This No-Bake Keto Cheesecake Is Really Tasty

Usually the words "cake" and "diet" fit into the same sentence as comfortably as oil blends with water. But when your cake is almost carb-free, there's room for an exception. This no-bake keto-friendly cheesecake is a sweet treat you can enjoy without undoing your weight loss progress (or your steady weight management success). And it's a cake that's hard to mess up because you don't bake it, you create it in layers and freeze it instead.

And don't worry, you will still enjoy this cake even if you're not interested in a diet plan at all. "The texture is the same as regular cheesecake," says chef and recipe developer Maren Epstein of Eating Works. "It tastes just like any other regular blueberry cheesecake, but it isn't as heavy since it doesn't use eggs." What it does use is agar powder, sometimes also called agar agar, which is sourced from seaweed and is likely the only ingredient it might be a bit challenging to find at your local grocery store. Plan ahead and order some agar agar powder online. And make sure you plan ahead when making the cake, too, as it needs at least five hours to rest in the freezer before it will be ready.

Just a quick note: You'll want to have a food scale on hand for this no-bake keto cheesecake recipe because precision counts!

Much like the Atkins diet (and many other diet plans), the ketogenic diet dramatically cut out carbs and sees adherents getting much of their calories from fats and proteins, according to Healthline. The theory is that your body will enter a state called ketosis in which you grow more efficient at burning fat as an energy source, which can, in turn, lead to efficient weight loss.

For many people, following the keto diet can lead to shedding a number of pounds in a relatively short period of time, according to Women's Health. It can be a tricky diet to follow forever, carbs being pretty much everywhere, but whether you're doing a keto stint to shed a few or committing to the diet for the long haul, it's always good to have a cake on hand that you can enjoy.

You may well have most of the ingredients needed for this no-bake keto cheesecake on hand, and you can keep most of these fridge, freezer, and shelf-stable ingredients on hand for a few weeks or more, so you will always at the ready to make a cake.

You'll need a cup of frozen blueberries, three and a half tablespoons of sugar, eight ounces of cream cheese, four tablespoons of powdered sugar, three tablespoons plus one teaspoon of yogurt, seven-eighths of a cup of heavy whipping cream, two tablespoons of milk, two and a quarter teaspoons of agar agar plus a separate teaspoon of agar agar, a sleeve of graham crackers, a tablespoon of melted butter, and a third of a cup of water.

To start out with this no-bake keto cheesecake recipe, combine the blueberries and sugar in a saucepan and heat the pan over low heat until the sugar caramelizes and you can mash the berries with a spatula. Set this sweet puree aside in a small bowl. 

Next, in a bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, yogurt, and whipping cream, and whisk until this mixture is smooth. Now, combine the milk and two and a quarter teaspoons of agar agar powder in a double boiler, heating and stirring until the agar dissolves. Fold this liquid into the cream cheese mixture to combine the ingredients.

Measure out 260 grams of the cream cheese filling and set aside in the fridge (that's about 1.8 cups if you don't have a scale). Now add 60 grams (about a half cup) of the blueberry purée to the remainder of that cream cheese mixture, and stir to combine. 

Next, combine the water and the remainder of agar agar powder and heat these in a double boiler, stirring until the agar dissolves. A gel will form. Strain the remaining blueberry puree and discard the solids, and then pour the agar agar water mixture into the strained blueberry fluid. Stir to combine.

In a blender or food processor grind a sleeve of graham crackers, and then combine the crushed crackers with the melted butter to form a mixture you'll use as a crust for your no-bake keto cheesecake.

In a medium springform pan, spread out the graham crackers into the bottom of the pan to form that crust. Next, layer the blueberry cheesecake mixture, spreading it out evenly to create the first later, then freeze the (developing) cake for 20 minutes. You should pop your other waiting ingredients in the fridge during this short freezer stint.

Pull the chilled no-bake keto cheesecake layer out of the freezer. Apply a thin layer of blueberry jelly, smoothing it out evenly, and then add a layer consisting of the rest of the white cheesecake filling. Freeze the cake for at least for five hours.

To remove the cake from the springform pan, wrap a hot towel around the walls of the pan, and then place the bottom of the pan on top of a glass. Press the walls of the pan down, and the cake should stay level on top of the glass and pop out. If it's stuck, it's still frozen.

Or better yet, plan ahead. "I take it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge eight hours before I serve it," says Epstein, adding that "the cake will keep for three months in the freezer."