These scrumptious sugar free, low carb cheesecake brownies are quick to make and kid approved! They're gluten free, keto, nut free and just 3 net carbs per serving!
The Best Sugar Free Cheesecake Brownies
This easy sugar free cheesecake brownie recipe is quick and ready in 30 minutes! You can make these ahead and they hold well for any party! It's the best of both worlds, sugar free chocolate brownies topped with sugar free cheesecake! The best of both Low Carb Recipes in my opinion, the ultimate Cheesecake Brownies!
The brownies are actually flourless, nut free, gluten free, low carb and keto! The cheesecake topping is sugar free, low carb, gluten free and keto as well! It's the perfect allergy friendly treat for everyone!
Can I leave out the Instant Espresso?
If you don't have instant espresso you can leave it out, but it does help enhance the chocolate flavor in the brownies. Coffee is often added to many chocolate recipes to make the chocolate flavor even more pronounced.
I've used it in my Sugar Free Chocolate Sorbet, Chocolate Fudge Cake, and Chocolate Brownie Mousse Cake.
How to Make Sugar Free Cheesecake Brownies
Ingredients
For the brownies you need eggs, butter, sour cream, vanilla extract, low carb sweetener, instant espresso powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and sugar free chocolate chips.
For the cheesecake topping, you need cream cheese, egg, low carb sweetener, vanilla extract and an optional topping of sugar free chocolate or chips.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a stand mixer, add the first 5 ingredients and blend on high until combined well.
In another bowl whisk together the next 5 dry ingredients.
Pour this into the wet ingredients and blend on high until combined.
Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
Grease an 8 by 8 baking dish.
Pour half the brownie batter into the pan. Set aside remaining batter.
Prepare the cheesecake topping using a stand or hand held mixer to blend until smooth.
Pour half the cheesecake topping onto the brownie batter in the pan.
Pour the remaining brownie batter over the the cheesecake topping.
Finish with remaining cheesecake topping.
Use a butterknife to swirl the batter and cheesecake topping together.
Decorate with optional chocolate bar chunks or chips if desired before baking.
Bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick in center comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Can these Cheesecake Brownies be made Dairy Free?
Yes you can make these cheesecake brownies dairy free. First swap out the butter in the brownie batter with coconut oil. Swap out the sour cream with coconut yogurt or canned coconut milk.
For the cheesecake topping, you could just skip the cheesecake topping as the brownies are equally as good on their own. But if you still want that cheesecake topping, swap out the cream cheese with a vegan cream cheese substitute.
Swapping Low Carb Sweeteners
You can sub the chocolate liquid stevia with vanilla liquid stevia or plain liquid stevia.
Swerve sweetener is less sweet than most erythritol sweeteners so if you were to substitute it, I would say just use ½ cup in the brownies and remove the chocolate stevia.
I like the brand Lily's Sweets for sugar-free chocolate chips and that's what I used in this recipe. You can use 85% dark chocolate instead as well.
If you don't use Swerve or stevia in the cheesecake filling you can replace it with a sweetener of choice that equals about ½ cup of sugar. Here is my Sweetener Guide and Conversion chart.
Sugar Free Cheesecake Brownies (Keto, Low Carb)
Sugar-Free Cheesecake Brownies {Gluten Free and Low Carb}
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup butter softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon chocolate liquid stevia
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso
- ¾ cup Swerve granular sweetener
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar free chocolate chips
Cheesecake Topping
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup Swerve Confectioners sweetener
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla liquid stevia
- optional topping: 2 ounces sugar free or 85% dark chocolate candy bar or chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a stand mixer, add the first 5 ingredients and blend on high until combined well.
- In another bowl whisk together the next 5 dry ingredients.
- Pour this into the wet ingredients and blend on high until combined.
- Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
- Grease an 8 by 8 baking dish.
- Pour half the brownie batter into the pan. Set aside remaining batter.
- Prepare the cheesecake topping using a stand or hand held mixer to blend until smooth.
- Pour half the cheesecake topping onto the brownie batter in the pan.
- Pour the remaining brownie batter over the the cheesecake topping.
- Finish with remaining cheesecake topping.
- Use a butterknife to swirl the batter and cheesecake topping together.
- Decorate with optional chocolate bar chunks or chips if desired before baking.
- Bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick in center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
Rebecca Krell
I’ve read all the comments. I want to make these this weekend. The recipe calls for granular swerve but I read a comment that you actually used confectioners. Is this true? Do you prefer a glass pan or does it matter? I’ve read suggestions on coconut flour. What are your thoughts? I just reached my goal weight, and I want the perfect celebration treat. Thanks!
Brenda
Dark metal pan or ceramic and honestly I've made this many times swapping granular Swerve with confectioners and both come out delicious.
REBECCA KRELL
Thank you! I look forward to making these!
Sherreeruston Ruston
Is there NO flour in this???
Brenda
Correct, no flour.
Natasha Birdsong
As of right now I'm not happy with this recipe. I followed it to a t and it tasted bitter. Is there any way to fix that?
Brenda
Bitterness can come from the unsweetened cocoa powder or that it didn't have enough sweetener added for your palate.
Amber
Is it really an 8x8 pan and 16 servings? 3 carbs for that?
Brenda
Yes the brownies are nice and high and a small piece is all you need.
Shana
Yeah something is wrong between the video and the recipe. First of all don't layer it says. Just put the brownies and then the cheesecake on top. What I can't understand is the consistency. I'm not a new baker abd have been doing gf for ever it feels like. This recipe while it kind of turned out and the flavor was great it is too liquidy. I'm wondering if maybe you used the confection swerve instead of the regular (the link goes to granulated but I'm sure that was incorrect). The mixture was so runny the chocolate chips went right to the bottom and when I placed the chocolate on top they did the same thing. I'm wanting to avoid coconut flour but may do it if I can't figure out the difference between your video and actual recipe. Any suggestions would be appreciated
Brenda
The recipe turned out and flavor was great but you have an issue with the batter being liquidy? The videographer did not follow steps 7-11 and only added all the brownie batter to the pan and all the cheesecake batter on top of that instead of layering as I wrote the recipe, but the instructions clearly tell you exactly how it should be done, but either way, even in the video you can see it comes out fine.
Shana
Yes the battery was too liquidy causing the chocolate to understandably sink. I wonder if Swerve changed its formulation since the original recipe was created? I was wondering if not layering it would allow the slightly thicker batter to hold at least some of the chocolate but that doesn't seem to be it since that wasn't the original intention... Hmm... Are you using the regular swerve or the confectioners? That would thicken it
Shana
I did them again with confectioners swerve and it worked perfectly. Thanks!
Brenda
I used Confectioners.
Adriana
Looks good but stevia flour? 😐
Brenda
There's no stevia flour in this.
Dayana
I made these last night, followed the recipe correctly, but they came put too bitter. 🙁 i am not sure if it was supposed to
Come out that way, or skip chocolate chips. I can barely eat them.
Brenda
If it's bitter there is not enough sweetener for your taste buds. It's always best to taste your batter before adding eggs, so that prior to baking you can adjust the sweetener if you need to. I just did a live on FB yesterday making these:https://www.facebook.com/SugarFreeMom/videos/1165180180506440
Barb
If I make these again and I probably will, I'm not putting in the espresso. I feel like it made them a tad bitter.
Stefanie
Hi! It’s my husband’s 40th birthday and was recently diagnosed as diabetic from severe pancreatitis. He is requesting these brownies but I don’t have any liquid stevia. Can I leave it out? And if so, do I make any other adjustments to stevia?
Brenda
You can leave it out but you're removing sweetness so you need to supplement it another sweetener you like. The swerve alone is not sweet enough but you could swap the Swerve with monk fruit sweetener in the same amount which might be enough sweetness.
Scott
Your website has teach me a lot about low carb and no sugar recipes. Thank god that i found your website. It has helped me unknowingly to manage my sugar levels very cleverly. God bless you dear!
sean j
Thanks for sharing, will love to try out this Sugar-Free Cheesecake Brownies soon!
Tiffinie
Just finished making this I used 2 mini muffin pans making 24 servings. I didn't have any issues with the batter being too thin. They are DELICIOUS!!
Blake
This is one of the best Recipe, you have shared online. I will surely give it a try.
Lorrena
Thanks agajn for another great recipe, how long would you think this would keep out of the fridge?
Brenda
Just a day since it has cheesecake in it, should be refrigerated.
Michelle Wolfson
I just made this recipe and it turned out great. I used an 8 x 8 glass baking dish. I missed the part about layering the brownie and the cheesecake. So I had already dumped the brownie mix into the pan and then I just poured the cheesecake on top and swirled it around. I didn’t have swerve on hand but I had another sweetener called Pyure, which is a Stevia and erythritol blend. In the notes it said for other sweeteners to use the equivalent of a half a cup of sugar. In the case of Pyure you would use half the amount. So I used a quarter cup and I would say that it really wasn’t sweet enough. So I would definitely make this again but either use more of the sweetener or add Splenda to the mix. I did not use any liquid Stevia. My daughter said she felt like it should have more cheesecake in it. She really likes cheesecake LOL. So I might try doubling the cheesecake and then pouring it on and see how it goes. I didn’t have any issues with the batter being excessively watery. And it set just fine after 35 minutes of baking. I’ve made other flourless cakes before, not necessarily low-carb or otherwise. You just have to make sure that you bake them long enough and that time can vary depending on the type of pan you’re using. One trick is to put foil just around the edges or even over the whole thing if you notice that the edges are starting to get brown before the center has set.
B
Hi Brenda,
I am n the keto diet, would love to try this recipe it looks amazing
Is there a big difference is this kind of cacao powder https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/301676049?sc_cmp=ppc*GHS+-+Grocery+-+New*PX+%7C+Shopping+GSC+%7C+All+Products*New:+F%26D:+Food+Cupboard:+Food+Cupboard*PRODUCT_GROUP301676049*&gclid=CjwKCAjw-4_mBRBuEiwA5xnFIAktdbzXnbGpXp9RwAeu4dQIfDe0cgnerzVayFhK_-OkVEhA9PuC3xoCkbEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I have already spent a lot on almond flour, coco flour, erythritol I will soon be broke
Thanks
Clark Smith
It looks like too tasty!
Will definitely try it
Thanks to you!
Liza Roy
Hello Brenda!
Thanks for sharing it!
It looks yummy!
Maria
I like this cake very much because it will be my recommendation for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner in my family’s dessert menu
Mary Colton
Thanks Brenda for this beautiful cheesecake brownie's reciepe. I can't wait to try this weekend. I am sure my kids will love this.
Christine
Made these last night. Followed recipe ingredients exactly. But the cooling effect of the Swerve kept causing my butter and cream cheese to seize up so I was never able to get batter smooth. Also, the texture today when cutting them is almost dry and crumbling - not sure what I did wrong. But the taste is delicious and chocolatey - a slight grainy texture I think must be from the Swerve.
Sonia
WHat can I use instead of sour cream?
Brenda
Greek yogurt or coconut cream.
Jane
Wow. This recipe looks healthy. I will try this out for my kids. I will be back with reviews after trying this.
Robin
AMAZING!!! I wondered about the brownie batter as it wasn't smooth and was thin. However, coming out of the oven, gorgeous, and eating, gooey and delicious! Bless the person who cut them into 24! I cut them into 9 and could have eaten a bunch at once! I used a mix of Swerve, xylitol, and some stevia because hubby gets the cooling effects from Swerve. You would NEVER know this was sugar free! I'm going to make this over and over and serve to friends!
THANK YOU!
Raphaela
I'm about to make these now. I'm really craving chocolate cake
but do not want the sugar and transfats which usually are included in store bought.
"...blessed the person who cut them into 24" Lol! That was funny. I really hope I feel the same?
Robin
Seriously! I cut them into 9 squares ?
Jennifer
I will try to do them this weekend so my family can enjoy and comment. Maybe give me better share and I'll have more motivation to make them better. Thank you for sharing the receipt.
Shelly Wilson
About to make for the second time- the first batch hit the sweet spot and then some! Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!
gjeanieg
These were terrific! We made them last night. Brownie batter is soupy...but have faith! They baked up perfectly. [I added 1.5 Tbs. coconut flour to help absorb some of the liquid.] EASILY 20 servings (we actually got 24), as they are so rich and dense! We will make these again. =) Thank you, Brenda, for these wonderful FREE recipes!
Brenda
THANK YOU!
gjeanieg
You're welcome! =) And these are nut-free, as well...unless I missed something. =)
Brenda
Yep nut free, my youngest has a tree nut and peanut nut allergy so I try to make things he can eat.
Talisa Flynn
These were AWESOME!! I've had such a hard time finding a 'sugar free' recipe that I AND the kids like (only have one other - chocolate pecan pralines). I hid the leftovers in the refrigerator praying that my 18 year old doesn't find them so that I can have another when I get home tonight LOL!!
Brenda
Thank you so much!