You have just stumbled upon my famous sugar-free no-bake lemon cheesecake, one of the top low-carb dessert recipes for the entire website. This easy low-carb cheesecake pretty much sums up what we all love – easy and healthy.
UPDATE – I have just added a new quick and easy cooking video, scroll below so you can make my sugar free no bake cheesecake for yourself tonight.
Sugar-Free No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake
The easiest low-carb cheesecakes I first made were my no-bake berry cheesecake and lime cheesecake. However, I wasn’t happy with the sweeteners they use.
Sugar-Free No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake
I wanted to develop a sugar-free no-bake cheesecake using gelatine and my own choice of sweetener.
Where I once used Weight Watcher’s sugar-free jelly for the ease, simplicity, and convenience, I now take a few extra minutes and make this recipe using gelatine and sweetener.
I have to say that this sugar-free no-bake lemon cheesecake is my favourite cheesecake I have ever developed. It can be poured into one large dish to be served, or make individual ramekin dishes. Serve with whipped cream and thin slices of lemon.
More Low-Carb Lemon Desserts
No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
Ingredients
Cheesecake Base
- 2 tsp granulated sweetener of choice or more, to your taste
- 150 g almond meal/flour
- 55 g butter melted
- 50 g desiccated/shredded coconut unsweetened
Lemon Cheesecake Filling
- 12 g powdered gelatine
- 2 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice or more, to your taste
- 200 ml boiling water
- 200 ml cold water
- 500 g cream cheese full fat (not the 'spreadable' variety)
- 4 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
Cheesecake Base
- Mix all the ingredients and press into a greased and lined pie/flan dish.
- Pop in the fridge while making the cheesecake filling.
Lemon Cheesecake Filling
- Pour the boiling water into a large jug and whisk in the gelatine powder. Whisk until all dissolved.
- Add the remaining cold water.
- Add the cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice and sweetener.
- Using a stick blender with the blade attachment, blend on a slow speed until smooth and lump free.
- Pour onto the prepared base.
- Refrigerate until set.
Notes
- No added sugar - any sugar in the nutritional panel comes from the coconut, almonds and lemon juice.
- Please taste the mixture before pouring into the dish. You will need to adjust the amount of sweetener according to YOUR tastes and depending on how sour your lemons are.
Sugar-free no bake lemon cheesecake ingredients:
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Asli says
Absolutely amazing!!! I made it today for my mother’s birthday!!! It is one of the best cheesecakes we have ever had 🙂 Thank you for the recipe!! A few changes I made: Add more butter to the base along with coconuts. Also add very little cinnamon to the base as my mom loves cinnamon 🙂 For the filling, I used 70% full fat cream cheese 30% light as I did not have enough full fat at home 🙂 Thus I increased the gelatin amount by 10% Absolutely love it!! I love less sweet recipes! Thus this becomes our favorite one now!!!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yay – I absolutely LOVE it when readers adapt my recipes with little tweaks here and there. I love the addition of cinnamon you made and the adaptation of what you have in your cupboard to suit the recipe. Thank you for the wonderful review 🙂
Samantha L. says
I made this Saturday morning. It taste great but then, I love lemons. I added 2 tsp more (pyure) sweetner and 1/4 tsp of coconut extract to the filling. My only slight complaint is the texture is closer to jello then cream cheese. But over all, I’ll make it again, just with a little less gelatin.
Nefertiti says
I loved the flavor but had a similar jello consistency. I did use fat free cream cheese-could that be the reason for the texture?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes, this is exactly what will have produced a strange texture. Do not use fat-free cream cheese …. ever! Firstly what is in cream cheese if the fat has been removed? Added sugars and starches. Secondly, all my recipes are developed using full-fat cream cheese, they will NOT set and will give a strange texture as you discovered (due to all the added starches). So enjoy your full-fat cream cheese and a lovely creamy velvety cheesecake with stable blood sugars after 🙂
Emily says
Planning to make this delicious looking recipe tomorrow. Can I use powdered erythritol for this recipe?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes, that will work. As always, taste after each addition to ensure you don’t over/under sweeten a recipe to your sweet tooth.
Jules says
Flipping great recipe! So so sooo simple. VERY cheap to make too. Lots of other low carb cheesecakes seem to require a billion dollars worth of ingredients. Well not quite, but you know what I mean.
My almond meal was quite pale, so I subbed in 50g of pecans to give a more traditional base colouring. I just blitzed them into a flour in my blender first.
I followed the suggestions made in one of the comments of adding some vanilla to the mix and a dash of cinnamon to the base. Honestly, I would have liked to add the ginger to the base that Libby suggested, but thought I would play it safe with the intended recipients of the cake.
The filling on its own is going to become a staple easy dessert here I think. Immediately after putting the lemon cheesecake in the fridge ( I made it to take to a gathering), I quickly whipped up a half batch of filling and blended up some frozen strawberries in it. I added a few drops of ‘Vital Zing’ Strawberry Milk Drops too to enhance the flavour. I set them in some ‘shot’ glasses and they are such a hit with my two youngest kids. The little desserts barely have a carb in them. Amazing.
Anna says
Hi Libby,
I’m planning on making this without the crust, in individual ramekins. I was just wondering whether you think I could use liquid stevia instead of a granulated sweetener?
Thanks!
Anna
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes, liquid stevia would work, you may wish to read my Ultimate Guide To Sweeteners. Which ones I love and which ones I avoid.
Ebony says
Hi,
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but it looks great! I was wondering if the lemon could be substituted for a different flavour? For example, vanilla? Or does the recipe need the acidity?
Thanks!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes, you could use alternative flavours in this no-bake cheesecake. Let us know what you develop so we can give it a go too!
Zo says
To my surprise, following this recipe I have been successful using powdered gelatine, that’s a first. I only had 3 lemons so clearly not enough for 4 tablespoons of zest so I topped up with a spirit based lemon essence which gave a good flavour. However, I would like to know how many lemons on average do you use?
Tasty base. I shall now try other low carb cheesecake recipes. Thanks
Marcia says
Didn’t work for me! I think I got the the conversions wrong? Super disappointed.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Use the conversion buttons below the recipe. I have done all the math for you 🙂
Zo Rollings says
I don’t know how to ask a question on here so I’m tagging on here. 4 tablespoons of lemon zest is a lot of lemons… roughly, how many lemons do you use for this recipe? Thanks
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Sorry, I can’t remember, but if I state how many lemons, your lemons may yield more or less juice so I would hate to guestimate how many lemons to use. Giving you the quantity in tablespoons is more accurate.
Zo says
How many lemons did you use?
Samantha says
5 very large lemons.
SUSAN says
Made this on the weekend and everyone loved it and couldn’t believe it was sugar free. Mine needed alot more sweetener as my lemons were very sour (1.5 cups powdered erythritol/monk fruit blend). Also I used Lactose free cream cheese which has less fat that regular cream cheese so added 80ml thickened cream so make it creamier. Just perfect.
Supriya Kutty says
Wow, the recipe is really simple and sweet and at the time of serving its cute too…I would definitely try the best one, thank you so much for sharing such a lovely recipe
Nicole says
I am on the keto diet and have been craving something sweet! I’m a lemon fan and found this recipe and thought to try it. I must say that this is phenomenal! I also tried the cheesy garlic bread from this site and I can’t believe how fantastic the food is here! It makes me think I could do keto forever! Thank you!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
YAY – just don’t tell everyone we live like kings! 😉
Anne says
Can you use lemon extract instead of lemon juice and zest?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Hmm, I think it would work, I’m just not sure how authentic it would taste.
Maegan Lauturner says
Wouldnt have the acidity or sourness just lemon essence if you will
Shirley Malar says
Can you tell me how much water to remove from 1 cup to make it .8 cup?
Sorry, but I don’t have a clue as to figure that out. I’ve never seen it before. :o)
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Just measure 3/4 cup, it’s close enough 🙂
Patty K says
Shirley, glad you asked this, I had no clue either so I used 1/2 cup. Only wish I’d have read your question BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS……even Alexa didn’t know.lol! I kinda switched some stuff to make it key lime. Fingers crossed it set up?
Carly says
Hiya, I’m in France and only liquid gelatine is available, would I use 12g still do you think? Thank you for your help in advance, I can’t wait to make this!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
You would have to see how much 12g would set. You need enough gelatin to set 500ml liquid.
Anne-marie Mulligan says
I can’t stop making this cheesecake. It is amazing. I’m in Australia and use the gram measure for the gelatin and the ‘gram’ measure for the water as well and it has worked every single time. I have given this to friends who are not following a low carb lifestyle and they say it is now their preferred cheesecake. I love how this has a mousse like quality to it. The adjustments I make to suit my own taste are:
– add 1 tsp of ground cinnamon to the base
– add a good pinch of salt flakes to the base
– toast the shredded coconut
– mill the xylitol to icing sugar consistency to incorporate easier and add twice as much if not more in the filling
– increase the juice and zest
– add 1 Tsp of vanilla bean paste to the filling
– I ran out of cream cheese today so used 100 grams sour cream. I don’t think I’d use more than that.
Thank you a thousand times for this amazing and simple recipe. Yet another easy, delicious and decadent recipe.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Hi Anne, what a wonderful recipe review, and I love your “tweaks” to the recipe. I am happy to know your carb-loving friends love it too -yay!
Hannah says
Do you bake the base, or just refridgerate?
Bryan says
You had me at “no bake” haha this looks great, I’ll need to make time to make this recipe for the weekend, thank you
Katie says
Are there any substitutes for almond flour (allergy reasons) that would work?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I’m working on developing a coconut flour base at the moment – stay tuned!
Pascale says
Bonjour Libby,
Any luck with the coconut flour? I bought that flour yesterday because almond flour was ridiculously expensive at my local grocery store.
Merci 🙂
deborah harper says
walnuts ground make a great base, my daughter is allergic to almonds so i use walnuts
Anne-marie Mulligan says
Is it just almonds? I’ve used hazelnuts. Also, i womder of a seed combination would work? Crush oe mill to a flour / meal.
aamy says
could i use mascarpone in stead of cream cheese
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes, I believe other reader’s here have used mascarpone with great success.
JHolt says
SUPER tart and no flavor other than overwhelming lemon. I used Meyer lemons which has been a staple for lemon curd and other lemon cheesecakes but somehow this gelatin/lemon just didn’t taste good.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I’m sorry to read this. Did you adjust the amount of sweetener to your taste? We are all on different parts of our sugar-free path and some may require more sweetener than others.
Cara Thurstans says
Libby I just want to say THANK YOU for making these fab recipes and for sharing them free of charge… Greatly appreciated. I’ve just made this and it’s setting in the fridge now. Can not wait to try it.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Cara, this is so kind. I absolutely love making these recipes and it gives me so much pleasure that you are enjoying them. 🙂
julie says
could I use half the amount of cream cheese – 250 grams – . would I then need to halve the gelatine
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
If you ever want to change the quantities in my recipes, simply dial up how many servings you require, and the ingredient quantities will be calculated for you.
Stephanie Molsbee says
What can be used in place of the shredded coconut, as we don’t like the coconut.
Chan says
I just omit coconut flour from the recipe. I don’t substitute or add more almond flour. Comes out perfect.
Jennifer says
just wondering what i did wrong. the cake did set. is it possible 400ml water is too much?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Check how much gelatine you added, and if it was in date or expired. 12g of gelatine will easily set the 400ml of water and the solid block of cream cheese is, well, solid so that should be firm too. Did you use soft cream cheese perhaps? It must be the solid regular cream cheese, not the spreadable type. I hope you managed to resurrect it somehow and enjoy it.
Lina says
Can i follow the recipe exactly but with sugar free flavored gelatine instead to make a flavored cheesecake??
Shirley Malar says
Has anybody tried this? Any hints on how to do it to make it work well?
Thanks.
Chris P says
My husband and I absolutely love this recipe. Sometimes I make 1 Cup of Lemon Sugar free jelly, let it cool and pour over the tope of the cheesecake to set… delicious!!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I love that idea, I might just pinch that and do the same next time 🙂
Shirley Malar says
Do you mean Lemon Sugar-free ‘Jello’ (and not jelly)?
Do you pour it over the cheesecake before it has set or after?
I think I would like that.
Thanks.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Jelly NZ/AUS/UK = Jello US, whereas in the US you call jelly what we would call jam.
Lori says
I had some special guests for dinner tonight that are very carb conscious. So I wanted to make this for them. But I didnt have any almond flour. So I compromised….I omitted the crust all together and poured the cheesecake into solo cups. This recipe filled 5 9 oz. clear solo cups. I put whipped cream and lemon zest on them before serving. They were a hit!
Lori says
That is suppose to read 5- 9 oz. clear solo cups
Dana says
Ok…..I tried to read through all the comments but realized there was way too many! Lol….ok, but I did noticed that I’m not the only who had a bit of problem with the filling being way to watery….I usually always use the US measurements so when I read “4/5”, I thought it meant 4-5 cups of water. :-/ I re-read it and realized 4/5 (which I’ve never seen before in a receipe) was not 4 to 5 cups of water but a measurement within the 2 cups. Plus I saw the video too. Well, with my “I got this” attitude, I did save it as much as I could lol. My girl and niece both love it, so I did good after all lol. It’s not bad but next time I make it, I’ll make sure to read the instructions more carefully 🙂
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Ahhhh, I can see how the confusion has arisen – thank you so much. I have amended the cups to show 0.8 cup = 200ml
Laura says
Sorry not too sure where to ask a question do I hold you don’t mind me tagging under yours.
May I ask if you can freeze it?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I think it would be too delicate to freeze. I fear the cheesecake may split.
Brewster says
You are in luck – cheesecakes freeze incredibly well. To freeze, place the cooled cheesecake on a baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until firm. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag. … Thaw the cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.
credit to: https://www.rachaelray.com/2011/10/13/can-you-freeze-cheesecake/
google (can be) your friend.
BTW Libby, thanks heaps for this recipe!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Thanks for the awesome tip Brewster!! (and I’m glad you loved it)
Linda says
Still doesn’t help. American measurement is 8 oz. To a cup, and we don’t have a measure for 8 tenths of a cup.we are left taking our 1 cup of cream cheese, dividing into 10 pieces and using 8 of them.:)
Jaci says
HI
I’m confused on the 8 measurement.
Do you mean like an 8th of a cup?
Not totally sure I have anything that has that measurement on it. About how many tablespoons would be then?
I saw someone ask about alternatives for the coconut but didn’t see any answers. I’m interested too.. I don’t like coconut.
Thanks for having this article out here for me to find. And big time thanks for having the American measurements too!
Meeg says
Maybe you’ve already gotten this answer from someone, but there are 16 Tablespoons in an 8 oz. cup, so .8 of a cup would be 12.8 T.
Kate says
I just made this and it is SO nice!!! Set in the fridge in an hr. My kids loved it too. I added ground ginger to the base because I love the combination of lemon and ginger. I also added a bit more sweetener to the filling and tasted as I went. Definitely making this again and sharing the recipe with my friends. ?
Anne says
Wondering can I actually do this crustless and if so can you tell me the nutritional facts I am trying to limit the carbs as much as possible
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes making this without a crust would work, and lower the carbs dramatically. I often make it without the crust and pour the cheesecake filling into little ramekin dishes or individual tea cups.
Kerri says
I wonder how much lemon extract I would use in this recipe? I have some lemon extract that I really need to use up!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Add to taste. Each lemon extract differs considerably in their “tartness” so I would hate to suggest an amount and ruin your cheesecake.
Lynne D McCurdy says
I just found your website tonight; I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe! I make my own yogurt, and drain the whey out until it’s the consistency of cream cheese. I culture my yogurt for a full 24 hours, to allow the bacteria to eat all of the lactose (SCD Yogurt).
Do you think my yogurt cheese could substitute for the cream cheese in this recipe?
I’m having way too much fun on this site; it’s 2:00 am… I should be sleeping, not salivating over your recipes. 🙂
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Hey Lynne, I love that you are up at 2am browsing my website and recipes – that has to be a first here! Yes I’m sure your drained yoghurt would work as long as it has had enough of the whey removed, alternatively, add a little more gelatine to ensure it will set. I like to drain yoghurt and make Labna cheese – yummy. Enjoy working through my recipes, one at a time 🙂
Linda says
This turned out really well and my hubby loved it, thank you. Made it exactly to the recipe but added 3 Tbsp lemon juice as I didn’t have enough rind. The extra rind would have enhanced the delicious lemony taste. Used 3 Tbsp of Xylitol as the sweetener. Thank you for creating this recipe. Will make again and might try baking the base too but was certainly nice enough as it was.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Hey thanks Linda, what lovely review. And I’m so glad you and your hubby loved it. I love everything lemon, which is probably why I can’t stop developing lemon recipes 😉
Sylvie says
Your recipe is fantastic!
Perfect taste ans wonderful consistency!
Thanks a lot!!
Julie says
I see so many recipes that call for using an stick blender. Could I use my stand mixer with the whisk attachment instead?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I guess you could use that, I have a big blender but can’t stand all the washing up so I use my stick blender for almost everything.
Nancy says
I used my stand mixer with the paddle and it worked great ?
Lisa says
Hi, I just made this last night in preparation for Mothers Day, and I made a little one on the side to taste before dishing it up for my Mum. I had swapped out the sweetener in the filling and used honey instead. However it tastes a little too sour. I did taste the filling prior to putting it in the fridge and it tasted fine, but seemed to sour up after setting. Do you have any suggestions of what I can sprinkle over the top to counteract the sourness?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I always use some whipped cream with sweetener if something turns out a little sour, or not quite to my liking. This trick can save many low carb baking attempts. I wonder if it was the honey? I can’t vouch for how that behaves in the recipe or possibly changes with the lemon?
Lisa says
Thanks for your reply, I’ll have to use that idea in future. Because I needed it yesterday I ended up coming up with my own solution, which was grated dark chocolate with some more desiccated coconut sprinkled over the top and a swirl of honey with some cream drizzled over it. My mum absolutely loved it! Thank you for your recipe, I will definitely be using it in future
Darlene says
Could the cheese cake filling Ben placed in a cupcake tin with cup cake liners? I have a nut allergy so don’t want the crust.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes that would be great. I often make these without the crust for a quick and easy dessert. I use little ramekin dishes, wine glasses or cupcake cases.
Timothy Figrolls says
I’m so onboard with what you say about using coconut floor instead of almond! Can this recipe be made with coconut floor? May I suggest you add a tab on your website with coconut floor recipes? That would be fab!!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Fabulous idea. It would take some work but I will add it to my to-do list. Thanks for the suggestion 🙂
Brewster says
Here’s a coconut base I pinched.
Of course it will have to be baked for 10 – 15m at 350F, 180ishC.
CRUST
1 cup coconut cream concentrate (aka. coconut butter), softened / liquefied
½ cup shredded coconut
¼ cup coconut flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. orange extract
⅛ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp. liquid stevia
Mary says
Hi Libby – just made this. My husband needed it to take to a weekend function and I was worried it wouldn’t set in time so I added some extra gelatin and put it straight in the freezer. It was mainly set in about 40 mins then I transferred it to the fridge. Might help others worrying about the setting time.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Fabulous tips – thank you.
Sal says
We love lemon cheesecake filling, but kids aren’t keen on the base of them. I’m having a go at this today to put into individual Tupperware snack cups to make them suitable to take to school as an alternative. Miss 12 is going to be in heaven!! Thanks, I’ll let you know how I go….
Zara says
Hi Libby. When you say “granulated stevia”, which one did you actually use? As you’ve got links to both Natvia & Swerve. I’ve never used artificial sweetener, so want to make sure I purchase the correct one. Many thanks.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I use both interchangeably. Natvia is mainly used by my NZ/AUS followers and Swerve by my US followers which is why I show both. This post is my Ultimate Guide To Low Carb Sweeteners. It shows you which I use and which I avoid.
Fiona Kraiger says
Fabulous recipe – so easy and came out really well. Can you advise if it’s ok to freeze it – my husband is concerned he will eat too much if he sees it each time he opens the fridge
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes it can be frozen, in fact it might even taste nice as a frozen cheesecake if you don’t want to defrost it.
NicAnne says
I made this and turned it into a parfait for Thanksgiving – we found the amount of lemon a little overpowering so cut that back in subsequent batches and I subbed coconut flour for the ground almonds and ghee instead of butter. Another switch we’ve tried is leaving out the gelatin, sweetener, and lemon juice and using a sugar-free jello instead (raspberry cheesecake = delish). his is a great recipe to adapt as you wish. Thanks!!
KdonnRN says
Did you use the entire box of sugar free jello when making this?
Andrew Robinson says
It’s amazing in the 21st century that all these recipes that admittedly look yummy, without exception, have nuts as a substitute. Did no one get the memo that nut allergies are one of the biggest allergies out there….. so obviously not too many are really experimenting to come up with a Lo carb and nut fee cheesecake…
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
If you look at my recent recipes, most of them are made with coconut flour to help those with nut allergies.
NicAnne says
We use coconut flour instead of the ground almonds. Came out great!
Cathy says
How much coconut flour did you use pls?
Thnx 😉
Carlton Matthews says
Quit bitching about it, Andrew. Figure out the alternative yourself and stop being a little child. Whining like a little douche…
Robin says
Feel free to not use this recipe that cost you nothing! It also costs you nothing to avoid being an ass.
Rebecca says
Beautiful recipe! I am coming to the end of an 8 week sugar quitting plan and looking for good recipes to help out with work morning teas and special occasions etc. I hadn’t had a lot of luck until I found this.
It came out perfectly! I followed the exact recipe (only subbing rice malt syrup in at the same quantities as recommended for the stevia). It Set well, in about 3 hours.
It does make quite a deep cheesecake, and I had a little left over topping which I just set in individual small ramikans.
Definitely making this again!!
Thea Spranger says
I ended up with too much filling for my pie plate. It seems others have had that issue as well… I wonder if the crust could be baked? I think it would enhance the flavor.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes you can bake the crust, that would be lovely. I just can’t be bothered most times because I make this in the summer, and don’t want to turn the oven on. I’m wondering if my pie/flan dish is deeper than most? You can always pour the excess into little ramekin dishes for an individual portion, and lower in carbs because it will have no crust. That would be nice.
Thea Spranger says
That’s exactly what I did with the extra. 😉 Next time I’ll have to try my deep-dish pie plate. And I will definitely experiment with baking the crust! But I would love your suggestion for temperature and time. Thanks!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I’m guessing you could bake the crust at 180C/350F for 15 minutes depending on your oven.
Thea Spranger says
Thanks a bunch!
Maree says
All the lemon lovers liked this recipe!! I did modify it by using honey as we had someone not able to tolerate sugar alcohols. I also mixed the gelatine in 1/4 cup boiling water and replaced the rest of the water with 1 cup of cream that I had whipped and just folded that in. It set in under 3 hours. My daughter and another meal recipient would have liked the base thicker and my husband would have liked some chocolate shaved over the top. There was none left after 8 people demolished it. Thanks for the idea.
Ronna Secker says
I didn’t find mine sweet enough or could barely taste any lemon. I used the lemon peel in the jar and it said that it is stronger than fresh so to use 1/3rd. Also when I added the Knox gemstone to the boing water it cobjeakwd right away so on the 3rd try I used 100 ml cold water first to dissolve it and then added the boiling water and the rest of the cold. What did you do to make it lemony?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Fresh lemons!!!
Carolyn says
This is the very FIRST low carb dessert I have made and enjoyed. And I have tried a lot! This was really wonderful. I don’t have a hand/stick mixer so I just threw it all in a blender after dissolving the gelatin and gave it a few whirls. It was wonderful! It set perfectly in about 3 hours. I even love the crust. Thank you for a lovely recipe!!
Elkzabeth Atkinson says
I’m interested that it worked for some people, as it certainly didn’t for me! I was going to halve the amounts, as I only needed it for four people. However, when I did this, there was about 4 tablespoons of base mixture – not enough to cover my small baking tray. So I doubled that again, to get back to the original quantity, which was just about enough. There was gallons of topping – so much so that I had to discard some of it. I would say the original quantity gives enough base for two and enough topping for eight. Then it wouldn’t set, so I had to pour it out, whisk in more gelatine and put it in the freezer until it froze. It didn’t taste very nice – not lemony enough, and the following morning, in the fridge, it remained set,mbitnlpts of liquid came out of it. What a disaster – I’m glad I was cooking it for good friends!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I cant understand how you only got 4 tbsp of base when it is over 250g of ingredients, even if you halved it there would still be enough for a base. As for the topping the cream cheese must be full fat and solid and the water/gelatine mix dilutes it to be light and the gelatine sets the water. Did you use a stick blender to make sure it was smooth and completely mixed?
Beneficial says
The worst recipe! Disgusting! Didn’t set, just everything you don’t want!
Kayla says
Update:
Set perfectly in just under 4 hours ! Although I found I put way too much lemon juice (2 lemons) and was too tart, will put less next time. But all around amazing recipe !
Anne says
you just answered my question that I was looking for an answer to. I made this a couple of hours ago and it is still fairly “runny”. Hoping it will set soon cause it smells and tastes lovely. Would hate to find it a terribly liquid mess at the end – thank you.
Kayla says
Have just made this, worried about the consistency of the filling when I was pouring it in it was like soup. Will update when it’s set ?
Antoinette says
Not sure what happned…but my mixture is like soup. I have now added another 2 tsp gelatine andput back in the fridge hoping it will set. 400ml water seemed a bit excessive? Or maybe the gelatine in South Africa is weak! lol.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Read the instructions that come with your gelatine but generally 3 teaspoons will easily set 500ml liquid. It does end up with the consistency of double cream before setting, but I have never had a failure of this recipe. Did it set in the end? It takes a few hours.
Nicole says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I just made it for a work function and my co-workers absolutely RAVED about these. I altered the recipe slightly for convenience, as I use standard measurements, and to use ingredients I had on hand. See below:
7oz. almonds, ground in a food processor
4 T butter
1 packet Splenda
1/8 t ground ginger, per your suggestion in a previous comment 🙂
1 packet lemon sugar-free Jello (2 cup yield)
3/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cold water
2x 8oz. blocks of cream cheese
zest of one lemon
pinch of salt
1 packet Splenda
I lined an 8×8 glass baking dish with parchment paper, pressed the crust into the bottom, filled with cream cheese mixture, set overnight, and cut into 16 squares. Given the size of the dish used, I’ll probably make less crust next time.
Again, I cannot thank you enough. My co-workers are already begging me to make this again.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Wow Nicole, I can’t thank you enough for this amazing review. I sure need this today. I have another couple of cheesecakes which are similar to yours using a packet of sugar free jelly for convenience (I just shy away from those sweeteners now) so take a look at my lime cheesecake and raw cheesecake. Another work morning tea perhaps? Thanks for your recipe and amazing lovely comment. Libby 🙂
J brown says
The recipe mod with the 3/4 cup hot water and 3/4 cup cold water with sugar free jello is versatile. I have made it with sugar free lime jello and fresh lime juice and zest. The best one is with strawberry SF jello and fresh strawberries. Just use Nicole’s recipe with the 2 bricks of cream cheese and the water and stevia and fresh strawberries and whip it with a hand mixer. Leave it in the bowl and chill for a few hours and scoop it out in a dish with some whipped cream. Lemon SF jello with fresh blueberries is also a home run. The base is always the same, water,jello,stevia,fruit of choice and cream cheese. Best sugar free dessert.
Susie says
Definitely going to make this over the weekend…I love everything lemon! Instead of 3 tsp gelatin and 2 TBSP sweetener, I’ll instead use 3 TBSP sugar free lemon instant pudding. Maybe even cut the zest and juice in half, too.
charlene says
How risky am i????? I never made this before but decided to double to recipe and pour into a 9×13 lasagna bowl and hope I can cut in to squares. Praying it comes out delicious!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Living life on the edge – I like it 😉
debra says
just made this using lime jelly and I made the base with Almonds and Brazil nuts cant wait to taste it when it sets
debra says
ok update OMG this was amazing took some to work and all the girls loved it going to make this again Thank you for the recipe
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Ya hoo! I love hearing this. Any requires for the next flavour I need to develop?
linscreations says
would love a strawberry or any other berries flavor?
Tracy says
Hi I have just made the cheesecake and put it in the fridge to set, would love to make it for xmas as well could you please tell me how long it would last in the fridge and can you freeze it thanks 🙂
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Tracy I think it may be too delicate to freeze (and mine never stays around for long enough to have leftovers) but it will stay fresh in the fridge for 3 days.
Angie Hartnett says
Hi Libby, I am just wondering about the base of the cheesecake… I HATE coconut and wondered could I replace the 50g with additional almond flour? Or, do you not really taste the coconut that much? Thank you, Angie
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
For sure. Just have a play around with the amount of butter you may need as almond flour is more absorbent than desiccated coconut so you may need just a little extra to help it to bind and set.
Annelize Smith says
My daughter si vegetarian – is it possible you can develop something like this cheesecake – without gelatine? PLEASE? It is delicious!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Great suggestion, I’ll see what I can come up with 🙂
Jacinta says
Just wanted to say I am vegeterian and I found something called “jel-it-in” a vegetarian alternative in Woolworths. It works exactly the same way and the cheesecake turned out fantastic.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Brilliant Jacinta! Thanks for the awesome tip. I’m always on the look out for alternatives for ingredients that aren’t suitable for readers for various reasons. Thanks for sharing “jel-it-in” (P.S. Love that name)
wholefoodie14 says
Hi I was wondering how many sheets of gelatine do you need if you don’t have powdered gelatine?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
3 tsp gelatine allows 500ml liquid to set as a jelly. The cream cheese (original, not spreadable) is already firm so the 500ml jelly allows it to set to a light consistancy. So read your gelatine sheets (they all vary slightly) and see how many are required to set 500ml liquid.
leisa johnson says
Hi Libby could you tell me the carb value of the base?I’ve never like the bases in cheesecakes or pies but would love to make your cheesecake for dessert.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Almonds and coconut give the most of the carbs for this recipe so by not having the base reduces them immensely. I always ask readers to use MyFitnessPal or cronometer.com to work out your own values with your own brand of ingredients you have bought as they vary so widely. My values are as a guide only. You can easily make the cheesecake only and set it in teacups or ramekin dishes. I like your idea. Lower in carbs, cheaper and easier.
Kirk Bloomer says
I think two tbsp of powdered gelatine was too much and I’ll use a little less next time. Was a bit too well set. And (rookie mistake) waited too long before pouring the mixture into the base and it set a bit. Might also use a little less sweeter in the base too.
Sharon says
It actually says 3 teaspoons
Antoinette says
how weird…my 3 tsps didnt work AT ALL! i have now added 2 more tsp!! so ive put 5 tsps and still waiting for it to set.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
You posted this 2 minutes after the first comment – no gelatine sets that fast! Sending you some magic gelatine across the internet 😉
Antoinette says
I might have posted the comment at a certain time…but i made the cheesecake hours before i was posting.
Made at about 11am…posted at about 5pm. BUt added 2 more teaspoons and mixed it up and by 9pm it was ready to eat.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Brilliant. I’m so happy it set 🙂
Wendy says
First time I’ve made a cheesecake! Super easy and delicious! Thanks Libby. I will definitely be making this again.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Wendy. It is becoming a really popular recipe here, especially when it is served to the unsuspecting sugar lovers 😉
dustyscleaningandhomeservices says
if I use the sugar free jelly, do i follow the recipe and use 3tsp?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
If you use the sugar free jelly, you can do away with the gelatine and stevia altogether. You must use enough sugar free jelly that would set 500ml. Dissolve the sugar free sachet in the 200ml boiling water as per the recipe. Once the cheesecake mixture is made, taste it and add more stevia if required as it may not be sweet enough.
Brenda says
I love this cheesecake, and I love your site Libby! I make a half quantity and it does take 3-4 hours to set… I actually use a little more gelatine. I get six modest serves so that’s dessert taken care of for a week! (I keep it covered in the fridge.)
I’ve made it four times now, and one time I substituted 2 Tb cocoa for the lemon rind/juice. The resulting chocolate cheesecake was gorgeous too!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Hey thanks Brenda. It’s so nice to hear how people are getting on. I’m getting a lot of great feedback on this recipe. I love your idea of the chocolate cheesecake. Thanks.
Coralie Godwin says
Just made a half batch.. was wondering how long it would take to set (have done 6 individual ones.. thanks for this post 🙂
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
The whole cheesecake takes about 4 hours to set, so I would estimate 2-3 hours for half the recipe.
Jayne says
Ever thought of using marscapone instead? No need for the gelatine. This is a recipe I’ve used for over 20 years. I’ve now replaced the biscuits with your base and the sugar with stevia. So easy and no messing about with gelatin:
Mascarpone & Lime Torte
Delicious and sophisticated dessert with amazing flavours
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients
200g ginger snap biscuits, crushed
50g butter, melted
2 x 250g tubs of mascarpone cheese
40g icing sugar, sifted
finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes
To decorate:
50g deluxe dark chocolate
50g caster sugar
a few grapes
Method
Mix together the crushed biscuits and melted butter and press into the base of a 18cm spring sided, or loose bottomed cake tin.
Place the mascarpone, icing sugar, lime zest and juice in a bowl and beat together. Spread over the base. Chill for 30 minutes.
To decorate, melt the chocolate as per pack instructions. was and pat dry soem rose leaves. Pull the underside of the leaves along the melted chocolate until coated. Allow leaves to dry coated side up.
Meanwhile to frost the grapes, dip in water, shake off the excess and coat with caster sugar.
Then carefully peel away each rose leaf starting at the stem and arrange with the grapes on top of the torte,
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
That looks like a beautiful recipe. The reason I use cream cheese so much more than Mascarpone is that it is so expensive here. I’ll keep an eye out for when it is on ‘special’ and make you recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it. 🙂
Greg says
Roughly how many hours does this take to set? Its been in the fridge for three hours and its still really runny
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
If made as a large cheesecake should take 4 hours, last night I made them as individual cheesecakes and they took an hour.
Andrea Betts says
This was amazing, I done a mixture of almond and macadamia nuts for the base. My pis dish wasn’t deep enough for the filling so I poured some if the topping into two glasses and and had two extra mousse puddings .. Yum, thank you 🙂
Jeanetta says
Can I leave off the crust for this to be suitable for Atkins induction? Also, can I use lime juice instead of lemon juice for a “key lime” pie? Thanks!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Absolutely. That would make for a great key lime pie. Thanks for the suggestion.
Maryanne says
I actually found the crust to be very bland, I couldn’t stomach the taste 🙁 but the filling is delicious!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
You could put some lemon zest in the base, or add more sweetener. Maybe some ginger? That would go well with lemon.
Brenda says
I usually add cinnamon — ½ tsp for the half quantity cheesecake I make. Yummy.
Lisa says
I have just started to “ditch the carbs”. I have a huge sweet tooth and thought that I would make this cheesecake to give me a “treat” when I needed it. Originally the cheesecake tasted very sour to me, but over the few days that I have been eating this cheesecake, I have grown to really like it’s tartness. I added quite a bit more lemon zest and juice (2 more lemons than in the recipe). Thank you so much for your website, I can’t wait to make more recipes!
Kobus Beukes says
the amount of stevia required in this recipe is too much.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Did you use granulated stevia? I always state “granulated stevia, or sweetener to taste” as sweet taste is incredibly personal and individual.
sam says
How long does this take to set? It’s so runny I’ve never made a cheesecake so liquidy before!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
It usually takes a few hours in the fridge. The gelatine will set it nicely.
jo says
is ground almonds the same as almond meal? Or do you grind your own almonds?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Almond meal is the same as ground almonds, they contain the almond skins (the little dark flecks you see) and coarse. Almond flour have had the skins removed and is finer and more expensive. You could make your own if you have a powerful enough blender. Just don’t blend them too much otherwise you will end up with almond butter 😉
jo says
do you grind your own almonds or can you use almond meal? (Or is that too fine?)
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I buy the ground almonds but if your blender is powerful enough you can make your own.
Navitha says
We don’t eat gelatin. Can it be substituted with Agar Agar? What would the measurement be? Thanks
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I’m sure you could use agar agar. I don’t know what the measurement would be but use enough to set 500ml of water would be sufficient.
Jan says
I just love cheesecake, another great recipe, thanks..
All the best Jan
Kirstie says
What size dish would you recommend using for a large cheesecake?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
24cm or 9 1/2 inches pie dish 🙂
Dai Jiawen says
Hi Libby!
Great recipe! just to confirm for your recipe is for a 9.5 inch pie dish?
And… do you think I can use coconut flour instead of shredded coconut?
thanks!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Correct it is a 9.5 inch across pie dish (I just went and measure it again). No you can’t interchange coconut flour and desiccated coconut, totally different properties and volumes used. If you don’t like coconut, maybe try my other pie crust made with almonds, just remove the salt and pepper, add some stevia and lemon zest to make it applicable to this recipe.
Dai Jiawen says
thanks 🙂
katie says
I am allergic to coconut. Do you have a substitute or do u absolutelyhave to have it?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
No. You can actually delete the coconut if you like, just add more ground almonds instead to make up the volume and the correct consistency.