This Instant Pot Key Lime Cheesecake will become your family’s favorite summer treat. This low-carb cheesecake is light, creamy, and guilt-free—everything you are looking for in a healthy keto-friendly dessert.
Oh…and did I mention it’s cooked in the Instant Pot so you don’t even need the oven on in the hot summer heat?
No Instant Pot? No problem. Keep reading below for instructions on using the regular oven. However you make it, this is one of my favorite desserts! There is so much flavor in this tangy recipe.
If you love delicious keto desserts these are the 34 best keto desserts made with cream cheese (you have to try).
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How many carbs are in this cheesecake?
This keto key lime cheesecake makes six servings. The nutritional information in the recipe card below shows each serving has a mere 7 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 6 grams net carbs.
Keto cheesecakes are wonderful to make for friends and family parties. They are a real crowd pleaser PLUS they keep you on track with your low-carb diet or keto diet.
Everyone loves traditional key lime pie, so no one will know this is a sugar-free and healthy dessert.
Why are Instant Pots great for baking cheesecakes?
You may be wondering why I would suggest you make this keto cheesecake in a pressure cooker. Seems a bit weird, right?
But, I have to say…cooking cheesecake is one of my favorite uses for my Instant Pot. It is so easy, and the texture turns out perfect every time. I also love that I can make this tangy key lime cheesecake in the middle of summer without heating up my house.
I can also set and forget the Instant Pot while keeping busy with something else. BUT if you don’t have an Instant Pot, no problem. Keep reading because I have instructions to bake the low-carb key lime cheesecake in a regular oven.
Ingredients to use (and avoid)
To make the filling for this sugar-free key lime cheesecake filling you only need six simple ingredients:
- Full fat cream cheese – avoid the spreadable or lite versions. They will not set properly.
- Sugar-free sweetener – I like erythritol sweetener, stevia, monk fruit, or any other natural sweeteners or sugar substitutes.
- Vanilla – vanilla essence, vanilla extract, or paste, it’s your choice. Add enough to tickle your vanilla tastebuds.
- Fresh eggs – don’t use packaged eggs, fresh raw eggs are best.
- Fresh key limes – or if it’s out of season and too expensive, you may use bottled Longlife key lime juice. I also like to add some key lime zest to give a real kick.
- Heavy whipping cream – otherwise known as double cream.
Tips and substitutions
If you want that creamy cheesecake flavor, the secret is all about the cream cheese. The softer the cream cheese the smoother your cheesecake will be.
You will also need to use the full-fat cream cheese, and allow it to come to room temperature before mixing. This ensures your cheesecake filling is smooth and creamy without any lumps.
Do not use spreadable cream cheese, lite cream cheese, or fat-free cream cheese. They will not cook or set the cheesecake recipe properly. This recipe is all about healthy fats!
The heavy cream (whipping cream) is the secret ingredient that makes this delicious cheesecake light, and creamy with a fluffy texture instead of heavy like most cheesecakes. Your cheesecake will not have the same texture if you skip it or substitute it for something else.
To make the cheesecake filling extra smooth and deliciously creamy, you’ll need to use either a food processor, stand-alone mixer, a stick blender, hand mixer, or an electric whisk. No one wants a lumpy cheesecake.
In a large bowl mix all the ingredients and 1 egg together with an electric hand mixer. Mix the filling on low speed just until you cannot see the yellow from the egg anymore. Then add the second egg and mix again just until all the yolk is completely mixed.
Key lime vs regular limes
If you can’t find key lime or key lime juice, you can use regular limes. However, there are a few key differences between the two. Key limes are smaller and much more aromatic, making them ideal for desserts.
If you can’t find the key variety, Persian limes can also be a nice substitute. But it may be easiest to order key lime juice so you still get that yummy key lime flavor!
How to make an almond flour crust
To make the crust low-carb and keto-friendly we will skip the carb-laden graham cracker crust. Instead, combine almond flour, melted butter, and a little sugar-free sweetener. The crust is then pressed into the bottom of a 7 x 3-inch cheesecake pan and then sits in the freezer temporarily. You’ve got a perfect pie crust!
The crust doesn’t need to sit in the freezer for long. I like to make my crust first, and then let it sit in the freezer while I make the filling. By the time the keto cheesecake filling is complete, the crust is adequately frozen.
Instant Pot instructions
After the cheesecake filling is poured over the crust you will need to cover the top and bottom of the springform pan with a layer of paper towel and aluminium foil. This will protect the crust from getting soggy and keep condensation from gathering on top of the cheesecake.
To cook your key lime cheesecake you will want to add 1 1/2 cups of water and a trivet to the bottom of the Instant Pot. The trivet will prevent the cheesecake from resting in the water. The handles of the trivet can be used lower (or lift) the cheesecake into (and out of) the Instant Pot.
Cook the cheesecake for 35 minutes with a natural pressure release. It will take about 30 minutes for the pressure to release completely. Remove the cheesecake and let it cool for an hour on the counter before placing it in the refrigerator overnight.
Oven Instructions
Don’t have an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker? No problem, this cheesecake can easily be cooked in the oven as well using the water bath method.
To cook your key lime dessert in the oven preheat the oven to 180C, or 350F. Tightly cover the top and bottom of your cheesecake pan with aluminum foil, and leave the paper towels off since you are baking in the oven and they may catch fire!
Fill a baking pan with an inch of water, then place the pan on the bottom rack in your oven. Place your cheesecake over the pan on the top rack of the oven. This will create a steam bath in your oven.
Cook the cheesecake in the oven for about 45 minutes. Cool the cheesecake and refrigerate just like you would if cooking it in the Instant Pot. Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
This key lime cheesecake recipe will need to rest in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours before it is ready to eat.
When you are ready to cut into the cheesecake and serve, top it with some sweetened whipped cream and a slice of fresh key lime.
Your cheesecake will have all the flavor of a key lime cheesecake, but the texture of a cream pie. Oh … and without the sugar, carbs, or gluten!
The suggested serving size is one slice, but as you can see, the slices are quite large so you may want to cut a smaller slice to reduce the carbs even further.
More easy cheesecake recipes
- 16 best low-carb and keto cheesecake recipes
- Instant Pot Low-Carb Berry Cheesecake
- Chocolate Swirl Baked Cheesecake
Instant Pot Key Lime Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Food Processor
Ingredients
Almond Crust
- 100 g almond meal/flour
- 55 g butter melted
- 1 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice or more, to your taste
Key Lime Filling
- 500 g cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 eggs – medium at room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sweetener of choice or more, to your taste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 60 ml heavy whipping cream
- 4 tbsp lime juice about 4-6 key limes
Whipped Cream
- 125 ml heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp granulated sweetener of choice optional
Instructions
Almond Crust
- In a bowl mix together all the crust ingredients.
- Pour the crust into 7×3 inch cheesecake pan that fits inside your Instant Pot. Spread the crust around and firmly press it to the bottom of the pan. Place the crust in the freezer until ready to use.
Key Lime Filling
- In a large bowl mix all the ingredients and 1 egg together with an electric hand mixer. Mix the filling on low speed just until you cannot see the yellow from the egg anymore. Then add the second egg and mix again just until all the yolk is completely mixed.
- Pour the filling over the crust and smooth out.
- Tightly cover the top and bottom of the cheesecake with a layer of paper towels and foil.
- Add 1 1/2 cup of water to the Instant Pot insert. Carefully lower the cheesecake into the Instant Pot using a trivet. The cheesecake will cook on top of the trivet.
- Cook the cheese on high pressure using the “manual” or “pressure cook” setting for 35 minutes with a natural pressure release. Remove the cheesecake and let it cool on the counter for 1 hour before placing in the refrigerator overnight.
- After the cheesecake has been refrigerated at least 8 hours, remove it from the pan. Top with whipped cream and slices of key lime.
Whipped Cream
- Add the heavy cream and sweetener to the bowl. Then mix it together with an electric hand mixer until it turns into whipped cream and forms stiff peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Love the way you have decorated the finished cheese cake. Please can there be a picture / photo of the finished item on the Print Out Page so that after time / when returning to a recipe I can remember how it is supposed to look without having to search it out on the website again. I miss the photo on the recipes so much!
I would love to but I have recently removed that feature from my recipe print function as I had so many complaints the image was wasting printer ink! I’m so sorry.
Try this cheese cake.
I don’t have an instant pot. How would you recommend to cook in oven?
Thanks
Do you unseal it From the foil/ paper towel to allow it to cool once it’s cooked in the instantpot?
Yes, that allows any condensation to evaporate and prevents it from going soggy.
Do you have a suggestion for making the crust nut-free? It sounds delicious but I have 4 relatives who have a serious tree-nut allergy so using almond flour isn’t an option. Would I just sub regular flour & keep everything else the same?
Hi Jan, you can make the cheesecake crust less or use shredded coconut or coconut flour instead of almond flour if they can eat coconut. When coconut flour you will need to add more liquid since coconut flour is much more absorbent than almond flour. You can use extra butter or water for the extra liquid. Hope this helps!
Lovely recipe! Thanks.
Although I want to eat it all in one go… Could I freeze leftovers?
Ha ha, I know that feeling 😉 Yes you can freeze leftovers. The cheesecake is lovely when it is not quite 100% defrosted, it will still have a slightly frozen aspect to it like a frozen cheesecake dessert.
How would I cook it in the oven?
I would cook it at 180C/350F for up to 30 minutes for a small tall cheesecake dish, and possibly only 15-20 minutes if you are using a larger and shallower dish.
I love key lime cheesecake and would like to make this. I’m sorry that you have mixed metric measurements with US measurements. That’s confusing to those of us who do not have a conversion chart or calculator handy. Is the 100 grams of almond flour 1 cup? How much butter is 55 grams? 500 grams of cream cheese – 16 oz? 125 ml of heavy cream is 1/2 cup? I don’t want to waste expensive ingredients. Thank you for clarifying this for those of us who are not used to metric measurements.
Perhaps try google lol. It will convert measurements for you.
This looks like an fantastic lockdown recipe. Can you substitute pureed berries or lemon for the key lime? Can you make it in ramekins or have you an alternative for the spring-form pan?
Ah … lockdown baking, it’s a challenge huh? Yes you could use pureed berries but you might like to use this recipe for low-carb Instant Pot berry cheesecake instead. It’s all in there for you and it has an AMAZING jelly topping. And yes, you can use lemons, I have a lemon no-bake cheesecake and a lemon meringue pie too.