Keto Cheesecake Recipe
Since making the decision to stick to a ketogenic diet, making the adjustment to more fat and less carbs was strange at first, but it has become second nature and I feel much better with less carbs in my body. And when I discovered that I could make a keto cheesecake in the Instant Pot, that was a happy day in this house.
The process of making the cheesecake is actually very simple, but step-by-step photos always help to ensure a good keto instant pot cheesecake. I’ve made this in both of my 6″ cake pans, but the easiest is definitely the push-pan as opposed to the regular pan for baking.
Since this cheesecake is low-carb diet friendly, we’re skipping the crust altogether. That means that there’s the possibility for leaking with the push-pan. The solution to that is to wrap the bottom of the pan in a piece of foil.
Once you get the sugar-free cheesecake filling in the prepared pan or a large bowl for baking, place a paper towel sheet on top of the parchment ring (tall enough so it’s not touching the actual cheesecake) and secure it in place with another piece of foil. This is to absorb condensation that may form so it doesn’t drip down onto your cheesecake.
Then you’ll pour 1.5 cups of water into the pot and place the wire trivet in the pot with the handles up. If you have a separate ring for desserts/sweets, put that in the lid now. This will keep your cheesecake from taking on a savory flavor instead of the cheesy vanilla flavor that has to have. Place the cheesecake in the pot on the trivet using a foil sling. It will be a snug fit and this will be the best way to get it in and out of the pot.
Set the “Manual” time to 37 minutes for your easy keto cheesecake. When the cycle is complete, do not release the pressure and open it just yet. Let the Instant Pot naturally pressure release for 18 minutes. Once the 18 minutes are up, then go ahead and quick release anymore pressure remaining.
When you take the keto instant pot cheesecake out, it’s possible that some condensation didn’t get soaked up into the paper towel and is sitting on the cheesecake. That’s fine, just gently absorb it with a fresh paper towel. And hang on to the paper towel/foil lid, you’ll use it again.
One slice of this cheesecake is 1/4 of my daily macros, and I am a-ok with that. I may have eaten a slice a day for a couple weeks while I worked on this recipe, but now I’m eating it on a slightly less daily schedule some cheesecake bites.
While the sugar-free cheesecake is still hot, spread on the yogurt mixture, going all the way to the edges. Put the paper towel/foil lid back on and refrigerate before melted, the cheesecake for at least 8 hours (or overnight). I’ll be honest, I’ve taken it out after about 6 hours (impatient, I know) and it was fine. But 8 hours is safe.
I sometimes add a small garnish of blueberries and raspberry reduction with some vanilla. No added sugar, just boiled down some raspberries and strained out the seeds. It adds an extra berry tartness without adding much to the net carb count (I didn’t calculate it out, I’m just assuming it’s minimal).
Instant Pot Low-Carb Cheesecake {keto; primal}
Yield: 8
Prep Time: 9 hours 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 10 hours 5 minutes
This cheesecake is a delicious way to hit your keto macros, with only 3g net carbs and a whopping 24g of fat per slice.
Ingredients
Filling
- 16 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp Granulated Swerve
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Fresh Orange Zest, dried zest results in a chunky texture
- Zest of 1 Small Lemon
- 3 Eggs , room temperature
- 1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Top Layer
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt, full-fat
- 2 tsp Granulated Swerve
Instructions
- Using a 6" (or 7" maximum) push pan or springform pan, take a strip of parchment paper slightly taller than the sides of the pan (a pan with a height of at least 2.5" is best) and line all the way around the perimeter of the pan. Very lightly oil the bottom of the pan. Wrap a piece of foil around the bottom of the pan. Since we're not using a crust, this will help insure that no water gets into the cheesecake and no cheesecake seeps out of the pan. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, blend together cream cheese, Swerve, heavy cream, lemon and orange peels, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add eggs, one at a time, very gently mixing until just combined. Do not over mix the eggs, otherwise you're cheesecake will be lumpy, not creamy.
- Pour the filling into the prepared pan. Lay a paper towel on top of the pan and gently wrap a piece of tin foil over the top to hold the foil in place. This is why the parchment needs to be taller than the pan. Set aside.
- Pour 1-1/2 cups of water into the inner liner pot of the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker (use 2 cups for the 8qt models). Place the trivet in the water with the handles up.
- Take a long piece of tinfoil and fold it in thirds, creating a sling. Place the cheesecake on the center of the foil sling and very gently lift it up using the long piece of foil. Place it into the Instant Pot on the trivet. Leave the sling in the pot.
- Put the lid on the pressure cooker and set the valve to "Sealing". Press the "Manual" button and increase the time to 37 minutes.
- While the cheesecake is cooking, prepare the topping. Mix the "Topping" ingredients and set aside.
- When the cycle ends, let the Instant Pot naturally release pressure (DO NOT open the valve and do a Quick Pressure Release) for 18 minutes. Open the valve and remove the lid when all pressure is released.
- Carefully lift the cheesecake out of the Instant Pot with the foil sling. Remove the foil and paper towel from the top. If any liquid has accumulated on top of the cheesecake, very gently dab it off with a paper towel.
- While the cheesecake is still hot (and it's okay if there's a slight jiggle to it in the middle), spread the topping over it.
- Replace the paper towel/foil lid on the cheesecake and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
- When completely cooled, release the outer spring ring of the pan or, if using a push pan, push the bottom up out of the pan and remove the out layer of parchment. Cut into 8 slices and serve chilled.
Notes
- "Prep Time" includes the cooling time. Hands-on prep time is about 10 minutes.
- "Cook Time" does not include the time it takes to get to pressure. This is usually only about 5 minutes for me.
- Recipe and method adapted from This Old Gal.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8Serving Size 1 slice
Amount Per ServingCalories 268.1Total Fat 23.8gSaturated Fat 15gUnsaturated Fat 1.9gCholesterol 152.6mgSodium 239.8mgCarbohydrates 3gSugar 2.6gProtein 6.8g
Nutrition is calculated by a third party and may not be 100% accurate
