This easy low carb lemon cheesecake is not only zingy and refreshing, it is also heavenly creamy. Your guests won't believe this is a sugar-free dessert.
I adore cheesecake recipes. They are easy to make, look impressive and cleanse the palate after a meal. And with a few simple tweaks, any cheesecake can be low carb and keto friendly!
This sugar free lemon cheesecake tart is packed with citrus flavor. The no bake filling is set with gelatine. It is velvety and the perfect counterpart to the crispy gluten-free crust.
Many cheesecakes have a no bake crust which can become soggy. That's why I opted for a baked crust because I wanted the result to be crispy and light.
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Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we'll need:
Crust
- Almond Flour - or ground almonds
- Desiccated Coconut - must be unsweetened
- Egg - large
Filling
- Cream Cheese - I like to use Philadelphia, because it is extra smooth. Room temperature is best.
- Sour Cream - This works well instead of the usual heavy cream as the sour flavor goes with the zestiness of the lemon.
- Lemon - We are using the zest and the juice of a whole lemon.
- Powdered Sweetener - Any 1:1 sugar substitute works here. I used to make the recipe with powdered erythritol. Now I prefer either powdered allulose or Bocha Sweet. Neither has the cooling aftertaste of erythritol.
- Powdered Gelatine - This helps to set the filling.
Instructions
It is really simple to make a low carb lemon cheesecake. Here are the basic steps. For ingredient amounts, nutrition and more details, scroll down to the recipe card.
STEP 1
Combine the ingredients for the crust in a blender. Line a tart or pie dish with parchment paper and grease the sides with butter or oil. Press the dough into the bottom of the dish and up the sides.
STEP 2
Bake the crust in the preheated oven until golden. Then, let cool fully.
Crust Tips
- If you feel adventurous, add a teaspoon of ground ginger to the crust mixture. Ginger and lemon are flavour buddies.
- I personally do not think the crust needs additional sweetener as the coconut has some natural sweetness to it. However, we're all different and you know yourself best. Do add a teaspoon of granulated or powdered erythritol if you feel it would work better for you.
- If you have beans for blind baking, throw them on top of the crust before you put it in the oven. They prevent the bottom of the tart from rising up.
- Another trick to prevent the crust base from bubbling up is to prick the unbaked crust with a fork.
Filling
STEP 3
Blend the cream cheese, sour cream, sweetener, lemon juice and zest until well-combined.
STEP 4
Dissolve the gelatine according to the packet instructions. I dissolved mine in a few tablespoons of hot water. Then, stir the gelatine into the cheesecake filling mixture.
STEP 5
Pour the filling into the cooled tart base and refrigerate until set.
Cheesecake Filling Tips
- Let the gelatine mixture cool down to lukewarm before mixing it into the filling. If the temperature difference is too great it might end up lumpy.
- Don't omit the lemon zest. It makes the cake taste 100% better.
- And as with the crust, adjust the sugar substitute to taste. I don't have much of a sweet tooth and you may prefer a little more sweetness.
Serving Suggestion
Option to top the tart with lemon slices, a layer of sugar free whipped cream or sugar free lemon curd.
Variations
Use Lime: Replace the lemon with lime for a version of sugar free key lime pie.
No Bake Crust: Skip the baking and make a no-bake crust. Use the same amounts of almond flour and coconut, but replace the egg with ¼ cup of coconut oil. Use a springform lined with parchment paper and spread the crust mix only on the bottom and not the sides.
Mini cheesecakes: Make individual cheesecakes in a muffin tin. To release those out of the tin with ease, use paper cups or freeze them for a couple of hours so they are nice and firm and pop out of the tin without you denting them. This is a trick I learned when making these low carb raspberry cheesecakes.
No gelatine: If you don't like the idea of gelatine, use whipped heavy cream or whipped coconut cream (use only the firm parts from your can of coconut milk) instead of sour cream. Fold it into the filling mixture at the end. Refrigerate well before cutting.
Less calories: Low carb desserts do not normally focus on being low fat. However, if you would prefer a lighter cake, replace the sour cream with Greek yogurt. This reduces the fat content.
Storage
Like its sugary original, this low carb lemon cheesecake must be stored in the refrigerator. In an airtight container, the cake keeps fresh for 4-5 days.
It also freezes well! I slice and freeze any leftovers for up to 3 months. This way, I can defrost one slice at a time. My husband likes to eat it frozen, straight from the freezer. This way, it tastes a bit like a lemon creamsicle!
More Low Carb Cheesecake Recipes
Here are more fruity sugar free cheesecakes to try:
- Keto Orange Cheesecake1 Hours 30 Minutes
- Keto Strawberry Cheesecake4 Hours 20 Minutes
- Keto Blueberry Cheesecake (No Bake)10 Hours 15 Minutes
- Sugar Free Cheesecake7 Hours 15 Minutes
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Recipe
Low Carb Lemon Cheesecake
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Equipment
- pie pan with a removable bottom
Ingredients
For the base
- 1.5 cup almond flour 150g or ground almonds
- ¾ cup desiccated coconut 70g, unsweetened
- 1 egg large
For the filling
- 10.5 oz cream cheese 300g, room temperature
- 10.5 oz sour cream 300g
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 2 tablespoon powdered sweetener (or more, to taste)
- 1 pack gelatine 12g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit (electric). Line the bottom of a tart/pie dish with parchment paper and grease the sides.
- In a blender or with a hand mixer (use a tall jug), blend the ingredients for the tart base until they resemble sticky crumbles and the coconut is starting to release its oils.
- Press the dough into a tart or pie dish with your fingers. My dish measured 22 cm at the bottom and 26 cm at the top.
- Bake for around 20 minutes until the tart crust is lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool down. Then remove tart base from the pan.
- Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, sweetener, lemon juice and zest in a bowl until smooth.
- Dissolve your gelatine according to your manufacturer's instructions (I dissolved mine in a few tablespoons of hot water) and add to the filling mix. Blend and fill into the tart base.
- Cool the tart in the fridge until set, a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. Decorate with more lemon zest or to your liking.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I first published this post in 2018 and republished it in 2024 with more details and tips.
janet
Katrin!
Thank you for this recipe! for all of your recipes, in truth.
My 66th B-Day is approaching and I decided to experiment with some treats.
Using lime instead of lemon, and substituting creamy kefir for the sour cream (last minute change because I could not find the sour cream available locally), this came out beautifully! Wow. Both the spouse and I enjoyed it.
As another fun switch...yesterday, I made your anzac biscuits and my spouse was so happy with them, that I decided to use them as the crust! So, I cut them to the size of the dessert dishes, then filled the dessert cups with the filling.
I am looking forward to more sweet experiments in the weeks prior to my celebration of another cycle round the Sun. To say thank you, I will share my experiences with your divine recipes i the comments.
Again, sincerely and genuinely, thank you for all the work you put into sharing your delightful and brilliant creativity with us.
Many blessings, j
Katrin Nürnberger
Dear Janet, first of all, I'd like to wish you a wonderful birthday. And I'd like to tell you how happy it makes me that you are enjoying the recipes. Good to know that the sugar free Anzac biscuits are a good crust for this cheesecake!
Carole
What size lemon do you use?
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Carole, I want to say a regular lemon, although that's not very helpful for you. Use a large one if in doubt. And, taste the filling and feel free to add more lemon if you feel it could use that!
janet
Hi Carol, I used a lime instead, but what I looked for was how much juice I got out of it ... at least 3 TBSP if not more...and it was a smallish lime. Two things were uppermost in my mind, how much fluid and how much flavour.
I hope that is helpful.
j
R
Hi,
Please can you advise what was the size of your pie dish for this recipe? I am going to try making it. So about to buy a pie/tart dish & noticed they sell thrm in different sizes 23cm,20cm & so on. Want to make sure the pan I use will not be too big of too small for your recipe hence asking. Thank you very much. Would really appreciate your advice.
Katrin Nürnberger
This was a 9-inch pie pan.
Barbara W
Oh my, delicious! I made this today and what a treat. I added a little stevia lemon flavoring as I wanted more lemon taste. A hit with my husband. This will definitely be a go to recipe for company. Thank you for another great recipe.