No-Bake Low-Carb Cheesecake Cups for Two

For two low-carb no-bake cheesecake cups, beat softened cream cheese with vanilla, lemon juice and liquid sweetener, then fold in whipped cream. Divide between two small glasses and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You get a spoonable cheesecake dessert without baking a whole cake.

Our pick is the crustless version for the shortest ingredient list. Add the optional pecan crumbs if you want a little crunch. This is a rich dessert in a small portion; lower carbohydrate does not mean low calorie. The plain filling is estimated at about 3.2 g total carbohydrate and 307 calories per cup.

Ingredients for two cups

• 113 g (4 oz, half an 8 oz block) full-fat plain cream cheese, softened but still cool
• 60 g (¼ US cup) cold heavy whipping cream
• ½ teaspoon (2.1 g) pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) lemon juice
• 3 squeezes Splenda Stevia Liquid Sweetener, the regular caffeine-free product, or the amount of another liquid sweetener that supplies the sweetness of 2 tablespoons of sugar

Splenda’s current directions equate one squeeze to 2 teaspoons of sugar. Three squeezes therefore supply the sweetness of 6 teaspoons, or 2 tablespoons. Squeeze sizes are approximate: start with two, taste the cream cheese mixture, then add the third if wanted. A different brand’s drops are not an equal-volume substitute. Use its own conversion. The listed product contains no erythritol.

For optional crumbs, use 20 g finely chopped, ready-to-eat unsalted pecans and 5 g melted unsalted butter, cooled until barely warm. Do not substitute raw almond or coconut flour in an uncooked base. For a nut-free version, leave the crumbs out and check ingredient cross-contact warnings.

How to make low-carb no-bake cheesecake cups

1. Soften the cheese. Cut the cream cheese into small pieces and let it stand for about 20 minutes. It should yield to a spatula without looking melted. Keep the whipping cream refrigerated. Count this time toward the dairy’s total time outside refrigeration.
2. Prepare the optional base. Mix the chopped pecans with the cooled melted butter. Divide between the glasses and press lightly with a spoon. This makes a loose crumb layer; it will not behave like a baked cookie crust. Skip this step for plain cups.
3. Beat the filling. Beat cream cheese in a small bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom. Mix in vanilla, lemon juice and two squeezes of sweetener. Taste and add the third squeeze if you prefer a sweeter dessert. Smooth out lumps now, before the cream goes in.
4. Whip the cream. In a separate cold bowl, whisk or beat the 60 g cream until it makes firm peaks that hold when the whisk lifts. A small, narrow bowl helps the beaters reach this small quantity. Watch the texture rather than the clock; stop before it looks grainy.
5. Fold gently. Stir one spoonful of whipped cream into the cheese to loosen it. Add the rest and use a spatula to scoop from the bottom and turn the mixture over until the streaks disappear. Avoid prolonged beating after this point.
6. Portion and chill. Spoon half the filling into each glass. For even servings, weigh the finished filling and divide its weight by two. Cover without touching the surface and refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or colder for at least 2 hours. Serve from the glasses with a spoon; these cups are not designed to unmold.

Getting a smooth, spoonable texture

Use block cream cheese for this version. Philadelphia explains that its brick and spreadable tub products have different uses; a spread, whipped cheese or lower-fat substitute can change the consistency. The lemon adds a little tang. It does not replace gelatin or turn this filling into a sliceable cake.

Cold cream whips more reliably. Land O’Lakes recommends chilled equipment and cold heavy cream. If yours stays liquid, check that the carton says heavy whipping cream and that the beaters reach it. Half-and-half will not give the same result.

If the cheese mixture is lumpy, scrape and beat it before folding. If the final filling is softer than you want after chilling, serve it as cheesecake mousse in the same cups. More chilling may help it firm, but it cannot restore air lost by overmixing. If the whipped cream begins to look grainy, stop whipping; avoid adding that texture to the filling.

Estimated nutrition and the serving basis

For one of two equal servings of plain filling: approximately 307 calories, 31 g fat, 5 g protein, 3.2 g total carbohydrate and 0 g fiber. Calculated net carbohydrate is also about 3.2 g. There is no sugar-alcohol subtraction in this version. Dairy still supplies carbohydrates even when the sweetener’s label says zero.

The calculation uses the current U.S. Philadelphia Original block label (100 calories, 10 g fat, 1 g carbohydrate and 2 g protein per 28 g), plus USDA SR Legacy values for heavy cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Ingredient weights are summed and divided by two. USDA entries are 170859, 167747 and 173471; the cream data include 2.84 g carbohydrate per 100 g, avoiding the assumption that a rounded zero on a tablespoon label means none in a larger portion.

Optional nuts and butter add calories and carbohydrates. Using Diamond’s pecan label as the reference, 10 g nuts per cup add about 70 calories, 1.3 g total carbohydrate and 1 g fiber, before butter. The 2.5 g butter per cup adds roughly 18 calories. Different cheeses, sweeteners and toppings change these estimates. For label math, see our guide to total and net carbohydrates.

Storage, allergens and serving

Keep the covered cups refrigerated and plan to eat them within 2 days for this small-batch version. Add nut crumbs close to serving if you want them to stay crisper. Freezing is not recommended here because we have not validated the thawed texture.

Follow FoodSafety.gov’s cold-food guidance: keep at 40°F (4°C) or below, and discard perishable food left out longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). The base contains milk; the optional crumbs add tree nuts. Check every package if avoiding gluten or other allergens. This recipe contains no egg or gelatin, but it is not dairy-free or vegan.

Serve the first batch plain so you can judge the sweetness you like. If you would rather open a ready-made dessert, our Rebel vs. Breyers CarbSmart comparison looks at a different freezer option. Find more cooking ideas in Recipes.

Recipe development note: this formulation is based on established no-bake cheesecake and whipped-cream methods, with a two-serving portion and ingredient calculation. LessCarby has not kitchen-tested this exact batch. Final volume and firmness after 2 hours still need practical validation. Illustrations show the intended serving and technique, not photographs of a tested batch. Research checked November 5, 2026.