Published: by Carolyn
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This Dulce de Leche Cheesecake is absolute perfection! So creamy and sweet, with rich caramel accents. And it’s keto-friendly, with only 3g net carbs per serving!
I am ridiculously excited to share this Dulce de Leche cheesecake with you. To put it bluntly, it is easily one of the best keto cheesecake recipes I have ever made.
In fact, I’d even go so far as to say it’s one of the best cheesecakes I have ever made, keto or not! And given how many I have made over the years, that’s saying a lot.
I am famous for my keto brownie cheesecake, among others. But this new recipe is a spectacular new addition.
Why you need to make this
What’s so special about this recipe? Well, I employed every trick in the book to get the creamiest, smoothest texture I could. And my efforts really paid off!
It also has my updated Keto Dulce de Leche in both the filling and the topping, which gives this cheesecake a wonderful mild caramel flavor. And I made the crust with pecan flour and chopped pecans, which provides an irresistible contrast to the creamy filling.
Perhaps most delightful of all is that no one would imagine that this Dulce de Leche Cheesecake is keto-friendly. But it is, it really is! At only 4.1 grams of total carbs per slice, you can afford to dig in!
Ingredients you need
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- Sugar Free Dulce de Leche: This is something you must make yourself but it’s incredibly easy and takes only 3 ingredients!
- Pecan flour: I chose pecan flour because pecans go so well with caramel flavors, but you can use almond flour instead.
- Chopped pecans: This gives the cheesecake a delightful crunch, but it’s entirely optional.
- Powdered sweetener: Use powdered sweetener for both the filling and the crust. I recommend erythritol based sweeteners like Swerve or Lakanto, so that the crust firms up and the filling sets properly.
- Cream cheese: Make sure the cream cheese is properly softened before beating it.
- Sour cream: A little sour cream adds richness and creaminess to keto cheesecake.
- Eggs: Use room temperature eggs when making keto cakes and other baked goods.
- Butter: Melted butter helps bind the pecan crust.
Step by step directions
1. Prepare the crust: Whisk together the pecan flour, pecans, sweetener, salt, and melted butter. Press this mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and bake 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
2. Beat the cream cheese: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium for 1 to 2 minutes, until super creamy. Beat in the sweetener, dulce de leche, sour cream, and salt until smooth.
3. Beat in the eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time until just incorporated. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters after each addition. Pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top.
4. Bake in a water bath: Wrap the bottom of the pan in tin foil and set the pan in a large roasting pan. Pour water into the roasting pan so that it comes partway up the sides of the cheesecake pan. Bake 1 hour.
5. Refrigerate: Let the cheesecake cool completely, then loosen the pan sides and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
6. Add the topping: Pour half a cup of sugar free dulce de leche over top and spread to the edges. Refrigerate again to help set the topping. Or serve immediately and let it drip down the sides!
Expert tips
Despite appearances to the contrary, this dulce de leche cheesecake really isn’t difficult to make. It just requires care at each step for perfect results. Don’t rush the process when making cheesecake of any kind!
Beating the cream cheese for several minutes really helps give this cheesecake its super creamy consistency. Take the time to make sure it’s properly softened and very smooth before adding anything else.
One of the best tips I ever found for perfect cheesecake is to add the eggs to the filling at the very end. You want to beat them in one at a time, but only until they are just incorporated. Over-beating is the cause of many a cheesecake fail!
Don’t skip the water bath, as it helps create a more gentle heat. And be sure to wrap the bottom of the pan tightly in foil so no liquid leaks into the seams and softens your crust.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does dulce de leche cheesecake taste like?
This creamy cheesecake has a sweet, light caramel flavor. The rich, smooth filling contrasts delightfully with the crunchy pecan crust. Dulce de leche is a caramel made from cooking milk or cream with sweetener until it thickens and becomes a rich amber color.
What can you substitute for sugar in cheesecake?
There are many sweeteners you can use for baking sugar-free desserts, but they don’t all work in the same way. I find that cheesecake does best with erythritol sweeteners, with perhaps a little allulose or BochaSweet. I do not recommend artificial sweeteners such as sucralose.
Read more about Keto Friendly Sweeteners.
What is pecan flour used for?
Pecan flour is a wonderful addition to your keto baking cupboard. It is more coarse than almond flour, but it’s great in crusts like this one, as well as keto muffins. I also use it in Keto Carrot Cake to give a richer flavor.
Keto Baking Cookbook!
Want more tips, tricks and recipes? Be sure to grab a copy of The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking. It’s the only book of its kind!
Keto Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
This Dulce de Leche Cheesecake is absolute perfection! So creamy and sweet, with rich caramel accents. And it's keto-friendly, with only 3g net carbs per serving!
5 from 8 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: dulce de leche cheesecake
Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Chill Time: 3 hours hours
Total Time: 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 350kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ⅓ cup pecan flour (or almond flour)
- 3 tablespoon chopped pecans (optional)
- ⅓ cup Swerve confectioners
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter melted
Filling
- 24 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup Swerve Confectioners
- ½ cup Sugar Free Dulce de Leche
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- Pinch salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
Topping
- ½ cup Sugar Free Dulce de Leche
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Crust
Preheat the oven to 325ºF and grease a 9-inch springform pan very well. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper and grease the paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the pecan flour, chopped pecans, sweetener, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until well combined.
Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Then wrap the bottom of the pan in tin foil so that the foil reaches about halfway up the sides of the pan.
Filling
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium for 1 to 2 minutes, until super creamy. Beat in the sweetener, dulce de leche, sour cream, and salt until smooth.
Beat in the eggs one at a time until just incorporated. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters after each addition. Pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top.
Place the whole pan inside a large roasting pan and fill with hot water to reach partway up the sides of the pan (do not allow it to go over the foil). Bring the oven back up to 325ºF if you've let it cool down.
Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake 1 hour. Turn off the oven and let it sit inside for another 10 to 20 minutes. The top should feel bouncy when touched but the center should still jiggle slightly when the pan is shaken.
Remove from the oven and then remove the cake pan from the water bath. Let cool to room temperature.
Run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan and loosen the sides to avoid cracking. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Topping
Pour another half cup of dulce de leche over the top of the cake and spread to the sides. You can cut the cake at this point, or return it to the fridge to firm up the topping.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
Amount Per Serving (1 serving = 1/16th of cake.)
Calories 350Calories from Fat 293
% Daily Value*
Fat 32.5g50%
Carbohydrates 4.1g1%
Fiber 1.1g4%
Protein 5.4g11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Secrets to Keto Baking
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them.I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
Reader Interactions
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Penny Reveile says
Oh. My. Goodness. This cheesecake takes a little work, but it is so worth the effort! The creamy and caramelly (is that a word?🤣) goodness is absolutely delicious. Your directions and tips are fantastic. Following your advice makes keto baking a breeze. Thank you, Carolyn!Reply
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
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Valeria Dombiak-Woelfel says
The BEST cheesecake! Thanks so much Carolyn for this recipe; you made my argentinian self sooo happy. Crust is awesome, cheesecake is creamy and dulce he leche is amazing. do listen to her and leave it out to get to room temperature before eating; that made all the difference in the consistency of the dulce de leche.Reply
Carolyn says
Isn’t it fabulous? I love this one!
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Carolyn (just like your name) says
I made this for a family reunion; it really is ‘tasty’. Next week I will be making it a friend’s birthday.Reply
Carolyn says
Glad you liked it, fellow Carolyn!
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Irma Sands says
This is definitely a 5 star recipe. It is so rich and creamy and absolutely delicious. It is almost like one is cheating because it is so decadently awesome.Reply
Camille Halkides says
Can this be frozen? I want to make it today and serve it 3 days from now. Would you suggest doing that?
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Carolyn says
Cheesecake alone freezes well but I would leave off the additional topping until you thaw it. Wrap it up tightly to avoid freezer burn.
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Janice says
This sounds delicious! Am I able to use liquid alluose in place of granular alluose? If so, what would the measurement be? Looking forward to making this.
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Carolyn says
Well, I am not sure since that introduces liquid into the recipe for the Dulce. I don’t really know how you would adjust for that.
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Barbara Kessler says
I don’t have a springform pan. Can another one be substituted?
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Carolyn says
You could try it in a pie pan… you need to get the crust to cover the sides so it’s easier to get out.
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Bobbi says
I made a mini cheesecakes. very yummy! a bit rich which is good for me so I eat less. ????Reply
Kate says
I made this the day the recipe came out! It is delicious!Reply
Carolyn says
So glad you like it!
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Belinda says
I made this last Monday and OMG it’s the Best Keto dessert I have made so far. I had to use the almond flour for the crust as I live out in the country and getting to the store for last minute things is a pain, lol. I swear the dulche de leche tastes just like a Werthers Candy. and if you tend to like salted caramel then try some flaked salt on top, ooh lala!
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Carolyn says
So glad you enjoyed it!Reply
Jackie Mullen says
Hi Carolyn! I have a question for you. I am just now trying to “Ketoize” my own favorite recipes. I have a recipe I used to love but it calls for orzo pasta and garbanzos and other ingredients (all keto friendly) stuffed into a sweet pepper. I plan to sub the orzo with riced caui-rice. But for the life of me I can’t think of anything to substitute the garbanzos with. I have made it with just the cauli rice, but I miss the creaminess of beans, not to mention that it makes a great meal for lunch. I have tried chicken in small dice, again good, but I miss the creaminess. Any ideas? Thanks, Jackie M
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Carolyn says
ARe you willing to eat Lupini beans?
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