Craving a fresh and scrumptious keto dessert? This (no bake!) keto key lime cheesecake, with its instant ‘graham cracker’ crust will surely hit the spot!
Gluten Free & Keto Key Lime Cheesecake For 1
No-Bake & Fairly Instant!
Key limes, otherwise known as Mexican or West Indian limes, are smaller (yet a lot tastier!) than conventional ones. When at their prime, they’re characterized by a bolder and more acidic punch. And, as the name suggests, they’re the star ingredient of this low carb and keto cheesecake!
No-bake and fairly instant to satisfy those (individual!) cravings.
Though if you’ve already met our classic keto cheesecake-for-1 and our chocolate one, this key lime variation needs no introduction. Rich, creamy, airy and totally addictive… this is one keto treat I cannot urge you enough to whip up!
And don’t skip the instant ‘graham cracker’ crust, it’s a-mazing (and easy-peasy, so no excuse). Oh, and I added a bit of avocado for more good fats, creaminess and a lovely pistachio hue, with no taste whatsoever. 🥑
The Cream Cheese
Procuring an organic or artisanal cream cheese is more ideal than your regular variety (i.e. Philadelphia). But not completely necessary.
During trial runs I tried the cheesecake with both organic and Philadelphia, and there really was no difference taste-wise. So take your pick.
The Butter 🌾🐄
You are eating the butter raw, so going organic and grass-fed really is a must here. Because, aside from the taste being 1,34049 times better, grass-fed butter has a completely different nutritional profile to regular butter.
It is loaded with Vitamin-K2 (which de-calcifies your arteries), anti-inflammatory fatty acid called butyrate, among many other perks. So if you have to choose just one product to splurge on, this is it.
The Sweetener
You can pretty much use whatever sweetener floats your boat, but it must be powdered. Xylitol (non-corn though to avoid tummy troubles!) and allulose are my top choice (no aftertaste!) and Lakanto (barely any aftertaste, and many of you also love the Golden version).
So get your blender out, make sure it’s completely dry, and process your sweetener of choice until powdered. Just make sure you wait a few moments for the dust to settle before opening the blender or food processor.
Or you can always grab a bag of Powdered Lakanto (just keep in mind its twice as sweet…. or even go for pure monkfruit extract (love Lakanto’s!) or stevia!
And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys! 🐕
p.s. feel free to make mini keto cheesecake fat bombs out of any of our cheesecake-for-1s.
(No Bake!) Keto Key Lime Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the keto graham cracker crust
- 20 g almond flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon powdered erythritol or xylitol*
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons melted unsalted grass-fed butter as needed
For the keto key lime cheesecake
- 40 g sour cream
- 70 g cream cheese at room temperature
- 28 g unsalted grass-fed butter at room temperature
- 30 g avocado about 1/4 medium-sized (optional)**
- 1/2-1 teaspoon freshly grated key lime zest to taste
- 3-5 teaspoons freshly squeezed key lime juice to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons powdered erythritol or xylitol, to taste
Serving suggestions
- heavy or sour cream whipped
Instructions
- Please note that one batch of this keto key lime cheesecake yields two servings. If you want to whip up a full pie simply click on 3x to adjust the number of servings for six peeps..
For the keto graham cracker crust
- Lightly toast almond flour in a skillet or pan over medium heat, until fully golden and fragrant (2-4 minutes). This is very important taste-wise, so don't skip!
- Transfer toasted almond flour to a small bowl (or go straight for the serving glass), and mix in sweetener, cinnamon and salt. Add in butter, mix until thoroughly combined, and press into serving glass or dish. Allow to come to room temperature and refrigerate while you make the cheesecake.
For the keto key lime cheesecake
- Add sour cream to a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until whipped (2-3 minutes). Set aside.
- Add cream cheese and grass-fed butter to a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fully creamed. Add avocado and mix until fully combined. Add key lime zest, juice and sweetener to taste. Key limes can vary a lot in taste, so start with the lower amount and add to taste (keeping in mind that the flavors will develop while chilling).
- Fold in whipped sour cream. Pipe or spoon key lime cheesecake mixture into the graham cracker lined glass. Freeze for 30-40 minutes or refrigerate for a couple hours (or overnight).
- Optional: Serve with more whipped sour cream (or heavy cream) and freshly grated key lime zest.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I bought a couple of your cookbooks a couple weeks ago, Paola, and I haven’t been able to get out of the kitchen since, LOL. Oh my gosh!! I am so hooked on so many of those recipes!! One in particular is the key lime avocado breakfast smoothie. I’ll add a sugared rim to my glass and make any Monday feel special😂
Thank you, Paola. So happy and so fortunate to have discovered your incredible website. You are one talented lady and we are lucky to have you!!!
Where can I buy the book?? I have been begging for a book of this recipes that I Love (Paula… you are the best! ) but unfortunately the books were only eBooks (electronic) and I need a plain paper real book! Where can I buy it??? Please!
I also look foward a real paperbook from Paula, since I can’t stand ebooks but I definitely LOVE her recipes and her way of inspire to cook even when you have to make some changes to customize them to personal needs or preferences… Paula, I’m sure we’re many: waiting for this dream of having in hands a book from you, so just consider this enterprise for the next future, we won’t miss to show our gratitude ;-D
Awww thank you Roberta, you guys will definitely have a printed cookbook soonish 😉 xo!
Paula, I love your site, and until I made one of your recipes, i thought they all looked good and sounded delicious, but how could something made with ingredients like almond flour and flaxseed meal really be good?
I was wrong! I made the key lime cheesecake tonight as well as the tall biscuits. Both were delicious! The time cheesecake tasted pretty close to a conventional one, a d the biscuits tasted like pastry flour biscuits. Delicious!
Thank you for your exact recipes also. Most of the time when I try a new recipe from another site, I follow it and the results are lacking due to a bad recipe. Not yours!
Please keep up the hard work. Its appreciated!
Kim
I wrote “Paola”, autocorrect did something else 😉.
I made this today, but without the crumb base. I put the lime mixture into a glass and topped it with whipped sour cream. It’s a lovely, creamy, tangy dessert. Thank you 😘
Awww Kim thank you so much for taking the time to write! I’m so happy you’re having success with my recipes (dream come true for any recipe developer lol!) BIG kiss!
The recipes look amazing! But please tell me what I can substitute for the almond flour in these keto recipes? The almond flour kills it for me – don’t like the taste at all.
Is there a way to scale this to make a whole cheesecake rather than just one serving? I’m not a good cook so I don’t want to estimate amounts! Thanks!
I just made this and soooo delicious!!! I didn’t change anything and will triple it next time for our church potluck!! Thank you Paola for helping me stay on keto with all your yummy and easy recipes!🤗❤❤
The second cheesecake for 1 I’ve tried from your website and like the classic one, it was ridiculously good (and easy!) just wondering why no chopped pecans in this crust vs the classic one? I did miss the pecan crunch slightly. The addition of the avocado for color (and good fats) was pure genius. Once agaib, thank you!! I’m making the chocolate one tomorrow haha 😋
So if using monkfruit sweetener I should have the amount of sweetener?
Thanks!!
Do you mean pure monkfruit extract or an Erythritol blend (Lakanto)? In case of the pure extract you would need to add only 1/8-1/4 teaspoon (or to taste!)
It’s the Lakanto brand
But is it the erythritol blend? Or pure monkfruit? If erythritol blend then its 1-1 to sugar, the pure extract you add to taste 😉 xo!
I’ll have to check when I get home, thanks!!
It’s the blend, thanks!!
What can I use in place of regular sour cream? I’m highly allergic to cows milk. I can use almond cream cheese! Help! Sounds so yummy!
Try coconut cream! You’ll change up the flavors a bit, but with the lemon zest I bet it’ll still be super yum!
Great recipe, except for one thing, please, please, please discourage the use of Xylitol or any sweetener that contains it. It is highly toxic to dogs and cats. Sure you can keep this away from them, but if you were a dog or cat, wouldn’t you be interested in stealing something that contains pasture raised organic butter?
We will gladly put up with a tiny bit of aftertaste, particularly when a sweetener like Monk fruit actually has beneficial health properties and is good for the microbiome, to protect our four legged family members.
Love this recipe. I agree with Martin St John’s comment. It takes less than 1/4 tsp (0.5 grams) of xylitol to kill a dog. A teeny, tiny bit of xylitol is poisonous enough to kill. For example, xylitol in just 1 stick of strawberry Orbitz gum is 3 grams (0.1 grams requires emergency treatment and hospitalisation). A mouthful of your wonderful recipe is totally poisonous for dogs who share or steal goodies from the kitchen. There are so many other sweeteners now. Seems unnecessary to list xylitol in your delicious recipes when so many other sweeteners could be listed instead of xylitol. Your warning in your recipes is wonderfully helpful however and much appreciated! Please continue the warning even if you drop xylitol from your list of ingredients. It is a lifesaver!
I agree too guys! In the newer posts (say gummies) im promoting allulose as 1st now. I still have to mention xylitol as readers will always ask- but I do always have a disclaimer.
I also think it’s ridiculous that chewing gum with xylitol doesn’t come with a BIG warning. I was talking to my vet, and he said THAT was the primary cause of xylitol deaths in dogs. Because owners simply aren’t aware of the danger and leave out the chewing gum (unlike us who are hyper vigilant… but accidents can happen).
Anyways! Thanks for weighing in guys, always a pleasure! Xo!
I like the fact that you always give options. Personally, I like xylitol the best. I don’t have pets and rarely have them in my house so no problem. If there was one around I wouldn’t use it in that days menu.
I love your recipes as do all my non-Keto friends! Thanks.
I agree with Wendy.
Your warning is crystal clear. But many of us don’t have pets and would prefer xylitol listed if it’s the best sweetener for particular recipe.
Why do you have to lecture! Don’t use it and sub with something else if you feel that strongly about it but that doesn’t mean everyone else shouldn’t use it. Maybe she doesn’t have animals like I don’t and it’s fine. Geeze! Enough with the preaching!!
Oh my goodness. This looks so good, and so pretty! I think it’s going to be perfect for an event I’ve got coming up next month.
What’s the quantity of the salt? Recipe does not specify. Thank you.
Pinch!
Made this tonight for a non-chocolate valentine treat. Hubby is dairy free so I used df cream cheese and df sour cream. I only had regular limes and used 2 plus the rind from one. Topped with coconut whipped cream. This was heavenly!! So easy and so yummy. It’s a keeper for sure!!!
I am a very fussy foodie
Am in Mexico right now so used Lala Crema
This is the BEST keto dessert!
I also make the most delicious brulee…without the brulee
400 ml heavy cream
4egg yolks
1vanilla pod
1&1/3 Tablespoon sugar or Lakanto classic sweetener
Karina, any directions for your “delicious brulee . . . without the brulee?”
Paola, I simply love your site. You are straightforward, engaging, clear and careful.
Thank you for your wonderful recipes and engaging personality.
Your fan,
Stephanie
Sounds yummy, what are the directions for cooking, mixing it, ect.?
Could I use lemon instead and still use the avacado…Or do you have a lemon cheesecake recipe?
I cant remember the last time I forwarded a website or page so many times! Thank you for your wonderful approach and fantastic ideas. I am making key lime deliciousness tonight! Gnom-gnom indeed! My FAVORITE site for my healthier low carb life.
BOMB.COM! 💣🤯
Yup… Putting this one on repeat.
INCREDIBLE! Paola does it again! I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t had so much success with every other Gnom-Gnom recipe I’ve prepared, which has been many! This dessert is amazing!
This was delish! I had all of the ingredients laying around and whipped this up quickly. I used some leftover almond pulp from making my almond milk instead of the almond flour, which I think gave the crust more of a graham cracker texture.
What does the avocado do for this (and your Key Lime Pie) recipe? I don’t like avocado but have never tried it in this kind of recipe. Is the taste of the avocado a major part of the flavor? Is there something else that can be used in place of the avocado?
Hi Caroline! It doesn’t taste like avocado at all (just provides a very lovely thick and creamy texture!) xo!
My key lime filling turned out runny. How can I thicken it up??? It tastes so good I don’t want to waste.
Hi Lindsay! You could blend in some more of the solid ingredients and pop it in the fridge (so avocado, butter or even coconut cream or stiff whipped sour cream). It should do the trick, though you may need to adjust the sweetness a bit xo!
I made this into an entire (slightly flatter than normal) cheesecake by quadrupling all the ingredients and making it a springform pan. It was so easy and tastes amazing! I wish I could post a picture of it here for you to see.
That’s awesome to hear Jessica! And yup on the flatness, you would need to 8x the recipe to get a deep cheesecake. You can tag me on Instagram with your pic, I bet it’s a beauty! 😉
Ah ok!! I just sent in this question, how to make it a full size cake….sounds like I have to do 8X everything. Sounds good….thanks!
Can I sub regular limes?
yes!
I used less swerve that called for. It came out really tart. Maybe too much lime juice?!
Also possibly because you used less sweetener, which balances the tartness!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s absolutely perfect. I was actually looking for a key lime fat bomb when I found your recipe. I didn’t want such a large dessert, so I doubled the ingredients and divided it into my 12 mini-cheesecake pan. It’s just the right size for me. So delicious!!!
That’s awesome Julie! And thanks for reporting back in detail 🙂
Hi Paola,
Happy Friday!
A couple of quick questions for you, if you don’t mind.
Do you think for these cheesecake crusts (and also for the quiche crust and for most other baked cheesecake crust recipes) it’s safe to swap out hazelnut meal/flour for the almond flour? If yes, would it be 1:1?
Do you ever take reader requests for recipe conversion from regular to keto/gluten free? I have a family recipe for a particular cookie that is delicious and that I LOVE and it uses nut flour AND AP flour and sugar and I would love it be able to adapt it for keto.
Thanks and have a wonderful weekend!
Best,
Linda
Hi Linda! Sorry I missed your comment before, but always happy to help!
You can absolutely swap the hazelnut for the almond flour in the cheesecake crusts. It will go particularly well with the chocolate one (think Nutella!).
Regarding the quiche crust (i.e. the cream cheese crust), texture wise it will be fine but taste-wise that might be a little tricky. Off the top of my head, I’m not sure I would like the tanginess of the cream cheese with the hazelnut. But I’m currently working on an all-butter crust and it would be great there. If you’re looking for another option to almond flour here (allergy?), a few readers have reported back about using sunflower seed flour as a good sub.
And I do take requests often! I haven’t had one yet to convert a particular recipe, but perhaps we can do something awesome out of it! Send it along to info@gnom-gnom.com and I’ll take a look and see what the options are.
xo and hope you’re having a great weekend!
Hi Paola,
Thank you SO much for your responses.
This is wonderful – I have no nut allergies and just thought it might be fun to mix it up. I LOVE hazelnuts.
Last night, I made your chocolate and classic cheesecakes for 1 and they were both phenomenal. I did use hazelnut flour in the chocolate crust and it worked out beautifully.
I will send along the recipe I had in mind and thank you so much in advance.
On a side note – I made the zoodles with avocado sauce (added sunny side up eggs and bacon as you’d suggested) and it was absolutely delicious. I’m also spreading the word about your sites and recipes. I love them!
I hope you had a GREAT weekend.
Warm regards,
Linda
This is truly the best keto desert of all! I divided my bowl into 1/4th’s to extend the pleasure. You would never suspect that this was sugar free, grain free and low carb! So worth the effort !
That’s awesome so happy you enjoyed Elaine! You might also like to check out the other two cheesecakes (regular and chocolate) 😉 xo!
This dessert is incredible!
So happy you enjoyed Allyson! xo
It says each batch of your keto cheesecake-for-1 yields 2 servings (or one very large serving). The “nutrition facts” says 1 serving. So is that, in fact, for the 1 very large serving, or was the nutrition facts supposed to say 2 servings? Im so excite to try this!
Hi Lisa! The nutrition facts don’t have the serving size (the number of servings, 2, is stated in the top part of the recipe card). Hope this helps! xo
Hi, so total carb 5 g, is that for the whole batch ?? Or half of it ??
Thank you (it is sooooo delicious by the way )
I’m still a little confused about the Nutrition Facts. Is the 355 calories for the total recipe or for each half if divided into two? It is delicious by the way.
Thanks Angela, pleased you like it x
DELICIOUS!! The toasting of the almond flour for the crust is genius!
SO MUCH YUM THANK YOU!!
My pleasure Marie! Enjoy xo!