oven—it will still look underdone. Let cool on the counter 20 minutes, then refrigerate overnight, during which time it will firm up considerably. As I mention in the post, the cooling times are important so the cake cools gradually and thus does not crack. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator 3-4 days, or slice and freeze if desired. If you make it, be sure to leave a review or rate it below!View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Keto Desserts
Keto Cake – Chocolate or Vanilla
Mine is in the oven 🙂
I saw the recipe this morning and put cream cheese on the list immediately! I have a friend’s birthday party to attend next week and some of the ladies are doing keto or low carb, so this will be a wonderful surprise. I am testing it out for myself first this week, but if it’s as good as the batter was (yes I took a few tastes) my friends are going to love me!
Did you use plain flavored coconut milk yogurt?
we used the vanilla coconut milk yogurt and it turned out great…
Hi katie, what can I use instead of the coconut yogurt? Very hard to find where I live!
Thanks a million 🙂
You can use any yogurt 🙂
I am using the 2 Good vanilla yogurt, if you’re doing keto it’s just 3g carbs.
I used strawberry chobani ZERO SUGAR (3) individual yogurts… has a slight hint of strawberry trying to figure out how to make it a little more strawberry may use fresh or frozen strawberries heat them in a sauce pan and then blend them to a purée and add them….
You may want to try freeze dried strawberries. I buy a pack at Walmart and put in my mini food processor to make them powder. You can then add to whatever you’re making. Nice flavor without changing consistency.
I brought this keto cheesecake to a party last night and IT WAS SO GOOD! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m a teacher and one of the teachers I work with is following a keto diet. I wanted to make her something for her birthday because we always celebrate with a lunch potluck on birthdays, but I am clueless about keto baking.
This came up when I searched for keto cheesecake, and it turned out so perfectly (even for a keto clueless person like me) that we all kept forgetting at the lunch that it wasn’t regular cheesecake!
This was the first recipe I’ve tried from your blog, but based on its success I will be trying many more. Thank you again.
Did your crust brown? Mine did not at all. Followed instructions completely.
Hi Nia, if you use blanched almond flour then it will be light in color. Unblanched almond flour will make a darker crust. Both will taste pretty similar though! 🙂
Does the crust need to be baked separately if choosing the no-bake option?
Nope! It can either be baked or no bake too because coconut oil solidifies when chilled, so all you have to do is refrigerate it 🙂
This recipe is exactly what I was looking for. I usually am turned off from baked cheesecakes but this was really simple to throw together and my goodness was it delicious!
I browned mine a little while mixing my filling.
I made this, love the flavor, have a few suggestions.
Add 2 packets Truvia to crust (regular cheescake crusts are sweeter). I also would brown the crust slightly and let it cool.
For the filling: pre-whip the cream cheese to avoid lumps when adding the yogurt and other liquids; the 2 cup portion of yogurt is about 2 tblsp over 3 five-ounce cartons – could live without the 4th carton; add 1/8 tsp xanthan gum for better thickening.
This sounds like an awesome tip for thickening. I am going to make it on Tuesday next week. At which point did you add the Xanthan gum please?
Great tips!
Do you cover it while it’s chilling overnight?
Hi, you can cover it very loosely (such as with paper towels) so dust doesn’t get on it but so there is still space for moisture to escape.
@Debi Great suggestions!
Hi, this looks delicious and I want to make it, but I saw in the recipe ingredient list at the end “1/4 cup 1/4 cups Almond flour.
I am wondering…..?
Thank you for clearing this up for me!
Ingrid
Hi sorry about that! It’s a typo – should just be “1/4 cup almond flour.” Fixed now 🙂
I believe there is a mix up in the almomd flour recipe portion. Am I only suppose to use 1/4 cup of almond flour for the crust? I read 3 cups in the ( ) part of instructions which I’m assuming was 3 cups of almonds to put in a food processor to make 1/4 cup of crushed almonds. This was the only I mixed up on and ended up with almost 1/4 inch crust in my 8″ spring form pan ?
Hi! It is 3 cups in the crust because the crust goes up the sides. Did you press the crust up the sides of the pan or just put it all at the bottom? Sorry for the confusion!
Jason
In the picture above it didn’t show where it went up the side so maybe that’s where I got confused and didn’t even put the almond flour in the filling and it still turned out great. What does the almond flour do for the filling?
Oh interesting! It’s supposed to act as a thickener (instead of the cornstarch in Katie’s original cheesecake recipe) and bind ingredients. But so cool to know it’s not even needed!
3 cups of almond flour in crust? The instructions say two cups. Also can you use a KitchenAid mixer instead of a blender or food processor?
Hi Jason the Recipe instructions for the crust still says 2 cups. Which is it 2 or 3 cups of almond flour.
I see you mean 3 cups. I’ll just change the amount to 3 cups.
I had the same issue. I didn’t quite understand the instruction hence I used the 1/4 cup of almond flour as the crust and didn’t add any into the filling. I hope it can be clarified that the ingredients listed are for the filling only as clearly I am not the only one who got confused. Anyway I used monk sweetener but actually didn’t make the adjustment so I have a pre-tty sweet filling. Still yummy though. Next time I know what to do. ?
I did the same thing! Used 1/4 cup almond flour for a THIN crust and didn’t add it to the mixture… oops! I’ll know better for next time!
I think that part of the mix-up is that the title says: Only 5 ingredients. But with almond flour, it’s 6 ingredients. Guess they need to fix that.
I used 2 cups almond flour for the crust and more coconut oil than the instructions specified. But was confused about the 1/4 c almond flour (I read in Jason’s comments it’s for the filling) so I omitted the 1/4 cup and it wasn’t urned out really good. My crust was really light colored but It was delicious.
Love it, but I seem to have made a lot of it! Can you freeze it?
Yes!
Can I use regular flour instead of almond flour if I don’t care about the keto thing?
I haven’t tried it with regular flour. I’d think it would work but don’t want to assume. You can definitely use 4 tsp cornstarch though instead of almond flour, as I’ve done that numerous times.
Thanks, I have some cornstarch!
Cornstarch will add lots of carbs. I was surprised when I looked up the carbs in cornstarch!
How many cups of almond flour does it take for the crust? It says two cups in the instructions but I saw someone said three. And can you use a KitchenAid mixer instead of a food processor or blender? I am planning on using swerve as my sweetener. Would it be the same amount? Do you think powdered would be better than granular? Thank you for the help! I’m making it for Thanksgiving!
It’s 2 cups in the crust, plus 1/4 cup in the actual cheesecake itself. You probably can use a stand mixer, just be sure not to whip it too much so you don’t put too much air into it. Swerve is fine!
Jason
I wanted to make this just for me, so I bought a 6″ springform pan and did a half recipe. It’s in the oven, but I’m not sure on the time. I set the timer for 30 minutes.🤞🏻 I also licked the bowl, yum!
You would use graham crackers, sugar and butter for traditional cheesecake crust.
Actually, traditional N.Y. cheesecake crust is flour, sugar and butter for a shortcake crust.
I think you mean a shortBREAD crust. (Shortcake would be like a biscuit.) ShortBREAD would be like a Pecan Sandie.
The recipe says erythitol but theblonk goes to a confectioners version. Are using granulated or powdered version?
Either will work! Most sweeteners work here, and while we haven’t tried every one, we have tried both granulated and powdered sweeteners (as well as erythritol and regular sugar). Liquid sweeteners work too.
Jason
I have liquid stevia. I wonder how much of that to use?
Seconding the request for equivalent liquid sweetener—stevia and monk fruit are my two preferred options.
I’d say just use whatever it says on the package is the equivalent to 2/3 cup sugar in sweetness 🙂
This is insanely delicious! I made one modification that, in my opinion, takes this recipe to the next level for me. I use melted butter instead of melted coconut oil. I didn’t love the slight coconut taste of the crust, but prefer a buttery flavor. AMAZING!
What’s the nutritional values
Full nutrition facts are linked right under the ingredients and instructions 🙂
She provides nutrition facts for all her recipes.
Hi! I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I’ve read the blog post and the recipe numerous times and I cannot seem to find the ingredients or directions for the base?? I’d love to make this for a friends birthday on Saturday, could you please help me! Sorry, I’m sure it’s a daft question, and I’ve just missed it! But want to do it right! Thanks in advance!
If I don’t was to use any sweetener..would that be ok?
It sounds like it would be a savory cheesecake? Certainly I think it would still be fine, texture-wise. I just don’t know about the taste! If you try, be sure to report back for the rest of us!
I tried both swerve confection sugar and erythritol. Both work great. I made this for my son for christmas and used peppermint flavor in the cream misture. This was so easy!!
Would you have a suggestion of how many Stevia packets to use? Also, do you have a chocolate cheesecake version I can use? Thanks
I have a sugar free caramel flavored sweetener I’d like to use. How much would I add??? Instead of the 2/3 of powdered sweetener??
How about NO sweetener? I don’t use sugar or artificial sweetener, so I’m planning to make this without. The dairy should make it plenty sweet. Has anyone omitted sweetener, how’d it turn out?
Love this. Thanks for the great idea. Mine is in the oven now.
I made it last night and tried the first slice now and WOW. This is the first keto dessert I’ve made where I don’t taste a difference between a keto and regular version. I’ve tried almond flour cookies that were grainy, keto brownies from another blog that went straight to the bin, and a packaged low carb cookie that made me want to cry. But this keto cheesecake gave me hope. You will never understand how much happiness you have just brought me by creating this delightful recipe.
I can’t wait to try it! Any chance you could include instant pot instructions for this? I’ve been looking for a clean recipe to try in my IP and this looks perfect.
An insta pot is one cooking machine Katie doesn’t have, but maybe she needs one!
Jason (media relations)
If Katie gets an instant pot, I will be ecstatic! I ordered a food processor just because of her. She uses it in so many recipes.
Made this last night for a treat for my family today. It turned out tasting great and we added a little pureed strawberries on top. My only problem is it came out a little runny. I’m not sure what exactly I did wrong but I’m guessing I didn’t mix it enough because I was terrified of over mixing.
Hmm, how runny? Was it cut-able? What type of cream cheese, almond flour, and sweetener did you use? I love the idea to use pureed strawberries on top!
Jason
Mine came out pretty runny in the middle. I think I should have cooked it longer.
Hi Robin! Did you let it sit overnight? It should be very soft when you take it out of the oven, but it firms up overnight in the fridge to the perfect cheesecake texture.
I have a bunch of friends who are obsessed with cheesecake! Love that this cheesecake recipe is super easy and simple. I think I’d be obsessed with the pie crust recipe as well!
Hi, I would like to try the no bake version. How many cups/ gram should I replace the yogurt with coconut oil?
Thanks in advance.
Equal amount, so half cup 🙂
The recipe calls for 2 cups of yogurt so how does this equal to half cup of coconut oil?
Sorry to be confusing – the no bake option in the recipe states that you replace 1/2 cup of the yogurt with 1/2 cup of coconut oil. You still also add the rest of the yogurt.
Jason
not baking it, did you have to use anything to make the cake slide out of the pan easily? or will the coconut oil aid in that?
As long as you use a springform, it’s fine as-is 🙂
I’m going to try this together with the recipe for the vegan cream cheese. That recipe only yields 1 cup cream cheese, and the cake recipe needs 24oz… how many times do I have to double the cream cheese recipe to make enough for the cheesecake recipe? 24oz seems like a lot, but not sure how many 0z the cream cheese recipe yields?
8oz is equal to 1 cup, so three 🙂
Someone brought this to a birthday party I attended and everyone loved it. I asked for the recipe and am planning to make it this weekend. The one at the party was the keto version (and no one knew) but I’ll just use regular sugar and am sure it will be just as good. I hadn’t seen your blog before but have spent the morning bookmarking recipes to try!
Could this recipe be cut in half and made in a pie plate. I am thinking of making it for Easter but I know only a few will eat it and don’t wants lots of leftovers!
Yes! You can also make bars: https://lett-trim.today/2016/05/16/cheesecake-bars-vegan-chocolate-chip/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Just curious how you came up with 1.5 net carbs. I’ve built this recipe 3 times in my Carb Manager app, and every time it comes back as 6 net carbs per serving (12 servings total).
Net carbs are just carbs minus fiber, so 4 minus 2.5 in this case 🙂
This is what I got also.
I also have it at 350 cals and 30 fat!
Hi David, I saw your other comment on this post that said you added two eggs and a coconut flour crust. That would definitely change the calories for yours.
I’ve made this four times now and sometimes the outer edge of the cheesecake is kind of grainy. Sometimes it’s all perfect. What am I doing wrong?
Almond flour is grainy. Do a thicker crust (pushing most in the edges instead of the exposed sides. Be sure the crust is low enough to be covered by the filling during baking. This should give you a great cookie crust like mine was without the burnt edges.
Very good! I dont think it needed the crust. Thank you for sharing, delicious!!!
I wish I could try this recipe but I am highly sensitive to yogurt of any kind. Any suggestions for a substitution?
Coconut cream! It’s still keto friendly and works just as well. If not keto, mashed banana will also work. Or pumpkin or mashed sweet potato (like here: https://lett-trim.today/2015/09/14/pumpkin-cheesecake-bars/%3C/a%3E%29. If you try any of these, be sure to report back!
Jason
I used sour cream instead, as I needed to use it up. Came out fabulous!!!