Creamy, smooth Basque cheesecake that is low carb and keto-friendly. This easy cheesecake needs just 4 ingredients and takes less than five minutes to prepare. It is as creamy, smooth and rich as traditional Basque burnt cheesecake. This fool-proof dessert is great for bringing to gatherings.
One of my favorite desserts to make this time of year is Basque burnt cheesecake. The impressive and unique looking dessert is actually quite easy to make and this keto version tastes just as good as the original. And it is nearly impossible to mess up. Add all the ingredients, blend and then bake.
Ingredients
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sweetener
- Eggs
- Heavy Cream
Powdered sweetener: I used powdered Swerve (erythritol) to make this cake. It should work with most powdered keto sweeteners such as powdered monkfruit, however it may not work well with allulose. I did not have a chance to test this with allulose but I’ve found that allulose can cause more spreading and also can burn more easily, which is why it may not be ideal for this cake. You do want to use a powdered form of sweetener because it melts better. In addition, powdered sweeteners include tapioca starch or cornstarch to prevent the sugar from clumping and this also helps the cake bind.
What is Basque Cheesecake
Basque burnt cheesecake originated from the Basque region of Spain. The crustless cheesecake is baked at a very high temperature which is what gives the cake its signature caramelized appearance. The cake is meant to be fully cooked on the outside but not quite set in the middle, so that has an extra creamy center. While the original version does use a little flour to help the cake bind, I’ve made the cake without flour and it comes out just fine. This keto version swaps out the sugar for a sugar-free sweetener
How to make Keto Basque Cheesecake
- The ingredients are all added to a food processor and blended until smooth.
- Pour the batter into a greased and lined baking pan.
- Bake until surface is caramelized and middle is not quite set. Let cheesecake cool before eating. I also recommend that you put the cheesecake in the fridge for a few hours which helps the flavors develop better.
More Keto Cheesecake Recipes
- Keto Microwave Cheesecake
- 3 Ingredient Keto Japanese Cheesecake
- 4 Ingredient Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake
4 Ingredient Keto Basque Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 2 (8 oz/227 g) blocks cream cheese (a total of 16 oz/454 g), softened to room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (150 g) powdered Swerve or other powdered sweetener, see note
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/118 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475°F (246°C). Spray the interior of a 7-inch round nonstick cake pan with cooking spray and then line the bottom with a parchment round. If your cake pan is not nonstick, then also line the sides of the cake pan with a strip of parchment paper. Alternatively, you can line the entire cake pan with just one big sheet of parchment paper (doing your best to press the parchment paper into the sides and bottom of the cake pan) but your finished cake will have more indents along the sides and bottom. See note section for more details.
- Add all ingredients to a food processor. Blend on high speed until you have a smooth batter and no egg streaks remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Use a spatula to smooth and even out the surface. Place the cake into the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the surface turns a dark caramelized brown. It's okay if the center of the cake is still slightly jiggly or not quite set. You will need to watch the oven closely the last few minutes of baking so that the cake surface doesn’t go from caramelized to burnt.
- The cheesecake will initially be quite puffy but will deflate as it cools. Let cheesecake cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes and then place into fridge. Let the cheesecake cool in the fridge for several hours (or overnight) before cutting. To remove the cheesecake, loosen the edges of the pan with spatula and then gently slide the cheesecake out onto a plate. Then flip it over onto another plate, so that the cheesecake is right side up.
Notes
- Basque cheesecake is usually baked in a springform cake pan or a round cake pan with the cake pan lined with a single large sheet of parchment paper. This creates a very rustic appearance for the cheesecake since the cheesecake will take on the indents and wrinkles of the parchment paper as it bakes. To make the cheesecake look a little smoother along the sides and bottom, I prefer to line just the bottom of a nonstick round cake pan or line the bottom and sides separately with two different pieces of parchment paper. However, this only works on a solid one-piece cake pan. The batter will leak through a springform pan so you must use a single sheet of parchment paper if you are using a springform pan.
- You need two full blocks of cream cheese (so a total of 16 oz as each block is 8 oz)
- I tested this with powdered Swerve which is made from erythritol. I think this should also work with other powdered sweeteners like monkfruit. It may not work as well with allulose though I haven't tested it. See post for more details on the sweetener discussion. You can also use regular sugar if you are not on a keto or low carb diet.
- If you are on a keto diet, please remember to look at net carbs and not just total carbs in the estimated nutrition. The net carbs count excludes fiber and carbs from sugar alcohols.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
