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Low Carb Cheesecake has all the delicious flavor and creamy texture of traditional cheesecake without the added sugar. Serve it up for Mother’s Day, or as a special treat for anyone watching their sugar intake.
This post is sponsored by Fisher Nuts. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that make My Baking Addiction possible.
Lately I’ve been receiving a lot of emails and messages requesting lower carb desserts. I’m not sure if it’s because bathing suit season is just around the corner, or if low-carb diets are making a comeback, but I decided to give low-carb dessert baking a try.
I’m no stranger to watching my carb intake, which may seem slightly ridiculous considering I run a baking blog for a living, but I’m just keeping it real with you guys.
Making cupcakes, cookies and loads of buttercream every week along with lots of quality control testing is a surefire way to gain a few extra pounds. And by a few, I mean like 30.
My family is full of cheesecake fanatics and if you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you know it’s my absolute favorite dessert. From No Bake Frozen Cheesecake to Samao Cheesecake, a holiday rarely goes by without at least one cheesecake on our dessert table.
And just because a few of us are watching our carb and sugar intake, there’s no way we wanted to go without cheesecake this Mother’s Day.
This thick, velvety low carb cheesecake starts out with a walnut crust – because we’re crust people and eliminating it just wasn’t an option. Again, keepin’ it real.
Of course, I opted for Fisher Walnuts because they don’t contain any preservatives. I wanted my buttery walnut crust to have the best flavor, and that’s what I get from Fisher products, every time.
I also love that their packaging stands up and is resealable. I never have to worry about lost walnut pieces in the bottom of my pantry drawer. These bags stay closed, and fresh.
Let’s talk about this filling. It’s the real deal. I could kinda eat it with a spoon, right out of the fridge. No need to stand on circumstance and get a plate, fork, and pie server.
Heck no. Give me a spoon and an open fridge door.
I’m kind of loving walnuts so much in the crust that it might be what I do from now on. The earthy sweet flavor they add is everything!
Walnuts are also known to be pretty heart healthy, with Omega-3s like whoa. So if that’s your thing, they’re definitely a nice addition to something we’re calling dessert. But let’s be honest: it’s practically salad on the grand scale of desserts.
You can top this Low Carb Cheesecake with chocolate ganache (dark chocolate keeps the sugar down), with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries, or eat it naked. Totally your call.
No matter what, your family is going to love it for Mother’s Day, and every holiday after that. Carb watching or not! And if you’re looking for an amazing side dish, I am LOVING this low carb cauliflower potato salad and this cloud bread!
Low Carb Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 2 cups Walnuts
- 1 tablespoon sugar substitute
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 32 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup sugar substitute
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Separate a 9-inch springform pan into two pieces. Line the bottom of the pan with foil, fasten on the side piece, and spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Tightly wrap the outside bottom and sides of the springform pan with two layers of heavy duty foil. This step prevents leaks when using a water bath. I also take the extra step of placing the foil wrapped spring form pan inside an oven bag while baking, but this is optional.
- Place walnuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse the nuts until finely chopped. Add in the sugar substitute and butter and pulse until combined.
- Spoon the crumbs into the prepared pan and into the bottom of the pan to form a crust layer.
- Bake crust in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Bring a kettle of water to boil for the water bath.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar substitute for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for an additional 30 seconds. Add in eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after adding the second and fourth egg. After adding the final egg and scraping the sides of the bowl, mix again for 30 seconds. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. Add in the cream and vanilla and mix for an additional 30 seconds.
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the cooled crust.
- Place pan into a larger pan (I use a roasting pan) and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan. Gently lay a piece of foil over the pan – do not tighten the foil as we’ll want to allow the air to still circulate.
- Bake 55-65 minutes, the edges will appear to be set, but the center will still have some jiggle to it. At this point, turn off the oven, and leave the oven door cracked. Allow the cheesecake to rest in the cooling oven for one hour.
- After one hour has passed, carefully remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Once the cake is completely cooled, place it into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
- Just before serving, top the cheesecake with whipped cream and fresh berries.
Notes
- Refrigerate leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- I used Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener All Natural Sugar Substitute. It has little to no aftertaste, tastes amazing in baked goods and is a 1:1 substitution for sugar. The company also states that it is a ZERO on the glycemic index.
- If you aren't watching your carbs, you can substitute equal portions of granulated sugar for the sugar substitute.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Disclaimer: I am not a registered dietician, so if you are sensitive to carbohydrates, I recommend plugging your exact ingredients into an online nutrition calculator.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fisher nuts. The opinions and text are all mine.
Hi! This looks great! and I love the idea of a walnut crust. I’m wondering if I can just completely leave out sugar/fake sugar, what would happen? Is the sugar needed for the texture somehow?
Thanks!
Hello! I haven’t attempted this recipe without any sweetener, so I am not sure of the result. I think that you will find that the flavor would be quite flat, in addition to the texture likely not being quite right. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
Just made this….AMAZING cheesecake. I used a monkfruit/erythritol blend that I get at my local bulk food store) I followed your directions exactly (including the water bath) and it was perfect. First time I have ever made a crack free cheesecake. Plus the texture is like silk. Thank you for the recipe!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the cheesecake, Kelly! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
Sounds good! I’ll be making this. I was thinking of trying a no crust cheesecake but the walnuts are a great idea.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Alice! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking!
-Jamie
Made this today…..excellent. Served with fresh strawberries!!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the cheesecake, Tina! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
Is the water bath totally necessary? I don’t have a roasting pan, or any pan big enough to hold my springform, and I’m wondering if this will be a total fail if I skip that part. Thoughts?
Thanks! :)
Hi Liah – Water baths are used to prevent cheesecakes from cracking. If you skip it, the cheesecake is likely to crack and might affect the texture slightly. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out. Happy baking!
-Jamie
What can u substitute for the walnuts I’m highly allergic to all tree nuts?
Karri-
You can simply omit the crust and just bake the filling. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
This sounds great. I am definitely going to try it. I calculated the carbs and I come up with 2.5 carbs for for a 12 serving size. This is what I have been looking for,
I hope you love it as much as I do, Priscilla! Enjoy!
-Jamie
This cake is adorable. You have decorate this cake in such a unique way .
Thanks so much, Robin!
How many carbs per serving is this does anyone know ?
Wendy-
For an approximate carb count, I recommend adding the recipe into a calculator such as My Fitness Pal. We do not offer nutritional information at this time. Thanks for stopping by.
-Jamie
I’ve made this SEVERAL times thus far! Your filling is on point! My family of eaters are not walnut fans, but my crust: almond meal, swerve granular, a touch of molasses, cinnamon, and nutmeg. So far my VERY picky husband and brother in law can’t tell the difference from Full sugar cheesecake with real graham cracker crust, and the B-I-L wanted THIS as his birthday cake! No lie. Pickiest people ever, but it keeps hitting the spot!
So happy to hear you enjoyed this, Monette! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
I make this same recipie. P made over from cheesecake delight!!! I love it. Only one tweak to mine. 1tbs of coconut flour. Mine does not call for a water bath. But I do a shallow one any way. Also mine is mixed in the blender by pulsing and getting as little air as possible.
Great tips! Thanks so much for stopping by. Happy Holidays to you and yours!
-Jamie