Creamy and delicate, these keto mini cheesecakes are so easy to make - much easier than baking a full cake. The whipped chocolate topping is marvelous and highly recommended, although they're delicious without it, too.
I enjoy keto cheesecake, keto pumpkin cheesecake, and crustless ricotta cheesecake. These keto mini cheesecakes are especially good. They have this wonderful vanilla flavor, and their topping is rich and chocolatey. They are easy enough to be an everyday dessert for the family but are also perfect for hosting because you make them in advance, eliminating the need for frantic last-minute efforts in the kitchen.
Ingredients
Here's a look at the ingredients needed to make these cakes. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.
For the Cheesecakes:
- Soft cream cheese: I recommend using full-fat cream cheese in this recipe. I usually soften it in the microwave.
- Sweetener: I use stevia glycerite. You can use a granulated sweetener instead.
- Vanilla extract: Try to use the real thing - pure vanilla extract - and not the artificially flavored stuff.
- Egg: I use large eggs in almost all of my recipes, including this one. It should be at room temperature - you can dip it in warm water to warm it up.
For the Chocolate Topping:
Heavy whipping cream, vanilla, a sweetener, and cocoa powder. If you'd like to use a granulated sweetener, make sure it's powdered, or the topping could feel grainy.
Variations
Instead of the chocolate topping, you can top the cakes with any of the following:
- Blueberry compote - as shown in the image below
- Strawberry compote
- A drizzle of warmed peanut butter and/or dark chocolate
- A dusting of sugar-free confectioners' sugar
- Fresh berries
- Keto whipped cream
Another tasty variation, if you like coconut, is to use coconut extract in the cakes instead of vanilla extract.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Beat the cream cheese, sweetener, and vanilla until smooth. Then, beat in the egg. Don't overbeat - you don't want to aerate the batter too much.
Transfer the mixture to greased, foil-lined muffin cups and bake until set, for 15-20 minutes in a 350°F oven. Cool completely, then refrigerate.
To make the topping, whip the topping ingredients in a mini food processor until light and fluffy. Spoon the topping on the cooled cakes or pipe it using a piping bag.
Expert Tips
Use Room-Temperature Ingredients
To ensure a smooth texture, all the ingredients should be at room temperature. This is the rule for all cheesecakes, as you probably know. I do the same thing when I make this wonderfully creamy keto cheesecake.
So try to remember to take everything out of the fridge at least an hour before you start mixing the ingredients. If you forget, you can soften the cream cheese in the microwave in 10-second sessions and dip the egg in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for a few minutes.
Use foil liners
These cakes stick to standard paper liners (even well-greased ones), but they don't stick to greased foil liners. You can see in the photo below how easy it is to remove foil liners from these cakes.
Recipe FAQs
Indeed, cheesecakes often sink in the middle or get cracks on top. While unsightly, this does not detract from their amazing flavor.
It's no coincidence that so many recipes call for a topping, such as a baked topping of sour cream or a fruit topping.
These cheesecakes never crack when I make them (as long as the ingredients are at room temperature). But they do sink a little in the middle, which is perfect for the chocolate topping.
As long as you use greased foil liners, this is a non-issue. It's easy to remove the liners from the muffin pan, and the liners don't stick to the cakes. Just make sure to cool the cakes completely before attempting to remove the liners.
You can use a granulated sweetener in the cakes and a powdered one in the topping. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
Serving suggestions
These tasty little cakes make the perfect after-dinner dessert. But sometimes, I have one of them as a quick afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of coffee (or iced coffee).
When I plan on serving them as a snack or breakfast cake, I leave them unfrosted.
Storing Leftovers
You can store these cakes in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to five days. Remember to remove them from the fridge an hour before serving them. Cheesecake, like chocolate, is best at room temperature.
You can also freeze these cakes in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge.
More Cheesecake Recipes
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Recipe Card
Keto Mini Cheesecakes
Video
Ingredients
Cheesecakes:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter - melted, for the liners
- 8 ounces cream cheese - room temperature
- 1 teaspoon stevia glycerite - equals about ¼ cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg - room temperature; see notes
Topping:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon stevia glycerite - equals 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
Make the Cheesecakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 5 muffin cups with foil liners and brush the liners with melted butter.
- In a large bowl, use a hand whisk to mix the cream cheese, sweetener, and vanilla.
- Add the egg and whisk just until incorporated. Don't overmix.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared muffin cups, filling them almost full. Bake until set but not browned (the center should be almost firm), for 15-20 minutes.
- Cool the cakes in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes, then remove them from the pan and cool them directly on the rack for 30 more minutes. Don’t remove the liners yet. As the cakes cool, their center will slightly sink. Perfect for toppings!
- Once the cakes reach room temperature, place them in a sealed container and refrigerate them for one hour, then remove the liners.
Make the Topping:
- Place the heavy whipping cream, vanilla, sweetener, and cocoa powder in a mini food processor bowl (the volume of ingredients is too low for a standard-size food processor).
- Process until the ingredients turn into thick whipped cream, about 1 minute. If you have a "grind" and a "chop" setting, use the "chop" setting. If needed, stop once to scrape the sides and bottom.
- Top the cakes with the whipped topping and serve.
Notes
- The cheesecakes stick to standard paper liners (even well-greased) but not to greased foil liners.
- To ensure a smooth texture, all the ingredients should be at room temperature. So try to remember to take everything out of the fridge at least an hour before you start mixing the ingredients. If you forget, you can soften the cream cheese in the microwave in 10-second sessions and dip the egg in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for a few minutes.
- You can use a granulated sweetener in the cakes and a powdered one in the topping instead of stevia.
- You can store these cakes in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to five days. Remember to remove them from the fridge an hour before serving them. Cheesecake, like chocolate, is best at room temperature. You can also freeze these cakes in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge.
- Nutrition info for one mini cake without the topping: Calories 172, Total Fat 17 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Sodium 148 mg, Total Carbohydrate 2 g, Dietary Fiber 0 g, Sugars 2 g, Protein 4 g.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Miriah Baxter says
If I don't have foil liners, will silicon ones well greased work as well?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Miriah,
I think they will.
Miriah says
Yep! They worked just fine!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful! Thank you so much for letting me know.