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This keto cheesecake recipe is smooth, rich, creamy, and made with just 6 ingredients! I love that this dessert takes less than an hour all up.
Love keto desserts? Try my keto brownies, keto chocolate mousse, keto peanut butter cookies, and keto ice cream.
It may surprise you, but cheesecakes are one of the easiest desserts to “keto-fy”. A classic cheesecake uses many keto-friendly ingredients, like eggs, cream cheese, and/or heavy cream. With just a few minor tweaks, my keto cheesecake recipe looks and tastes like the real thing!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- It needs just 6 ingredients total, and that is including the crust.
- It’s made using simple and affordable ingredients. No hard-to-find flours, sweeteners, or additions are needed!
- The cheesecake is so smooth, rich, and creamy that even those who don’t follow a keto diet will be obsessed.
- It takes less than an hour to bake, which is nothing compared to other cheesecakes out there.
Ingredients needed
Crust
- Keto cookies- While for most keto pies and cheesecake recipes we use a keto graham cracker crust, we found this cheesecake worked better using crushed peanut butter cookies. If you have a peanut allergy, this works just as well with crushed almond butter cookies.
- Butter- unsalted butter measured in its melted state.
Filling
- Cream cheese- Softened and at room temperature. Also, try to use cream cheese that comes from a block instead of a tub. It contains very few additives (if any) and yields a much creamier dessert.
- Sour cream- Like the cream cheese, your sour cream should be at room temperature.
- Superfine sugar substitute- Also known as caster sugar. Superfine sugar has the consistency between standard sugar and powdered sugar, and you can easily make it yourself. Simply blend allulose until it has a finer texture.
- Eggs- Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract- A classic vanilla cheesecake should ALWAYS have a hint of vanilla.
How to make a keto cheesecake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the crust. Add your cookies to a food processor and break them down until a fine consistency remains. Place the crushed cookies into a bowl and mix through the melted butter. Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch spring-form cake pan and refrigerate it.
Step 2- Make the cheesecake filling. Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar substitute into a high-speed blender and pulse until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla, and blend once more until combined.
Step 3- Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the cheesecake has set in the middle. Let the cheesecake cool completely before refrigerating it for at least four hours to firm up beautifully.
What to serve with this dessert?
Take your cheesecake up a notch by serving it with some keto ice cream, keto whipped cream, a drizzle of sugar free chocolate syrup or a light dusting of keto powdered sugar.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Avoid overbaking the cheesecake, as it continues to cook as it cools. Once it is mostly set in the middle, you can be confident it will be fully cooked once it has cooled.
- Cooling your cheesecake in the still-warm oven helps it firm up even better than when left at room temperature. Be sure to keep the oven door slightly ajar. Otherwise, you will be left with a dense dessert!
- Do not refrigerate the cheesecake until it has cooled completely. This will avoid any potential cracks on the top.
Storage instructions
To store: Low carb cheesecake should always be stored in the refrigerator, covered. It will keep well for at least one week.
To freeze: Place leftover slices of the cheesecake in a shallow container and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. Be sure to thaw it completely before enjoying it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Full-fat cream cheeses, including the Philadelphia brand, are all suitable for a low-carb diet. They are high in fat and protein, with very few carbs. Avoid using reduced-fat or fat-free cream cheese, as the fat is replaced with extra carbs.
Monk fruit sweetener and allulose are fantastic keto sweeteners that can replace sugar in cheesecakes. If you are making a flavored cheesecake, using a brown sugar substitute intensifies the flavor.
Each slice of cheesecake in this recipe has just 3 grams of net carbs.
If you make this cheesecake without the cookie crust, there are just 1.5 grams of net carbs per slice.
More easy keto dessert recipes
Keto Cheesecake
Video
Ingredients
For the crust
- 2 1/2 cups keto cookie crumbs * See notes
- 5/8 cup butter melted
For the cheesecake filling
- 2 cups cream cheese softened and room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups sour cream room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup superfine sugar substitute I used erythritol ** See notes
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C/325F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper or tin foil and set aside.
- In a high speed blender, add your keto peanut butter cookies and blend until a fine consistency. Measure out 2 1/2 cups and place it into a mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and mix together until combined.
- Transfer the cookie crust into the lined springform pan and use the back of a spoon to spread around the edges. Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.
- In a high speed blender or food processor, add the cream cheese, sour cream, and superfine sugar substitute and blend until combined. Add the eggs, then the vanilla extract, and blend once more until fully incorporated.
- Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and add the cheesecake filling to it. Place the cheesecake in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the middle is mostly set.
- Turn off the oven and open the oven door slightly. Allow the cheesecake to cool in it completely, before refrigerating for at least four hours, to firm up.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published September 2021, updated and republished April 2024.
Where could I find keto crumbs?
Really good. This recipe is a keeper.
Awesome cheesecake loved it!
Curiosity question: has anyone ever inquired about making a Crustless Keto Cheesecake? I make a Crustless Pumpkin pie w/ out encountering any adverse issues. Just curious.
Please share more KETO RECIPES for every day living.
Thank you
Love all your keto recipes keep them coming💙💙💙
Outstanding recipe. Simply outstanding. I used the Catalina crunch honey graham cereal with the melted butter for the crust. I also decreased the vanilla to 1.5 teaspoons, just did. Also added the eggs one at a time, mix until just incorporated each time. Baked and left in the oven for an hour, room temperature for 2 hours just like the recipe calls for. These steps will really prevent the top from cracking. So so excited to find this recipe. Thank you, thank you!
This cheesecake recipe is absolutely delicious. It really is very tasty and creamy and so easy to make. Will use lemon juice in place of the vanilla next time for a different flavour.
Such a fantastic cheesecake recipe – and it’s KETO! I didn’t have that much butter on hand so I actually used coconut oil instead, just cut in half. Cooked perfectly however for me, my cheesecake burned a bit ontop so I’ll cook it for 40 mins next time instead of 50. For the crust, I crushed up some keto cookies I bought from Aldis and it was such a great pair. Next time I’ll bake this with the cookie crust recommended.
This is the best cheesecake that I’ve ever made. It’s perfectly sweet and creamy. I used the suggested peanut butter cookies for the crust and mixed with roasted pecans (2 cup cookie crumbs,1/2 cup pecans). I’m so glad I took the extra step to bake the peanut butter cookies because I think the crust is too good to skip!
Cheesecake is my favourite cake but I never tried in keto version.
very good recipe!!!! everyone loved it!!!
I’m type II diabetic ( or more accurately called “insulin resistant ) so I’m using allulouse for my sweetener. I wear a continuous glucose monitor. As unbelievable as it is my blood sugar goes DOWN after eating my cheesecake (your recipe – THANK YOU!!!). See video called “A Sugar Substitute That’s Good For You? The Science Behind Allulose” w Dr. Benjamin Bikman (my new hero!)
Added peanut butter, vanilla and banana extract and baked in water bath after sprinkling in some Lilly chocolate chips.. the crust is crushed pecans and butter.. it’s baking now..very easy keto recipe ..monk fruit as sweetner
Loved the cheesecake so surprised at how great it tasted .. added raspberries and used less than half a cup of stevia,
Made keto shortbread for the crust
Highly recommended
Thanks so much, Jan!
this can be so good recile if person is on keto. I
Actually dont support “avoiding food groups”.
I love your recipes especially the weight loss ones.
I am SO EXCITED to try this!!! It’s so hard being type II diabetic and feeling so deprived of all my old favorite treats… with this and the custard recipie (which I’m making now and added pumpkin to) I Won’t feel deprived at all!! Thank you so much for all these amazing low carb recipes, I’ve got a BUNCHf them bookmarked!
So welcome, Tracy!
Keto people would like this!
Amazing! This is one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever tasted! Thank you so so so much for sharing!
You are so welcome!
I was nervous about the ratio of creamcheese to sour cream but decided to give it a go based on the 1300+ 5-star reviews! Best decision ever! I think it fixed the issue I usually have which is a very dense filling. This was light and fluffy and super delicious! I added a raspberry/strawberry topping that had no added sugar so the net carbs did not change much. I’ll be saving this one for the future. Thank you!!
Love that, Amelia!
Best keto cheesecake recipe ever!
Would this recipe still work if you omit the crust? (Make it without the crust)
Yes, but I’d keep them in the pan and serve directly from there 🙂
I’m allergic to erytheriol, can I substitute monkfruit or coconut sugar
Allulose is great!!!
I tried this and was blown away at how good it is. My wife, who would not touch keto, gave it a stamp of approval.
That’s what I like to hear!
I have a question: if I double the recipe, what size pan should I use? 10”
Yes, that should be fine. You’ll have to bake it longer to compensate though.
I love this recipe. This is the second time I made it. The first time I made it I used a blender and it wasn’t incorporating the way that it should, so I had to transfer everything into a bowl, ( And I was worried because everything wasn’t thoroughly mixed, ) And I used a hand mixer. This recipe comes out perfect every time. Thank you so much Arman! No wonder your cheesecake recipe is award-winning
Aw thank you, Mila!
Excellent recipe. Was a little concerned about how it was going to actually turn out, due to no sugar, but it was absolutely amazing and delicious! 🤩 I always make my husband a regular cheesecake for his birthday, and since he needed to reduce his sugar, this was just the ticket! He was completely impressed!! Excellent! 😊
Hehe, nice one Loreen!
Had a friend on keto over for dinner and gave this a try, with some keto blueberry sauce. Was so good! Made it with an almond crust but other than that followed exactly.
Yum!!!
I made this cheesecake recipe the other day.. Just got to taste it today and it was SO good!
I did however exchange the sour cream for low carb vanilla yogurt, adding the vanilla in the recipe too..It made a nice “ledge around the top for fillings . I found a new recipe for the crust at Ketofocus.com I wanted to try.. It was delish and paired well with your cheesecake recipe.. I made your salted caramel and lemon custard for topping choices. Both were hubby approved . Thank you!
Why does recipe call for a spring form pan yet video shows it made in a glass pie plate?
Either works! 🙂
Planning on making this for my wife’s birthday this weekend. Quick question – if I did a single recipe of your keto PB cookies, would that be enough to get the 2 1/2 cups of blended cookie crumbs for the crust for the cheesecake?
Yes 🙂
Can you use regular Splenda that is half sugar and half powder into this recipe
I haven’t tried, but you are welcome to experiment and see!
This recipe is LEGIT! Best cheesecake I’ve ever made. I can’t believe I can enjoy it guilt free. Bravo
Absolutely delicious!!! The whole family loved it including my MIL. She has been a high end pastry chef for 40+ years and not easy to impress!
Bliss in every mouthful! I’m salycilate intolerant so I used pecans, walnut and cashews instead of almond meal for the crust. Also swapped disaronno almond liquor for vanilla essence and added a little sugar free maple syrup instead of more fake sugar .
I’m headed to the store. I’m not a fan of crust. Can I make in silicone molds, bake and then chill?
You can try- It might be a little too fragile.
Thank you!!!❤️❤️❤️
So welcome!
Can stivia be the sugar substitute?
If so how much?
Haven’t tried, I don’t like using stevia because it has a bitter taste.
Made it twice now, delicious. Had it with keto caramel sauce. Also heavy cream.
This cheesecake recipe help me survive the holidays. I was surrounded by so many of my childhood favorite desserts. So I made this one and then. I made a bowl of fresh fruit. And I put some sugar-free sugar in it. And I topped my cheesecake with it. And that made it where I did not gain weight. This holiday season. Thank you for your recipe. I am a fan for life.
amazingly good recipes- even though I am a 79 yr old experienced cook if four children etc brought up on the Bero cook book.
This is so good! I did find that making the crust, using the food processor was easier than the blender to get the right consistency with the cookies. I used the sugar cookies which are great on their own also. Guests at Thanksgiving loved this who are not even Keto.
Delicious! I was hoping to make it again but maybe add some lemon, would that work? How much should I add to give it a good lemon flavour? Thanks!
The best keto cheesecake recipe I’ve ever made.
Can this be made without sour cream and if so what changes should be made?
You could try a thick Greek yogurt and see!
I tried this recipe today. I used Stevia for the sweetener and almond flour for the crust. The texture of the cheesecake was PERFECT. I only used just over 1/2 of the Stevia powder and that was plenty. I’m not sure why but I was a little disappointed on the flavor of the cheesecake. Something seemed to be missing. I garnished the cheesecake with some walnuts and a drizzle of KETO maple syrup.
Hello, this is my first making this cheesecake and I was curious do I measure the butter solid then melt the butter for the crust? or do I melt some butter then measure it? Different recipes calls for different tricks and I seriously do not want to mess it up. I am also using a different type of peanut butter for the cookie crumbles for the crust, will that be a problem?
As its for the crust, measure it in the melted state 🙂
First time I tried it I wasn’t a fan of it. It might have been the carmel sauce I used. Wheb I tried it again with frozen blueberries it was delicious and I loved it!
Great! I used a quarter cup of stevia as my sugar. Amazing!
This was amazing!!!!
I’m in Junior High and wanted to make a recipe my parents could eat but me and my sister could also enjoy. I really love cheesecake so I kinda googled a recipe and this one had a good rating. I made the cheesecake, there was some trial and error in the crust but eventually it came out and it was pretty good! Think it might be over baked though since the texture’s weird, or maybe it’s because I accidentally use granulated (fake) sugar instead of superfine (also fake) sugar? All and all a good recipe though.
(Put a compote and fresh strawberries on top, definitely good with the fruit!)
I eat about 95% clean (I indulge in one or two cheat meals on the weekends) and I’ve wanted to make cheesecake but most recipes call for things that I don’t have on hand and I’m not used to cooking/baking with. I was so excited to find this simple clean cheesecake recipe! I made it today and I added two fresh mangos from my tree to the mixture and I used maple sugar (maple syrup turned into a granulated form) as the sweeter. For the crust I combined coconut oil, maple sugar, almond flour and unsweetened coconut flakes and it turned out great. This cheesecake was AMAZING! My whole family loved it. Even my very picky son who doesn’t eat clean. Thank you for sharing this!!
Can I make the crust with store bought keto cookies?
Yes!
Lovely with caramel coffee essence instead of vanilla. Also used Half Greek yogurt and 1/2 thickened cream instead of sour cream.
I tried this recipe and it is sooooo good. I garnished with fresh strawberries and keto whipped cream. It takes so much like the real deal but only 3 net carbs!!!
Hi Arman. Thank you for the recipe <3
I’d like to incorporate some sugar free pudding mix into this. How should I go about doing that?
*I’ll be sure to rate it after I make it 🙂
I’m not sure- haven’t tried! Feel free to experiment nd see
I don’t understand how you say it is sugar-free when you use caster sugar. Caster sugar is sugar. Am I missing something?
Where does it say it uses caster sugar?
This recipe was so delicious and easy to follow. Slice it into wedges wrapped with paper and put in the freezer and I take one portion out for my dinner snack.
Can I use Monkfruit sweetener?
looks great we will try
Mr. Big Man Can I make mini cheesecake bombs with this recipe? I’m going to try it this weekend! Thanks so much I will try all your keto recipes Let you know how I made out
Really wanting to try this as an alternative for Christmas, wife is not convinced. If I were to half the recipe, do you believe it would approximately fit in one of the smaller springform pans? Would like to make a test run to prove it out to her.
You could try and see 🙂
Hello! I appreciate this website and your recipes so much!
I’d like to make this cheesecake with the keto graham cracker crust, and need to make sure I purchase enough of the ingredients. Do you know approximately how many cups of cookie crumbs one batch of your keto shortbread cookies yield?
Thanks!
This recipe is really, really tasty. I used your keto brownie recipe for the base and it works an absolute treat!
My keto cheesecake is happily baking in my oven as I type this. I added a couple of things to your recipe. I added 2 tsp of lemon juice to crisp it up a bit, and I made keto graham cracker crumb crust using toasted almond and cinnamon flour. 95% your recipe though and I can tell just by putting it in my spring form pan, that it’s going to be super duper! Thanks!
One batch of peanut butter cookies worked great. My wife, who’s very fussy about cheese-cake, thought that this keto version was amazing! Definite winner. Next time we’re trying without the crust (will keep refrigerated at all times)
Can I use Splenda ?
You are welcome to experiment and see
I just made one batch of peanut butter (keto) cookies (12 cookies). Typically, how many cookies are needed for this recipe? Not sure how to “guesstimate” the number of cookies for 2.5 cups of cookie crumbs for the crust.
Thank you!
One batch works pretty darn accurately 🙂
Hi Arman
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I made it and it is just PERFECT. I added some blueberries jam and fresh berries… AMAZING!
Can I make this without a crust?
You can, but you’ll need to keep it refrigerated at all times.
I have a husband (Keto), a father in law and 2 sons (all non Keto) and they all love this recipe. Good recipe for the whole family!
I am excited to make this cheesecake, however, in the past my sugar choice was a fail because it tasted crystallized. I used Monkfruit. I’m a little vague about the sugar you’re using and wonder if Allulose would be a good choice?
Use allulose- it dissolves exactly like sugar would 🙂
The filling to this cheese cake is so incredibly delicious. I did have to bake it longer than stated. i used highkey keto friendly cookies for the crust in place of the peanut butter cookies. Thank you for sharing!
Is there anything I can use instead of sour cream?
Thick full-fat yogurt
Should i water bath the cheesecake?
No that is not needed 🙂
Delicious and creamy, I baked the crust for 10 mins before and it came out so well!
Loved this recipe!! A solid 5 star.
my mr.and i are diabetic, i hope i can try it soon..thank you mr.big man for sharing your recipes.
Having recently been diagnosed with type II diabetes I’ve been on the hunt for low or zero carb desserts.Thank goodness, that search brought me to Big Man’s World and Arman. I just made this five ingredient cheesecake and I’ve got to tell you…IT’S UNBELIEVABLY GOOD!
Thanks Arman! You and your website have made living with diabetes tolerable.
Thank you, Mark- That is soo kind of you!
I made this cheesecake without a crust and it was absolutely delicious! Prepping now to make my 2nd one. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Can I make these in a muffin tin? And if so how long would I cook them for.
You could try! You’d need to reduce the cooking time.
Made for my anniversary supper turned out awesome. Will make in the future, enjoyed this recipe as much as a regular sugar cheese cake.
Love this cheesecake. I used almond flour for the crust with butter, keto brown sugar, and cinnamon. I used Swerve in the filling. Had to add a few drops of monk fruit to get to the perfect sweetness. It’s delicious! Thank you so much.