Healthy Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars
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!
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
I've also made a delicious variation of this cheesecake and thought I'd include the recipe here for ya!
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Crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9x9" brownie pan with parchment paper. In a blender, blend the crust ingredients until mixture is sticky enough (to see if it's ready, clump a ball of the mixture between your hands and make a patty. If it's crumbling, blend a little more). Press into the pan. Bake for 11 minutes.
-3 cups Pecans
-¼ cup Sucanat
-¼ cup Brown Rice Flour
-¼ tsp Salt
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Cheesecake: In a stand mixer bowl with whisk attachment, whip together the cream cheese and yogurt. Add the arrowroot starch and whip again. Add the stevia extract, lemon zest, and maple syrup and whip again. Finally add the protein powder. Make sure there are no clumps! Pour over the crust. Bake for ~33 minutes, or when the center jiggles just slightly when you tap the pan. Let cool completely, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Slice and enjoy!
-16oz Fat Free Cream Cheese
-2 cups Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt
-2 tbs Arrowroot Starch
-½ tsp Stevia Extract
-¼ tsp Lemon Zest
-¼ cup Pure Maple Syrup
-60g (2 scoops) Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
Nutrition Facts
Healthy Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars
Amount Per Serving (1 serving = 1 cheesecake bar)
Calories 310
Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 55mg18%
Sodium 330mg14%
Potassium 240mg7%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 19g21%
Protein 13g26%
Vitamin A 250IU5%
Vitamin C 3.3mg4%
Calcium 180mg18%
Iron 1.1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.