Keto Lemon Cheesecake Cups
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Keto Lemon Curd
I must have a label across my forehead that says “BRING LEMONS HERE”. Regularly I have bags of lemons dropped at my front door. An excellent situation to be in when I need to make lemon curd for the Keto Lemon Cheesecake Cups.
Of course I use lemons for other recipes, but this curd recipe is great on it’s own or used in Keto Lemon Bars…recipe coming.
Juicy Lemons
When in season Meyer Lemons are a delicacy. These expensive, but juicy babies can give me up to half a cup of juice per lemon. They are also thin skinned and therefore less pithy and bitter.
Store bought lemons are perfect to use in Keto Lemon Cheesecake Cups, but note that you will need 3-4 regular lemons to produce the 1/2 cup used in this recipe.
Don’t forget to zest the lemons BEFORE you squeeze them. You will need 1-2 tbsp for this recipe.
Pro Tip…Lemons are easier to handle for zesting when they’re full (pre squeeze).
The whole egg
Lemon curd for these Keto Lemon Cheesecake Cups calls for using the whole egg. Most recipes will use only the yolk…which I loath. What the heck am I to do with leftover egg white in the moment? Omlette? Sure, but I’m making dessert right now so I can’t be bothered.
The whisking of the whole egg with the lemon and POWDERED sweetener gives the Keto Lemon Curd a creamy thick and velvety texture.
POWDERED Sweetener
Most of your low carb sweeteners (Erythritol, PureCane, Allulose) will come granular. You know…granular like real sugar texture. However, low carb sweetener will crystalize when cooled. So…it’s necessary to pulverize the granular into powdered to help with this issue.
When a recipe asks for POWDERED low carb sweetener my coffee grinder comes out. Not for coffee, you silly head!
I use my coffee bean grinder exclusively for powdering my low carb sweeteners. Just a quick pulse of the blades and my low carb sweetener is now a powder for the Keto Lemon Curd.
Don’t Freak Out
Double boiler time. Yes, lemon curd calls for a double boiler. Don’t panic. This is just a medium sauce pan (like the one you would have used to cook a can of soup, even though you don’t eat canned soup anymore).
Fill that saucepan with 2 inches of water and place it on the stove top over medium heat. The using a large heat proof bowl (can be glass or metal) that will sit in the saucepan opening.
That’s it.
There is nothing fancy about a double boiler…it’s just a simple way to get indirect heat to those eggs and lemon juice. No one want scrambled lemon eggs…yuck!
There is no baking in Keto Lemon Cheesecake Cups, but there is a little stove time.
Whisk and Simmer
For the Keto Lemon Cheesecake Cups I start my lemon curd I like to add all the eggs, lemon juice, etc. to the cold bowl on the counter first. Once the water is at a rapid simmer in the sauce pan I place the bowl (with all the ingredients) on top of the heat.
Start gently and continuously whisking your ingredients over the heat. Turn up the heat to medium/high heat and keep whisking.
Gently whisk and keep whisking for 10 solid minutes. I find it helpful to set my timer for 10 minutes to keep track as you will be wonder how much darn longer you need to be whisking this thing.
At about 10 minutes the curd will thicken. Keep gently whisking and watch for this last 1-3 minutes to reach desired thickness.
Butter & Xanthan Gum
Carefully remove the bowl of your lemon deliciousness from the sauce pan and stove top. Set on the counter and whisk in the butter and xanthan gum.
Continue stirring the curd until the butter is fully melted.
The Cheesecake Part
You simply whisk together the cream, cream cheese, POWDERED sweetener, and lemon juice. Ingredients should be room temperture for ease of blending. Whisk is all together at medium speed for about 2-4 minutes.
Using a hand mixer is highly advisable when making the cheesecake part of the Keto Lemon Cheesecake cups.
Storage
This recipe is best enjoyed warm used as a dip for fresh berries or in my NO BAKE Lemon Cheesecake Cups.
However you can cover tightly and store your Keto Lemon Curd in the fridge for up to a week. Please note that as the curd fully chills the low carb sweetener will slightly crystalize. It will still taste the same, but have a slightly crunchy texture.
The gritty texture of chilled low carb sweetener is totally normal and does not affect the taste.
The Carb Count
Because this recipe for Keto Lemon Cheesecake Cups is two recipes combined please use the counts from each recipe to calculate your numbers.
The lemon curd is technically zero net carbs per serving (10 servings). The cheesecake part is 2g net carbs per servings (10 servings). Adding those together would be 2g net carb PER Keto Lemon Cheesecake Cup.
Please remember that I use a nutrition calculator plug in to help reach these numbers. If you have questions about carb count please use a macro calculator like CarbManager for your own calculations.
My secret to lasting weight loss
Maintaining my weight loss, and quite frankly staying healthy, has always been the main driver for this website. Making treats like these mini Keto Lemon Cheesecake Cups is really my trick.
Sorry, it’s that simple for me…I meal prep and almost always cook at home.
I wrote a few articles about this and will write more. Everyone needs to know that cooking at home is one of my major keys to success.
Every meal does not have to be epic.
When I am prepared I have a much better chance at success and maintaining my best health.
RELATED ARTICLES
- The Diet That Changed My Life
- My 80 – 20 Rule
- Re-Thinking Healthy Food
- Life with a Keto Mom
- My Favorite Low Carb & Keto Resources
Ingredients
Cheesecake Layer
- 2 cups heavy cream room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener or sweetener of choice, powdered
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Make the Keto Lemon Curd and cool to room temperature.
- In a separate clean bowl using a hand mixer whip together 2 cups heavy cream, sweetener, cream cheese and lemon juice. Whip continuously until mixture thickens to a very thick consistency.
- In 10 small cups (glass jars or ramekins) using half the lemon curd mixture spoon in a small layer of lemon into the bottom of each cup. The spoon equal amounts of the cheesecake mixture into each of the cups on top of the first layer of lemon mixture.
- With the second half of the lemon mixture gently and beautifully spoon equal amounts of lemon curd over the cheesecake layer.
- Garnish with sliced mint sprigs and lemon zest. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup low carb sweetener POWDERED
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1-2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 4 tbsp butter cut up in small pieces
Instructions
- Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and place over medium heat. Water should be at a rapid simmer.
- Choose a large heat safe bowl that will fit on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler.
- First, place eggs, low carb sweetener, lemon juice in the bowl. Then place the bowl on top of the saucepan over the rapidly simmering water.
- Using a wire whisk continuously whisk the eggs, sweetener and lemon juice together. Turn the heat to high and continuous whisk for 10 full minutes. Whisking should be continuous, but not rigorous.
- At 10 full minutes of whisking your curd should be thickening up. At this point, continue to whisk and test the thickness of the curd by coating the back of a spoon. Every stove top is a little different, so you may or may not need 1-3 more minutes.
- When the curd has thickened, remove from the bowl from heat and carefully set on the countertop.
- Still using the wire whisk, stir in the xanthan gum. Add the butter pieces and stir in until melted.
- Use curd as a dipping sauce for strawberries and raspberries or use the curd to fill a keto friendly tart shell. This lemon curd is wonderful in my Low Carb Lemon Cheesecake Cups, too.
- Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition
MEDICAL AND NUTRITION DISCLAIMER…Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nutritional break downs are done using a commercial nutrition calculator. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctorbefore starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers, this should never be construed as medical advice.