This baked keto lemon cheesecake is super creamy and loaded with citrusy lemon flavour. It has all the texture of a New York baked cheesecake and is easy to make. Learn how to make this beautiful low carb dessert that is so decadent, your guests will be coming back for more.
Growing up in Queensland, we always made time for cheesecake. Many dinner table moments were shared with my family around a rich creamy cheesecake. Often we would take a trip to The Cheesecake Shop on the way home from school and pick up a half. There would always be some sort of heated discussion between us girls about the flavour we would decide on. But I would always go for lemon cheesecake.
This was one of the very first keto desserts I made almost 5 years ago. I’ve tried many variations – keto lemon cheesecake bars, no bake lemon cheesecake, lemon cheesecake in a jar. But this is by far the best one I’ve made. In fact, I had family come over and served this up without telling them it was keto. They loved it. Even my super fussy son who rarely has ‘keto’ desserts was coming back for more.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE A BAKED KETO LEMON CHEESECAKE
There are a few key ingredients that go into this cheesecake. On their own, the base and filling are wonderful together. But when you add in the lemon curd on top, it takes it to a whole new level.
If you can’t eat nuts, you could leave the base out. I haven’t tried to make a dairy free version of this cheesecake. If you do have a go at a dairy free version, let me know in the comments below.
CRUST INGREDIENTS
- Almond Meal – You can use almond flour or almond meal. You could even grind up other nuts such as pecans in a food processor to give it a different spin. I used almond meal as it’s one of those staples I always keep in the cupboard for keto recipes.
- Butter – The butter needs to be melted and then cooled. Use grass-fed for extra nutritional value.
- Sweetener – You can use any keto sweetener for the base. The first time I made this recipe I used a powdered Monkfruit/erythritol blend. While the second time I used a granulated golden monk fruit from Lakanto. The granulated version was more rich and slightly crunchier in texture.
- Salt – Just a pinch of salt helps to balance out the sweetness.
- Cinnamon – Adds a little spice to the base.
FILLING INGREDIENTS
- Cream cheese – The cream cheese must be softened to room temperature. If you don’t want to wait for the cream cheese to soften, you can soften in in the microwave. Unwrap the cream cheese and place it in a microwave safe bowl. Then microwave at 10 second intervals, checking each time. Be careful as it only takes about 30 seconds to a minute before it turn to a liquid mess. The recipe uses two blocks of cream cheese. Philadelphia sell these in a pack of two which is perfect for this dessert.
- Sour cream – A carton of full fat sour cream adds to the divine silky texture in the filling. It also adds to the tarte flavour.
- Powdered sweetener – Unlike the base, you need to use a powdered sweeter for the filling. A powdered sweetener adds to the smoothness of the filling. I used a Monkfruit icing sugar blend by Lakanto. It was perfectly sweet and left no cooling aftertaste. Powdered Allulose also works well.
- Lemon rind and lemon juice – Fresh and organic is best. When grating your lemon rind, try not to grate too far into the skin (to the white part). Grating to the white section can give a bitter taste to the lemon rind.
- Eggs – Organic and free range for added nutrition. Allow to come to room temperature before adding to the recipe.
KETO LEMON CURD INGREDIENTS
- Eggs – Free range and organic are best for the lemon curd. You can really tell the difference in the colour of the curd when the eggs are free range.
- Lemon Juice – Organic fresh lemon juice is best.
- Granulated Sweetener of choice – Allulose or Golden Monkfruit varieties give the curd a beautiful texture. Be careful using erythritol as this can crystallise a little when refrigerated. Xylitol could also be used, but be careful if you have a puppy around as it can be fatal to dogs.
- Butter – Grass-fed is preferred.
HOW TO MAKE KETO BAKED LEMON CHEESECAKE
- Preheat the oven to 180 ℃ (350 ℉) and grease and line a 23cm (9 inch) springform pan.
- To make the crust, combine the almond flour, melted butter, cinnamon and sweetener in a bowl and mix until combined. Spoon into the prepared pan and press firmly until the base reaches half way up the sides. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside while making the filling.
- Reduce oven to 160 ℃ (320 ℉).
- In a medium bowl on low, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sweetener and lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Finally, add in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 50 minutes. The top should be slightly hardened but the centre should still be jiggly. Turn the oven off. Leave the cheesecake in the oven, with the door slightly open, for 2 hours or until cooled completely (this will prevent the cake from cracking). Place in the fridge for 4 hours to chill.
- Whisk whole eggs, yolks and sugar in a saucepan until smooth, then place pan over a low heat. Add the butter, juice and zest and whisk continuously until thickened. Strain through a sieve into a shallow bowl and allow to cool slightly. Alternatively you can place all the ingredients in the microwave and microwave at one minute intervals.
- Pour curd over cheesecake. Chill in the fridge until serving. Serve cheesecake with whipped cream and lemon zest.
TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST BAKED KETO LEMON CHEESECAKE
- All ingredients should be fresh and at room temperature.
- Eggs need to be added one at a time.
- Use a kitchen towel to prop the door of the oven open while the cheesecake is cooling. This is a very important step otherwise the cheesecake will crack. It must cool in the oven for the full two hours before being transferred to the fridge.
- Prepare the lemon curd in advance and store in the fridge. It can be used for the cheesecake topping or used as a condiment on other keto desserts/snacks. Lemon Curd is beautiful on freshly baked keto bread or pancakes.
- Serve with fresh cream or keto ice-cream such as the one made by Denada.
Keto Baked Lemon Cheesecake
This baked keto lemon cheesecake is super creamy and loaded with citrusy lemon flavor. It has all the texture of a New York baked cheesecake and is easy to make.
Equipment
- 23cm springform cake pan
Ingredients
Cheesecake Crust
- 1½ cups almond flour
- 85 g butter (melted)
- 4 tbsp sweetener (of choice)
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- pinch salt
Filling
- 500g g cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
- 300 ml sour cream
- 1 cup powdered sweetener
- 1 tbsp lemon rind (finely grated)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
Lemon Curd
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup granulated sweetener
- ⅓ cup butter (unsalted)
- 2 lemons (juiced)
Instructions
Cheesecake Crust
- Preheat the oven to 180 ℃ (350 ℉) and grease and line a 23cm (9 inch) springform pan.
- Combine the almond flour, melted butter, cinnamon, salt and sweetener in a bowl and mix until combined.
- Spoon into the prepared pan and press firmly until the base reaches half way up the sides. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the filling.
Filling
- Reduce oven to 160 ℃ (320 ℉). In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sweetener, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- Finally, add in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 50 minutes. The top should be slightly hardened but the centre should still be jiggly. Turn the oven off. Leave the cheesecake in the oven, with the door slightly open, for 2 hours or until cooled completely (this will prevent the cake from cracking).
- Place in the fridge for 4 hours to chill.
Lemon Curd
- Whisk whole eggs, yolks and sugar in a saucepan until smooth, then place pan over a low heat. Add the butter and juice. Whisk continuously until thickened. See notes above for microwave option. Strain through a sieve into a shallow tray or bowl and allow to cool slightly.
- Strain through a sieve into a shallow tray or bowl and allow to cool slightly.
- Pour curd over set cheesecake. Chill in the fridge until serving. Serve cheesecake with whipped cream and extra lemon zest.
Notes
NUTRITION
Nutrition value is for all three components (crust, filling, and curd)
Per Serve (99 grams)
Protein: 6.1 g | Fat: 26 g | Sodium: 119 mg
NET CARBS: 6 grams
STORAGE
- Baked cheesecake can be stored safely in the fridge for up to 5 days. It needs to be covered with cling wrap or stored in a sealed container to stop it drying out.
- When serving the completed cheesecake, try not to leave out for any longer than 3 – hours.
- Lemon curd can be stored in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to one year.
If you made this, tag it on Instagram @myketo_glow for a chance to be featured:)
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