Name: Keto Zone Cheesecake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 535 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour; 2 tbsp grass-fed butter (melted); 1/2 tsp sea salt; 3 cups cream cheese (softened to room temperature); 1 cup full-fat plain yogurt (no sugar added); 2/3 cup erythritol; 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract; 1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh); 1/4 cup blanched almond flour

Cheesecake is one of the few classic desserts that is already most of the way to keto. The filling is cream cheese and fat. The problem has only ever been two things: the graham cracker crust and the cup and a half of sugar.

Both come out cleanly. Blanched almond flour and butter make a crust that presses and bakes the same way. Erythritol sweetens the filling without contributing usable carbohydrate. What is left tastes like cheesecake, because structurally it is cheesecake.

Two steps matter. Bring the cream cheese fully to room temperature, and use the water bath. The first prevents lumps, the second prevents the crack. Then give it a full overnight in the refrigerator. Cheesecake sets by chilling, not by baking, and there is no shortcut around it.

Slice of keto cheesecake with almond flour crust on a white plate

Dr. Don Colbert, MD

Keto Zone Cheesecake

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Chill Time 8

Total Time 8 55

Servings: 12 slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 331

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
2 tbsp grass-fed butter melted
1/2 tsp sea salt

Filling

3 cups cream cheese softened to room temperature
1 cup full-fat plain yogurt no sugar added
2/3 cup erythritol
2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon juice fresh
1/4 cup blanched almond flour

Equipment

9 inch springform pan
Food processor
Parchment paper
Shallow baking pan for the water bath

Method

Set the cream cheese out on the counter to come to room temperature. Cold cream cheese will leave lumps you cannot whisk out later.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Combine the crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture holds together when pressed.
Press the mixture into a parchment lined 9 inch springform pan, working it up the sides. Refrigerate to set while you make the filling.
Fill a shallow baking pan halfway with water and set it on the oven lower rack. This is what keeps the top from cracking.
Combine the cream cheese, yogurt, erythritol, vanilla, lemon juice and 1/4 cup almond flour in the food processor. Blend until completely smooth, scraping the sides once.
Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour the filling in, smoothing the top.
Place the cheesecake on the middle rack, directly above the water pan.
Bake 30 minutes. Do not open the oven door during baking.
Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside, door closed, for 5 more minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on the counter for 20 minutes.
Refrigerate overnight to set fully. Do not skip this. A cheesecake cut warm will not hold a slice.
Run a thin knife around the edge, release the springform, slice into 12 and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcalCarbohydrates: 18.9gProtein: 7.8gFat: 30.9gFiber: 1.8gSugar: 3.9g

Notes

Room temperature cream cheese is the single biggest factor in a smooth filling. Give it a full hour on the counter.

Erythritol can recrystallize and give the filling a slight grit as it chills. A powdered or confectioners style erythritol blend avoids this.

Strain the yogurt through cheesecloth for an hour if it looks loose. Excess whey makes for a softer set.

The crust here uses 1.5 cups of almond flour, which is the right amount for a 9 inch springform. If you want a thicker crust that climbs higher up the sides, go to 2 cups and add another 1/2 tbsp of butter.

Keeps 5 days covered in the refrigerator. Individual slices freeze well for up to 2 months.

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