Keto Cheesecake

Cheesecakes are what I do, and making them keto has been fun to say the least. While I already posted my fan favorite chocolate raspberry cheesecake recipe, I hadn’t yet posted just a plain classic cheesecake recipe yet, and that just seems a little backwards. So, without further ado, a plain keto cheesecake recipe.

First things first, when making any cheesecake, all of the ingredients need to be at room temperature. This is very important. Secondly, there are several rules of thought on how to prevent a cheesecake from cracking, the method I use is to wrap the spring form pan around the bottom and up the sides to the rim in heavy duty foil at least double layered, more if you think it is needed to be water tight. Set your pan into an oven safe dish, or rimmed cookie sheet. Add water to the outside dish, not the cheesecake (at least an inch, but no higher than just less than half the height of the spring form pan). Bake the cheesecake in this water bath. This method is still not perfect and you may get cracks, especially if you cool the cake too quickly out of the oven. Third, and finally before we begin, this cheesecake will have a very thin crispy candy layer to it– this is the result of using erythritol (swerve) as the sweetener, which crystallizes like paper-thin rock-candy inside the cheesecake as it cools.

Get your oven preheating to 350 °F! We’ll be starting with the crust, so get a medium mixing bowl and a fork. Add one and a half cups of almond flour, four tablespoons brown swerve, a half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and quarter teaspoon of salt to the bowl and mix it all with a fork until blended. Now melt six tablespoons of ghee (or unsalted butter) and pour this into the almond flour mixture. Mix with a fork until crumbs form, and then press this mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 inch spring form pan. Be sure to grease only the bottom, not the sides. And finally bake at 350°F for ten minutes, then set aside to cool.

While the crust is in the oven you can begin the batter, don’t forget that all of your ingredients need to be at room temperature. In a stand mixer bowl (a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer will work just as well), add 32 oz softened cream cheese (that’s four of the standard eight ounce packages) and mix with a whisk attachment just until smooth. Then add one and a half cups of erythritol (we use swerve), and mix until blended.

Next you’ll add four room temperature eggs, you will add them one at a time, mixing between each. Once the eggs are incorporated into the batter, add a quarter cup of heavy whipping cream, one tablespoon of sour cream, and two teaspoons of vanilla extract, mix until blended.

Finally, add one tablespoon of coconut flour by sprinkling it thinly over the batter, and then thoroughly mixing it in. At this point you will want to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl to get any thicker batter that hasn’t been incorporated, and then thoroughly mix one last time.

Now pour that delicious cheesecake batter into your 9 inch springform pan, directly on top of the crust. Bake at 350 for one hour. Bake times may vary, so keep an eye on your cheesecake. When it is done the outside will be a rich golden color and the center will be just set.

As slowly as you can bring your cheesecake to room temperature is best to avoid cracking. Let completely cool to room temp, at least an hour before covering and moving to the fridge for at least six hours. After chilling for six hours your cheesecake should be ready to come out of the springform pan (run a very then blade along the inside to separate the cheesecake from the pan sides before releasing the spring latch or your cake will likely split apart).

I highly recommend refrigerating for at least two full days from baking to get the best flavor and texture. A cheesecake that hasn’t fully set may have an unpleasant custard-like flavor. The longer it is allowed to chill, the better it will be up to about five days.

Now, enjoy!!! Yes, real cheesecakes can seem like a lot of work followed by an unfair amount of waiting, but the result is so worth it! Add flavors, add toppings, make it your own.

Nutritional Facts