Healthy Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars
HEY HI HELLO. I’m excited. Can you tell I’m excited?? Why, you ask? Because I finally get to post the recipe for these Healthy Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars!
This recipe was a long time coming. I’ve been trying to make this cheesecake for… well, let’s just say, too long. Every batch I made before this one was a total failure. The very first batch wasn’t baked all the way through because I pulled it out of the oven too early. The second batch wasn’t flavorful at all. The third batch sunk in the center (which I didn’t realize could even happen to cheesecake??). And the fourth batch had some weird air pocket in the corner and formed a hard “crust” on the surface from the heat of the oven. Yeah, I’m pretty much a failure in the kitchen sometimes *shakes fist at the sky*
But I finally struck gold on trial #5. This, my friends, this is what I call delicious!
These Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars are rich and decadent, yet light and creamy. You’d never know they’re refined sugar free, gluten free, and high protein too!
When Cheesecake has an Apple Pie twist, the only option is YES.
What a great combination right??
Not only does the apple topping add presentation points, but it covers up any cracks that form on the cheesecake’s surface during the baking process. Which is not a problem… no one can see it anyways 😉
There’s nothin’ much better than a freshly baked batch of these Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars. They’re smooth, creamy, tangy, sweet, and packed with flavor — a perfect description of the word, “decadent.”
Unlike typical cheesecake, which is heavy, made with full-fat cream cheese, egg yolks, and a ton of white sugar, this healthified version is made with Neufchâtel cream cheese (aka ⅓ less fat cream cheese) and a mix of pure maple syrup and organic stevia extract to sweeten. These easy substitutions work perfectly, and trust me, it yields 100% deliciousness. Especially when it comes topped with homemade apple pie filling.
Can you even imagine how much better things could get if you served this cheesecake along with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream?? Or some Vanilla Protein Ice Cream?!?
*foodgasm*
Healthy Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 56g (¼ cup) Coconut Oil (melted)
- 1 large Egg White
Cheesecake:
- 16 oz Neufchâtel Cream Cheese (or ⅓ less fat cream cheese)
- 2 cups Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt
- 1 large Egg
- 1 tbs Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Liquid Stevia Extract
- 60g (⅔ cup) Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
Apple Pie Topping:
- 2 Honeycrisp Apples
- 6 tbs Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 tbs Lemon Juice
- 1½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Organic Corn Starch
- ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
Instructions
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8x8" brownie pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, melted coconut oil, and egg white. Press the mixture into the pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
For the Cheesecake:
- In a stand mixer bowl with whisk attachment, whip together the cream cheese and yogurt. When the mixture is even, add the egg, then the lemon juice, and vanilla extract and stevia extract.
- When the mixture is even, add the protein powder and cinnamon. Mix until there are no clumps. Pour the mixture over the crust and bake for 42-45 minutes, or until the center jiggles just slightly when you tap the pan. Let cool while you make the topping.
For the Apple Pie Topping:
- Core and peel the apples. Slice into thin strips/chunks. Place the apples in a saucepan.
- Add the maple syrup, lemon juice, cinnamon, starch, and nutmeg. Stir until completely combined. Place over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture boils, and cook until the apples are soft. Mixture should be done when most of the liquid cooks off and it turns a rich caramel color. Pour the mixture into a heat-proof bowl and let cool completely.
- Scoop the mixture on top of the cheesecake, cover, and refrigerate for 4+ hours, or until completely set. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Craving both Apple Pie AND Cheesecake? Make these Healthy Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars!
Made with a comforting graham cracker crust, a creamy cheesecake filling, and apple pie topping.
You’ll find it hard (read: impossible) to say “no” to another bite.
I gave my mom a cheesecake bar and she immediately said, “Oh my gosh!” as she shoved another forkful in her mouth. She even said it tasted “like a classic restaurant cheesecake.” And I trust her (very) knowledgable opinion, based on (lots of) cheesecake-eating experience. These Healthy Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars were the answer to their cheesecake-involved prayers. I know you’ll love it too!
Enjoy 🙂
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With love and good eats,
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– Jess
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Indulge − no strings attached!
Yum! This looks beautiful! The apples on top are gorgeous, especially with that drizzle over top. I love cheesecake and haven’t had it in way too long!
Wowza! I’m a sucker for ANY kind of cheesecake but this just looks flat-out amazing! Your photos are beautiful too!
When can you decide if you want to use knox gelatin or not in recipes? Since some of your cheesecakes have gelatin and some dont?
I use gelatin in my no-bake cheesecake recipes to help stabilize it. When a cheesecake is baked it doesn’t need gelatin (and gelatin doesn’t react very well in the oven too) 🙂
-Jess
Pingback: Decadent Yet Healthy Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars (Gluten Free) | Healthy Recipes Feeds
I am an eight year colon cancer survivor, and I enjoy the recipe and have found that in changing my diet, I tend to feel a lot better. Thanks for all this healthy recipes.
That’s such awesome news Jerome! I’m so glad you’re feeling better ever since you changed up your diet, and that you like my recipes 🙂
Wishing you the best! <3
-Jess
Beautiful cheesecake bars, Jessica! The drizzle of the caramel sauce is just serious food porn. I normally don’t have cheesecake on the regular, but hey, I wouldn’t mind this fall-oriented variety of it!
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Wow, this was such an easy recipe for a cheesecake and as others have mentioned, it’s so sexy!
Another winner Jess! I agree with your mom, it’s like a cheesecake from a fancy restaurant, the texture is spot on!
Like all your recipes, I find that the taste of your desserts get better and better with each day, which hasn’t been easy to prove since they get eaten pretty quickly 😉 Just wondering though, if I wanted to amp up the sweetness of this dessert a little, would it be OK to increase the liquid stevia in the cheesecake mixture and increase the maple syrup in the apple pie topping? I don’t want to throw off the ratios, cause everything else is perfect!
Thanks in advance for getting back to me.
Sue, you are literally THE BEST 🙂
So glad you got a chance to make some of my recipes, and I’m happy y’all liked them so much. Best day ever!! 🙂