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This lemon keto cheesecake is smooth, creamy, and perfectly balanced – made with simple ingredients like cream cheese, eggs, and almond flour crust. It’s low-carb, sugar-free, and works both as a plain keto cheesecake or a fresh lemon version.
Light, rich, and reliable – this is the kind of dessert you can make for a regular weeknight or serve for holidays like Easter or Mother’s Day.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Works with erythritol or allulose
- Creamy, stable texture without a water bath
- Clean lemon flavor that’s not overpowering
- Low-carb and gluten-free with simple swaps
- Almond flour crust that actually tastes good (not dry or crumbly)
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour crust → Buttery, slightly crisp, and neutral
- Cream cheese → Use full-fat and fully softened (this is key for smooth texture)
- Sweetener → Powdered erythritol works, but allulose gives a smoother result (no cooling effect)
- Greek yogurt / sour cream → Adds lightness and prevents dense texture
- Lemon juice + zest → Optional, but gives freshness and cuts richness
Lemon Keto Cheesecake Recipe Instructions
- Make and pre-bake the almond flour crust
- Mix cream cheese, sweetener, and flavorings until smooth
- Add eggs gradually (don’t overmix)
- Bake low and slow until just set
- Cool slowly, then chill before slicing
Keto Cheesecake Variations
- Serve with fresh berries
- Add lemon curd (optional but elevated)
- Skip lemon → classic vanilla keto cheesecake
- Add sugar-free chocolate topping
What to Serve With
- Lemon curd (low-carb version)
- Fresh berries
- Sugar-free chocolate drizzle
Texture & Troubleshooting
- Best texture tip: stop baking when center slightly jiggles
- Cracked top? → Overbaked or cooled too fast
- Grainy texture? → Sweetener not powdered enough
- Too dense? → Overmixed after adding eggs
Storage
- Texture improves after 24 hours
- Fridge: up to 5 days
- Best served chilled
Freezing
- Thaw overnight in fridge
- Freeze slices up to 2 months
Keto Cheesecake FAQs
Yes, you can substitute with regular sugar in the same amount. The texture will remain similar, but it will no longer be low-carb.
Cracks usually happen from overbaking or cooling too quickly. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool gradually inside.
Yes. Skip the lemon juice and zest for a classic keto vanilla cheesecake.
Powdered erythritol works well, but allulose gives a smoother texture and prevents crystallization.
This can happen if the sweetener is not finely powdered or if the batter wasn’t mixed properly before baking.
No. This recipe is designed to work without one, as long as you bake at a low temperature and don’t overbake.
Other Keto Dessert Recipes:
Lemon Keto Cheesecake (Low-Carb, Sugar-Free)
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 3 tbsp powdered erythritol, or sweetener of choice
- 5 tbsp melted butter
For the cheesecake filling:
- 32 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered erythritol, adjust to taste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tbsp lemon zest, optional
- 2 tsp lemon juice, optional
Optional lemon curd topping:
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup powdered erythritol, allulose preferred for smoother texture
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 4 tbsp butter
Video
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment.
- Mix almond flour, sweetener, and melted butter.
- Press evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then cool.
- Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (150°C).
Make the filling
- Beat cream cheese and sweetener until smooth (2–3 minutes).
- Add vanilla, lemon juice, and zest (if using).
- Mix in yogurt or sour cream until combined.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed. (Do not overmix)
Bake
- Pour batter into crust.
- Bake for 70–80 minutes, until edges are set and center slightly jiggles.
- Turn off oven and let cheesecake cool inside for 30–40 minutes.
- Remove and cool completely, then refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Optional lemon curd
- Whisk eggs, yolks, lemon juice, zest, and sweetener.
- Cook over double boiler, stirring constantly until thickened (8–10 minutes).
- Strain, then mix in butter.
- Cool and refrigerate before using.
Notes
No water bath needed — just bake low and slow
Use powdered sweetener for smooth texture
Allulose = best texture (no crystallization)
Do not overmix after adding eggs
Cheesecake is done when center slightly jiggles
Texture Tips
Overbaking → dry or cracked cheesecake
Fast cooling → cracks
Best texture after chilling overnight
Sweetener Notes
Erythritol → works, but may crystallize slightly
Allulose → smoother and more creamy
Storage
Refrigerate up to 5 days
Serve chilled
Freezing
Freeze slices up to 2 months
Thaw overnight in fridge
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m making the cheesecake for New Years Eve, Not sure when I should put the lemon curd on the the cake. Do I put it on when it comes out of the oven, let it completely chills in the fridge, or wait until I’m serving the cake. How long will the curd wait before it starts to set up too much to spread?
It is best if you put the curd on top of the chilled cheesecake. It is not a very thick curd, so there shouldn’t be any issues with spreading. For best results use powdered erythritol for both the cheesecake and curd.
Hello, we’ll I made the lemon cheesecake yesterday, but didn’t notice just how many servings there are in this recipe. Please can you tell me how long it will last in the fridge ?. And if it can be frozen ?.
Many thanks
Victoria
Hi,
It will last in the fridge for up to 1 week and yes, it can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Fantastic, thanks for your quick reply. I’m in the UK, so had to use steviol. All good.
I made this yesterday! I did have to do a couple changes though as my ingredients were a bit different.
I didn’t have erythritol, I tried finding it at stores and online but it doesn’t seem to be on the market in my country. So instead I used mostly Stevia and a small amount of Xylitol because I was running out. I believe for the bottom I added 3tbsp of stevia and for the custard I added 150ish gr of stevia + 100ish gr of xylitol. It was very sweet, but in a good way 😀
It’s chilling in the fridge at the moment, I will make the curd this afternoon to put on it and serve this evening. Super excited!
Thank you so much for the brilliant recipe!
Do I leave the oven door closed or open to cool . I thought I had seen somewhere to leave it slightly open but I can’t find it
Yes, slightly open will be perfect, to it doesn’t sit in the hot oven too much.
I made this for Mother’s Day and it was a hit. I chose to make the cheesecake lemon, exactly like the recipe. I topped it with a sugar free blueberry compote. I will definitely make this again!
Hi! The cheesecake is cooling right now. Smells good! I have a question I can’t find – do I remove the cheesecake from the pan before chilling it in the fridge or leave it in the pan until it is done chilling? I don’t want it to stick to the sides, so I wasn’t sure when to take it out of the pan!
I remove it after chilling. If you do it before, you are risking it not hold its shape.
Hubby and I made this today. I wanted a ‘real cheesecake’ and was craving lemon. We doubled the crust and put in a 9×13 as we didn’t have a round or springform pan. This recipe took longer to make than our usual easy low carb/keto recipes we have tried but is was sssso worth it. OMG, so delicious. I hinted to hubby I would love this for my bday cake:). Thanks for the recipe.
Was not sure on the amount of sour cream needed. It said 3. 1/2 cups but I thought should be table spoons.
So sorry you got confused. It is 3/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt.
I made this with liquid stevia instead of erythritol and it was incredible. Best cheesecake ever. Thank you!