Skinny Berry Cheesecake Bars are creamy, dreamy lemony cheese cake no bake filling on top of a gluten free nutty almond crust and topped with healthy berries.
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Crowd Pleasing Dessert
You are going to love these skinny berry cheesecake bars as it took me less than 30 minutes to throw together, its diabetic friendly, low carb, lower in fat compared to a traditional cheesecake, gluten-free and pretty enough to be a centerpiece for any social gathering. Perfect for the 4th of July celebration, just like our Strawberries with Cream Cheese Filling.
I only had to turn the oven for 10 minutes to cook the crust and the rest is no bake. Low fuss is a very good thing as it is about a million degrees here in Hong Kong and the humidity is 100 percent and the last thing I want to be doing is slaving in the kitchen.
Skinny Berry Cheesecake Bars for the Win
Okay here we are on the cusp of summer and there is nothing like a good old fashion bathing suit/swim trunk try on session to prompt some reassessment of our dietary intake. Not only that we have a holidays, graduation parties, weddings, etc. coming up and no doubt you will be asked to bring a dish to pass or maybe are hosting the event yourself.
Here is your chance to make and bring something you can eat and enjoy and still stay skinny. We all you know you want to do the right thing and eat just the healthy things but we also know there is a naughty side of you as well. With a delicious slice of skinny berry cheese cake bars you can literally have your cake and eat it too. If you are low on time, be sure to try our Icebox Lavender Lemon Angel food Cake for another easy show stopper dessert.
Berries the Lower Carb Fruit
I am not saying just because it is lower fat and lower carb that you can go ahead and eat the whole darn pie!!!! However, enjoying a reasonable sized piece of skinny berry cheesecake bars every once in a while makes you feel loved and not deprived without the huge carbohydrate (carb) load is a very good thing.
Berries are one of the lower carb fruits and with it being the 4th of July weekend, just a couple of weeks away, this makes the perfect topping for a little flash or red, white and blue. Heck we love berries so much we start out breakfast with a little Strawberry Rhubarb Refrigerator Jam over our oatmeal, yogurt or scones.
4th of July Celebrations
Every year my sister has a huge 4th of July gathering and it is loads of fun. They live in Ludington, Michigan and that is essentially just about a stones throw away from Traverse City the Fudge and Cherry capital of the world and "THE" place to be over the 4th of July holiday weekend. Our Skinny Berry Cheesecake Bars are going to be a huge hit!
If you are in the mood for cherries, be sure to try our Cherry Ginger Salsa as it is fabulous with tortilla chips for an easy appetizer or spooned over grilled pork chops. Fun days at the beach, climbing the sand dunes, fireworks, campfires, smores and of course loads of eating.
Now see, this is where this dessert comes in. You can make it in advance and just add the berries right before you serve it and have I mentioned what a beautiful picnic table centerpiece skinny berry cheese cake bars makes.
How to make a Skinny Berry Cheesecake Bars
I used a 9 inch pizza pan to make this dessert but you could use any square pan you wish.. or even a quiche dish. I keep calling it a bar as it really is one but it is fun shape of a pizza pie.
Almond Crust
I started out by making an almond crust as my base, low carb and lovely. I really love that crunchy little texture once you bake it. My handy-dandy food processor really makes this job a snap and I get the almonds ground very finely.
I even toasted my almonds after I grounded them as love that toasty flavor but this step is not required. If you are an almond lover like us, you are going to love our no bake strawberry chocolate cheesecake bites with almond crunch. You can also buy pre-ground almonds and this would even make your life one step easier.
Dietary Restrictions?
We have dietary restrictions in our home but it does not mean that you need to make your version this way. If you are not diabetic, then feel free to use either regular sugar or a low glycemic sugar of choice in the crust or even honey in the lemon cream cheese filling to sweeten in up. I do not like my desserts real sweet but only delicately sweet so feel free to taste along the way and add more sweetener if you desire.
Fruit Toppings
You can use any fruits you wish on your Skinny Berry Cheesecake Bars, but I choose berries as they are in season, gorgeous and low on the glycemic scale. Even though fruits such as stone fruits, kiwi, mango, jack fruit, pineapple, papaya, jack fruit, star fruit and lychee are not as low on the glycemic scale they would all be beautiful on this cheesecake bar. However, then you would have to call it the Skinny "Tropical" Cheese Cake Bar.
Life is short so let's eat dessert first and have a super week.
More Light and Healthish Desserts
Grilled Nectarine and Coconut Cream
Best Orange Almond Flourless Cake
No-Churn Dairy Free Mango Swirl Ice Cream
Honey Cardamom Cantaloupe Sorbet
3 Healthy Sorbet Recipes (Lychee, Raspberry & Blueberry)
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Skinny Berry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Almond Crust
- 2 cups ground almonds
- 2 tablespoon butter or margarine
- 4 packets splenda sugar or sugar alternative - (or sugar alternative of choice if diabetic) or can use ¼ cup brown sugar if not diabetic.
Lemon Cream Cheese Filling
- 12 oz cream cheese
light - ½ cup fat free natural yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
- 12 packets splenda
or sugar alternative of choice if not diabetic, then use ½ cup of sugar
Berry /Fruit Toppings
- 2 cups strawberries
fresh sliced in half - 1 cup blueberries fresh
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 degrees Celsius).
- Crush almonds into a graham cracker crumb consistency in a food processor, or in a bag by hand or buy your almonds pre-ground. (I toasted my ground almonds before mixing everything together, but that step is totally optional) In a medium bowl add the ground almonds, margarine/butter and sugar alternative/sugar and mix with a fork. Spray/oil on the bottom and sides your dish that you plan on using. My pan was a 9 inch round pizza pan. Press the almond crumbs on the bottom of the pan with the back of your spoon. Bake your almond crust for 10 minutes or until the nuts are slightly golden and toasty. Remove crust from the oven and cool (I put my crust in the freezer for about 10 minutes with hot pots under it to protect the freezer and it really cooled it fast)
- Mix together cream cheese, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar/sugar alternative with a blender until creamy and smooth.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture gently over the crust. It is best to put dollops of cream cheese mixture in separate sections and gently spread as the crust has a tendency to crumble. Spread the cream cheese to the edges but leave about ½ to 1 inch around the perimeter to show off that delicious almond crust.
- Wash, dry and cut your berries and decorate the top of your Skinny Berry Cheese Cake Bars any way you desire. Enjoy!
Tandy | Lavender and Lime says
I can totally understand why it's a crowd pleaser Bobbi 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Tandy! Wishing you a super weekend.
Eha says
Bobbi: methinks you have almost converted me and I have not cooked 'cake' or 'dessert' for some three decades 😀 !! Well we do not celebrate the 4th of July but the 5th will take me to Utrecht, Holland for the beginning of this year's Tour de France . . . . methinks I could spend quite a few happy midnights and past enjoying this with my tea also . . .,
Healthy World Cuisine says
Eha, you know me so well. I am not a huge dessert fan either so when I make one you know it will only be delicately sweet. Maybe it has been the effects of living in Asia so long or maybe it is just because I am lazy and don't like to be bothered with actual measuring of ingredients. Wishing you a super weekend!
Eha says
Hmmm: you do know what I have done, don't you 🙂 ? Thank you for that wonderful link and I am looking forwards to going to exciting Greece with you!! What a fab recipe!!!!! Hugs north; hope you have a peaceful and happy weekend also . . . love
Maureen says
How 4th of July does this look!!! I'm downright patriotic looking at it.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Maureen, you are so sweet and you always bring a smile to my face. I hope each day you are feeling a little better. Take care
allthatsjas says
That looks fantastic! A luscious, healthy dessert plus the colors are so fitting for the 4th of July holiday. Perfection!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Jas. The strawberries and blueberries are plentiful at the markets and want to enjoy them while they are in season.
Karen says
What a great dessert of the 4th of July. I'm like you and don't like my desserts too sweet so this sounds perfect.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Karen, I know how you feel about overly sweet desserts. I really do not like them any more. I just gag at the thought of frosting on a birthday cake...maybe it is all the those years in Asia is starting to wear off on me.
Robyn @ simply fresh dinners says
Oh wow, Bobbi, not only are your pictures pure perfection but this healthy dessert is pure heaven. I love that it's so easy to make and can be done ahead of time. All those fabulous flavours! So perfect for the American holiday, too. Home run, girl!
Healthy World Cuisine says
You are so sweet Robyn! I am all about making things in advance of your guests arriving. This dessert is perfect as you can do just that. Wishing you a super weekend.
Anna @ shenANNAgans says
Totes going to pretend I didn't read - I am not saying just because it is lower fat and lower carb that you can go ahead and eat the whole darn pie!!!!
Lemon cream cheese is one of life's BEST tastes I reckon. Gahhh.... Drooling this end. Looks super delicious, could go a slab, I mean slice now. It'd be the perfect dessert to follow the spicy Indonesian noodle dish I had for dinner.
PS: What is Jack Fruit?
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hi Anna! Thank you so much and be sure stop on by and will cut you off a slab... This dessert would be so refreshing and cooling after a super spicy Indonesian dish. Are you still here in Asia or back in the land of OZ? If you are still in Asia, you should try some jack fruit. Love it, it is a sweet and delicious fruit that is crisp, golden in color when ripe like a mango and has a pit inside. They are about 3cm x5 cm in diameter and are in season now. It is hard to describe because it is not like any regular fruits you would find in Australia.
Dawn says
Such a beautiful pie, and I love that it is low carb and low sugar!!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Dawn. Happily gluten free for your household too. Take care
kitchenriffs says
Wow, you made this in under 30 minutes! Sign me up! My kind of dish! This looks terrific. Love the crust -- nut crusts are wonderful, aren't they? Super stuff -- thanks.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks John. Yes the secret is putting the crust in the freezer for a few minutes to get it to cool down fast while you are making the cream cheese filling. I am all about time management as for some reason I am always in a time deficit.
cheri says
Hi Bam, such a beauty of a dessert and pretty healthy to boot. Will be making for the 4th. This is one dessert everyone would eat.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Cheri, wishing you a super weekend!
chef mimi says
If I made this, I'd have to copy your exact fruit design, because creativity/Martha Stewart stuff is not my thing. But I love the recipe for the crust, and this would be fabulous at a party. Kids would love it too!!!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Mimi, I have seen some of your works and you would probably be a hundred times better than Martha. This would be fun for a kids party!
Gerlinde says
What a lovely desert . I especially like the almond crust. It is the perfect summer desert for a hot and humid day.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Gerlinde, I can tell you that we are having very hot and humid days in Hong Kong and it is not even August yet...
Mary Frances says
These are so pretty!! I love the berry design. Looks like such a refreshing summer dessert!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Mary. Don't you just love food art...! Wishing you a super week!
Kristy says
Just in time! I need a dessert for our neighbor's 4th bash. This is perfect! And your sister's does sound like the place to be! We just love Michigan and have a soft spot for Traverse City. Spent our 10th anniversary there. 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
How romantic! Upper Michigan in the summer is the hot spot for tourism. I have been to many places around the world but if you want to enjoy something really special then the overlook of Lake Michigan and all the local activities is the place to be. This dessert will be a breeze to throw together with the kids. Let me know how many "Spoons" the recipe gets. Take Care
Monica says
Looks gorgeous and I love this lighter option. I especially love the almond crust. The filling sounds perfectly creamy without being too heavy and it's the perfect bed for some gorgeous fruit. With the heat and after a hearty meal like a cookout, you still want dessert but something reasonable. This is ideal.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Monica. Almonds work great for the crust (as that is what I had in my pantry) but you could mix it up and use walnuts, macadamia nuts or whatever you like. Take care