Now that I’ve adopted a keto diet, dessert rarely gets much of my attention. Lately, though, a lot more friends and family members have been asking me about keto and how to follow a keto lifestyle while still enjoying their sweets. Lucky for them (and me), I recently got to meet Kaye Manjares, who runs Keto Kreations, a bakery specifically for those who love sweets but don’t want to eat sugar — and she’s shared the best recipe for keto cheesecake we’ve tried. These keto cheesecake minis are so good that they’ll easily fool your non-keto friends.
Baking is both an art and a science, but creating good keto desserts is on another level entirely. Manjares nails it with homemade keto desserts that are nearly indistinguishable from their more sugary, less healthful counterparts — and delicious in their own right.
Admittedly, a basic cheesecake filling is easy enough to keto-fy. I even came up with my own recipe, but it’s pretty one dimensional: no crust, fruit topping or traditional structure, just sweetened cream cheese. Manjares’ keto cheesecake minis are light years beyond this, with a golden crust and blueberry swirl topping. They’re everything you expect from cheesecake without all the sugar.
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To make these keto cheesecake minis, you’ll need:
- 1 cup organic blueberries
- 1/2 cup Swerve Confectioners Sweetener
- 16 ounces full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup Swerve Confectioners Sweetener
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice or extract
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1-1/2 cups fine almond flour
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup Swerve Brown (or Sukrin Gold)
Creating the blueberry sauce is incredibly easy; just combine fresh blueberries (or whatever berries you like) with Swerve Confectioners Sweetener on the stovetop and bring to a light simmer for about 10 minutes. Process in a blender or food processor to remove any large chunks and create a smooth sauce.
MORE: This keto custard dessert recipe tastes just like chocolate cheesecake
Together, Swerve Brown, almond flour and butter make for a crust that’s as good as any graham-cracker version. Press this into each greased cup of your pan. If you prefer a crispy crust, precook. Otherwise, the cups are ready for the filling.
To make the keto cheesecake filling, mix the cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, Swerve Confectioners, sour cream, and lemon juice. You want a smooth consistency, but be careful not to overmix the eggs. (Bring cold ingredients to room temperature for best results.) Pour the filling into a squeeze bottle for easier handling.
Fill the cups with the cheesecake filling. It won’t expand or rise much, so you can fill almost completely to the top of each cup.
Top each mini with a few drops of the blueberry sauce and swirl with a toothpick. This adds a little fruit flavor and beautiful texture to each bite.
Wrap your mini cheesecake tray with aluminum foil and place in a large baking dish. Partially fill the baking dish with boiling water to keep the minis from drying out and cracking as they bake.
After baking, let the keto cheesecakes rest for 30–60 minutes, then refrigerate until they’re cool.
MORE: Our healthier, low-carb Twinkie recipe is a dessert lovers dream
Bonus keto baking tips
- Almond flour measures 1:1 for traditional flour, and it works as a substitute in just about any recipe. It’s almost entirely fiber, so as long as you’re counting net carbs (carbs minus fiber), it’s a great option.
- Swerve is essentially zero net carb but measures and sweetens 1:1 like regular sugar. Use it in any recipe that calls for sugar.
- Berries are a lower-carb fruit and, when used sparingly, can add a nice fruit flavor without a lot of carbs.
Keto cheesecake minis
Ingredients
Blueberry puree:
- 1 cup organic blueberries
- 1/2 cup Swerve Confectioners Sweetener
Cheesecake:
- 16 ounces full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup Swerve Confectioners Sweetener
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice or extract
- 3/4 cup sour cream
Crust:
- 1-1/2 cups fine almond flour
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup Swerve Brown (or Sukrin Gold)
Instructions
Blueberry Puree
- Mix blueberries and Swerve in small saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook until mixture comes to boil (about 10 minutes), then reduce heat to simmer.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- Blend in blender until smooth.
- Pour into plastic squeeze bottle. Set aside.
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F. Cover bottom of mini cheesecake pans with aluminum foil to prevent leaks and spray with avocado or olive oil cooking spray. Place pan in baking dish.
- In stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix almond flour, butter and Swerve Brown on low speed until well combined.
- Scoop mixture by tablespoons into each cup of pan and flatten.
Cheesecake
- In stand mixer with paddle attachment, whip cream cheese and sour cream on low-medium speed until smooth. (Do not mix on high speed.)
- Scrape bowl, then add lemon juice and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- Scrape bowl again and add Swerve Confectioners. Mix until well combined.
- Scrape bowl again and add 1 egg at a time until fully incorporated.
- Use scoop or pastry bag to pour filling neatly into each cavity on top of crust until nearly full.
Swirl topping:
- Using squeeze bottle, add several drops blueberry puree to top of each cheesecake.
- Use toothpick or chopstick to swirl puree into cheesecake.
Baking
- Boil water in a kettle or pot.
- Pour water into baking dish so it surrounds pan about 1/4 inch up.
- Place baking dish and pan in oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove pan from baking dish and let cool on rack for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Refrigerate for 3–4 hours.
- Remove from pan by pushing bottom of each cavity up. Each mini cake should come out smoothly.
Notes
- Carb count is given as the net total (total grams carbs minus grams fiber and grams sugar alcohols, which don't affect blood sugar levels).
- The water in the baking dish helps keep the minis from drying out and cracking.
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 136 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 12 g | 18% | |
Total Carbohydrates 4.4 g | 1% | |
Dietary Fiber 1 g | 4% | |
Sugars 1.5 g | ||
Protein 3 g | 6% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.