Low Carb Summer Cheesecake
I love a good cheesecake. I love cheesecake when it is full of chocolate and I love cheesecake when it is loaded with fruit. I especially love cheesecake when it is low carb and I can stick to my keto diet while enjoying my favorite dessert. Some people may think that cheesecake is too heavy of a dessert to enjoy in the summer. All that hearty cream cheese can be quite filling! However, this keto lemon cheesecake is absolutely perfect for the summer. It has a bright, citrus taste while still being creamy and delicious. So whip up one of these beautiful cakes for your next summer get together and show everyone that cheesecake can be a summer treat and also low carb- they will be amazed!
When you look at traditional cheesecake recipes, you will see that many of them are made using sweetened condensed milk. Yet one cup of that has 166 grams of carbs! Sooo off limits! So we have made our own sweetened condensed milk that works perfectly to both sweeten the cheesecake and give it that soft texture that you crave.
Making the low carb condensed milk is very easy. Simply boil the heavy cream then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Let the cream cook for about 15 minutes to make it very thick and, well, condensed! Mix in the powdered erythritol (the key to a sweet, low carb cheesecake!), butter and xanthan gum and you are done! Xanthan gum acts as a thickener and as a binder so it is definitely needed to make the consistency of the keto condensed milk perfect. If you don’t have any on hand, order some! Xanthan gum is also used in a lot of keto baking recipes so you will definitely use it. Chances are you will be making this cheesecake recipe often too so buying some xanthan gum will be a good investment in your keto cheesecake future.
Once you have your homemade, low carb sweetened condensed milk made, the rest of this lemon cheesecake recipe is super simple. The “graham cracker” crust is made by mixing the almond flour, granulated erythritol and coconut oil together and pressing the mix into the cheesecake pan. Melted butter will work in place of coconut oil but I like the coconut oil to give the cheesecake a tropical taste that goes well with the lemon filling.
The main part of the cheesecake is made by beating the cream cheese and lemon zest together then adding the egg yolks, homemade condensed milk, fresh lemon juice and vanilla. The mix is poured over the crust and then baked. Keep in mind that the cheesecake will not brown so once the center is no longer jiggly (about 18-20 minutes), it is done! Take it out of the oven, let it cool and then indulge.
If you want to give this cheesecake a beautiful garnish, top it with a few fresh berries or pipe some low carb whipped cream on top (coconut whipped cream is especially delicious!). You can also make the cheesecake in advance then store it in the freezer until you are ready to enjoy. It will keep well in the freezer, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to three months! Make a few of these beautiful, light, lemony cakes and keep them frozen for later- it is always nice to have a wonderful, keto, summery dessert on hand! Enjoy!
| Servings: servings |
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup So Nourished granular erythritol
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 tbsp So Nourished powdered erythritol
- 1 tsp butter
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 7 egg yolks
- 6 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- Start by making the condensed milk. Bring the whipping cream to a boil over medium heat then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes to thicken, Try not to let the mix fully boil, just a very low simmer will work.
- Remove the heavy cream from the heat and add the powdered erythritol and butter and stir.
- Sprinkle the xanthan gum over the heavy cream mix and whisk vigorously to prevent clumping. Set the mix aside to cool.
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and get an 8 inch cake pan ready.
- Combine the almond flour, granulated erythritol and melted coconut oil together in a medium bowl. Once mixed, pour into the cake pan and press down to make a firm, even crust.
- Bake the crust in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until it begins to turn golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- Beat the cream cheese and lemon zest in a large bowl until very smooth (no cream cheese clumps!). Add the egg yolks slowly, incorporating fully after each addition.
- Add the condensed milk mix, lemon juice and vanilla extract to the cream cheese bowl and mix until smooth.
- Pour the filling over the crust and return the pan to the oven, cooking for 18 minutes. The cheesecake will not brown!
- Let cool at room temperature for about an hour and then place in the fridge to cool completely. The cheesecake will get firm after about 2 hours.
- Slice and serve!
NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
The content on this website should not be taken as medical advice and you should ALWAYS consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. We provide nutritional data for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. We use Total Keto Diet app software to calculate the nutrition and we remove fiber and sugar alcohols, like erythritol, from the total carbohydrate count to get to the net carb count, as they do not affect your blood glucose levels. You should independently calculate nutritional information on your own and not rely on our data. The website or content herein is not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose or treat any disease. This website shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on the Website or actions you take as a result. Any action you take is strictly at your own risk.
Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD is an aesthetic medicine specialist whose work focuses on patients who are treated for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and other weight-related issues through nutritional analysis, keto diet programs, and supporting medications.
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