The ultimate keto cheesecake brownies! Deep layers of chocolatey goodness and sweet creamy cheesecake, swirled together to create one mighty fine dessert. Perfectly moist and fudgy... you'd never guess this indulgent treat is low carb and sugar free. It contains only 2.8g net carbs per square!
I had seen brownie cheesecake bars recently in our local deli, but of course they were made with sugar. But they looked so good - and so pretty, with their brown and white swirls. Ever since then I had wanted to create a low carb version.
I'm using almond flour in this recipe, which is my favourite low carb, grain free flour. As a sweetener, I opted for erythritol. The carbs in erythritol are not absorbed by out bodies, therefore it's essentially zero carb! It's a great sweetener when you're on the keto diet.
I did create a new brownie recipe for this post. And this is not because I don't love my fabulously fudgy keto brownies. I just wanted to try something different!
The brownie batter in this recipe is fluffier, because I used baking powder. It is also simpler and a bit cheaper to make, because I decided to go for cocoa powder only and omitted the melted chocolate.
If you try both, let me know which you prefer.
My keto cheesecake brownies are nice and rich so you only need a small slice to satisfy those chocolate cravings when they come!
How to make keto cheesecake brownies - step by step:
1.) Get your ingredients ready and preheat the oven to 180 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit!
2.) Add all the dry brownie ingredients to a mixing bowl - almond flour, cacao powder, sweetener, baking powder. Mix well with a spatula or a fork.
Add a pinch of salt for extra flavour!
3.) Add the wet ingredients - eggs, melted butter or coconut oil and almond milk - and stir until you have a smooth batter. Last, add the chocolate chips and mix.
4.) Place the cream cheese, erythritol, egg and vanilla into a mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer until combined.
5.) Add dollops of brownie batter to a baking tin line with parchment paper. Save about 4 tbsp. Don’t spread.
Spoon the cheesecake batter into the gaps and gently shake the pan to self level. Add the 4 tbsp of reserved brownie mixture to the top of a 4 cheesecake dollops.
6.) Use a toothpick to swirl the batters together. Don’t be tempted to over-swirl. Too much swirling actually won’t end up in a pretty swirly top, but more in a paler all-in-one-brown mix!
Bake in the centre of the oven for about 20 - 25 minutes until the edges are cooked but the centre is still a little jiggly. Make sure the cheesecake batter does not brown. My oven was about 24 minutes.
Keep ingredients at room temperature
Results in baking will always be better with a little planning, and low carb baking is no different.
I recommend to have all the ingredients at room temperature, especially for the cheesecake batter. This will stop the mix splitting.
Also, you'll have a softer brownie batter if your eggs are room temperature. Think about it - if your eggs are cold, they'll cause the butter to solidify and your batter becomes tough and difficult to work with. Remember - we're after a good-looking swirl!
The low carb flour
I'm using ground almonds in this recipe. This is the same as regular almond flour in the US. If your almond flour is SUPER-FINE, I recommend you use 2 tbsp less flour because it's more absorbent.
I don't recommend trying to replace the almond flour with coconut flour. Normally, you can substitute it in recipes using between ⅓ and ½ the amount because it absorbs more liquid.
Coconut flour also requires more binders as it is more brittle. You might need to use an additional egg, and probably also xanthan gum. Do let me know if you experiment.
The chocolate
You've got choices here - both cacao powder and cocoa powder works. The difference here is that cacao powder is raw and has additional nutritional benefits. Cocoa powder is roasted, darker in colour and a bit easier to get hold of.
As for the sugar free chocolate chips, use Lily's if you can get hold of them. They are keto friendly and readily available in the US. If you can't, simply use a quality dark chocolate such as Lindt or Montezuma's and chop it into pieces.
You want to opt for a minimum of 85% cocoa solids. I like the Lindt 90%.
Of course, using the chocolate is optional. No hard feelings!
The sweetener
I used Lakanto for this recipe, but any erythritol based sweetener will yield the same result.
I chose granulated sweetener sweetener for the brownie batter. You could use powdered, but you'll probably need a little less.
Note - the sweetness of these brownies was perfect for me. However, if you know you like your cakes less sweet, start with ½ cup of sweetener. Taste, and see if that's sufficient for you.
For the cheesecake batter do use a powdered erythritol, otherwise the result will be gritty. If you don't have powdered sweetener at home, you can make your own by blending granulated erythritol in a food processor.
You can replace the erythritol with your sweetener of choice. Xylitol works well, or use Swerve. If you use Swerve, be sure to measure using cups and not by weight as it's lighter.
Make sure your sweetener is a 1:1 replacement for sugar. Some sweeteners are twice as sweet as sugar and you'd need to use half the amount for these!
Even allulose would be good for the brownie batter, although I don't recommend you use it for the cheesecake because it may not set as well. If you use allulose, you may need to increase the oven time by a few minutes.
The secret to fudgy brownies
Your keto cheesecake brownies will firm up as they cool so don’t be tempted to over-bake them. It's absolutely fine if a knife inserted comes out still sticky with brownie batter. The cake should be cooked around the edges and just set on the top in the middle, with the centre jiggly.
I've given a time range of 20-25 minutes. Ovens can differ in temperature (the older, the less reliable!) and altitude can also have an impact on how long you need to bake them. My cheesecake parts started to brown at minute 24, so that's when I took mine out.
I'd say brownies tend to taste the best if you slightly under-bake them!
Definitely wait until your brownies have fully cooled to room temperature before you slice them. This will give them the time they need to firm up. Placing them in the fridge, once cooled, will help to firm them up even more.
How to store Keto Cheesecake Brownies
These brownies need to be stored in the fridge, best in an airtight container. They are fine for about 4-5 days.
You can also freeze them for about 3 months.
Here are some of my other low carb brownie and cheesecake recipes!
- Keto Avocado Brownies Recipe
- Keto Almond Butter Brownie Cookies
- Keto Double Chocolate Cheesecake
- Sugar Free Strawberry Cheesecake
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Fudgy Keto Cheesecake Brownies
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Ingredients
Brownie batter
- 1 cup / 100g almond flour
- ⅔ cup / 57g cacao powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅔ cup / 130g granulated erythritol (So Nourished)
- 3 eggs medium***, room temperature
- ½ cup / 113g butter or coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup / 45g sugar free chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks 85% cocoa solids minimum
- 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
Cheesecake batter
- 1 cup / 225g cream cheese or mascarpone room temperature
- 1 egg room temperature
- ¼ cup / 40g powdered erythritol (So Nourished)
- ¾ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C / 160 fan. Line a 28 x 19 x 3.5cm baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Brownie Batter
- Add all the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix well with a fork or spatula.
- Add the wet ingredients and stir together using a fork or spatula. Last, stir in the chocolate chips.
Cheesecake batter
- Place the cream cheese, erythritol, egg and vanilla into a mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer until combined.
Assembly
- Add dollops of brownie batter to your prepared baking tin. Save about 4 tbsp. Don’t spread.
- Spoon the cheesecake batter into the gaps and gently shake the pan to self level. Add the 4 tbsp of reserved batter to the top of a 4 cheesecake dollops. Using a toothpick swirl the batters together. Don’t be tempted to over swirl.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for about 20 - 25 minutes until the edges are cooked but the centre is still a little jiggly and just before the cheesecake batter browns. My oven was about 24 minutes.
- The brownies with firm up as they cool so don’t be tempted to over-bake. Remove from the oven and allow to fully cool to firm up before slicing. Placing in the fridge, once cooled, will also firm them up a bit more.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Debra says
Wow! Just in time to go to a cottage, with dessert already planned as baked. Thanks. Wondering if these would freeze well with? Any idea?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, you can freeze these without issues.
Debra says
Thx so much!
Mya says
These brownies were absolutely divine. They were very moist and rich i couldnt stop eating it! Probably the best keto dessert i have ever made. I omitted the chocolate chips and I actually forgot to add an egg in the cheesecake batter so i made another batch with the egg- and i actually prefer the one without the egg. Just my personal preference.
Katrin Nürnberger says
How interesting! Thanks for sharing 🙂
A huge fan says
I made these yesterday and tried them today. Oh my god they're amazing! Thank you!!!
Monika says
I can only say my boyfriend who is not on keto diet absolutely loves them. The taste is so satisfying and indulging that puts the smile on my face straight away. It is very easy to make. I made a mistake and kept my brownies in the oven for 40 min instead of 25 but it did not spoil the taste at all.
Sara says
What size pan would you use stateside? We have 9x13 and 8x8. Your sized pan falls right in between. 🙂
Katrin Nürnberger says
I’d use the 8x8 🙂
Polie says
This recipe is so good! But i wonder why my brownies still very soft even after hours of cooling. Could it be because I used glass pan?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Pans can definitely affect baking results, as can the ovens themselves - some are simply less hot than they "claim" to be. Also, baking on a lower shelf rather than the middle means temperatures will be slightly lower. If you find your brownies are not firm enough even after cooling in the fridge, then I suggest you simply keep your next batch in a little longer. But hopefully, the fridge should make them firm enough to cut!
Ioana says
Hi Katrin,
I wonder if I could double the ingredients and bake in a bigger pan? I have some friends coming over and this would be the perfect dessert, given that one loves chocolate and the other cheesecake, plus the kids would like it too, so your recipe feels like winning the lottery right now since it would simplify things a lot!
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes, everything I've tried turned out great!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, of course. My guess is that you would have to increase the oven time. Maybe 10 minutes more? You'll have to test it. Definitely cover the top with an aluminium foil dome to prevent the cheesecake going brown on top for the additional time.
Lisa Dashper says
These gorgeous cheesecake brownies are absolutely delicious. The recipe is so easy to follow and they brownies come out perfect every time. I am a recent newcomer to the keto lifestyle and luckily for me I found your website very early in. I have used quite a few of your recipes and have not found one dish I haven’t liked, they’ve all been exceptional! Thanks to you I will never go back to the old carb heavy diet - who would when the food this good. Thank you
Katrin Nürnberger says
So glad you like the website Lisa!!
Ketofoodiesg says
I tried these and loved them! Not sure if I overbaked mine as my cheesecake is yellowish? They taste awesome. I added some toffee stevia on the brownie mixture so not sure if it made any difference. Anyway I’m not a fan of dark chocolate so next time Ill use white chocolate keto chips on mine 🙂 Will definitely bake again! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi there, if you use an egg with a deep yellow yolk the colour of the cheesecake will be slightly yellow. And, if you keep it in the oven too long or on a shelf that's too high, it will start browning a little. This started to happen to mine on the edges, you can see it in the images. However, if the cake starts to brown and you feel it's not done yet, simply cover the top loosely with a foil dome. This prevents the top from darkening.
Ketofoodiesg says
Thank you! I’ll try again 🙂
HappyFoodGeek says
Yes, I need these brownies in my life now! Those look beautiful, I'm making those today, look so good.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Keep me posted! Would love to hear how they turned out
Roché says
These are absolutely delicious! I put a heaped tablespoon of freeze dried raspberries on top when they came out of the oven. So good - all the family love them.
Can I ask where you get Lakanto in the UK? I have other sweeteners mentioned but would like to try it.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Roche, that must have looked so pretty (and tasted great!) You can get Lakanto at http://mydiet-shop.co.uk/
Roché says
Great, thanks!!
Jo says
OMG these are the BEST ever! So moist!
Pinar says
Perfect keto cheesecake brownies! Thank you for another great recipe 🙂
Just a friendly reminder for readers: Try not to overwhip the cheese like I did, cause your cheesecake batter will get runny and you might lose time keeping it in the fridge before using, oops..
Laura says
Hi Katrin!
These sound amazing!
Can you use heavy cream instead of almond milk?
I don’t usually keep almond milk in the house.
Thanks for all these delicious desserts!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Laura, yes, that should work well too.
Heidi says
Dose this brownie have that grainy texture? I’m new to keto and I bee trying some cake/brownie recipes and they all seem to come out with a grainy texture or a bitter taste.
Katrin Nürnberger says
I don't think it's grainy 🙂 Wondering why you're getting a bitter taste? Erythritol has a slightly cooling aftertaste. It's not bitter. I'd say that sounds more like stevia. Maybe your sweetener contains stevia? Might be worth testing another brand, for example Lakanto. It's an erythritol / monfruit mix.
Nicola O'Dean says
Hey just about to do this recipe the 1 cup or gram measurments? they are all different for 1 cup so i am confused.. I'll just weigh it out as the grams and see how it comes out.. Or am i missing something?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Just stick to either - depending on the density of the ingredient you measure in a cup you'll have different weight in grams. 🙂