Mar 22, 2019
If you like cheesecake but don’t want all the extra calories and sugar, make these Lemon Cheesecake Bars!
These Lemon Cheesecake Bars taste like the real thing, but they’re secretly good for you!
You’d never guess that they’re sugar free, low carb, high protein, gluten free, AND keto-friendly too.
Oh yes.
Every bite is like a wave of freshness throughout your entire body. This thick and creamy cheesecake is super super tasty, uber fresh, and totally lemony! You really would never be able to guess that it’s good for you.
I mean, it’s too sweet and flavorful to be nutritious… and it’s definitely too rich and creamy to be diet-friendly… right?
Wrong.
The ingredient list of this cheesecake is much healthier than any store-bought or bakery-bought kind. And that’s the thing I love about healthy food — it can taste great!
Healthy Lemon Cheesecake Bars
If you like cheesecake but don’t want all the extra fat, calories, and sugar, make these Lemon Cheesecake Bars! It tastes like the original, but it’s secretly sugar free, low carb, high protein, gluten free, and keto-friendly too!
Crust:
- 2 cups Almond Flour
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 tbs Unsalted Butter or Coconut Oil (melted)
- 1 Large Egg White (reserve the yolk for the filling)
Cheesecake:
- 16 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese (room temp; use full fat for keto)
- 16 oz Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt (use whole for keto)
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Large Egg Yolk (reserved from the crust)
- 1 packed tbs Lemon Zest
- 2 tsp Liquid Stevia Extract
- 30g (3 tbs) Organic Corn Starch
- ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric (optional, just for color!)
For the Crust:
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray an 8×8″ brownie pan with cooking spray.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cinnamon, and salt. Add in the melted butter/coconut oil and egg white, and stir until completely combined. Dump the mixture into the brownie pan and pat it out. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool while you make the filling.
For the Cheesecake:
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In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, add the cream cheese and yogurt. Whip on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and whip again.
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Turn the mixer on low and add in the eggs, egg yolk, lemon zest, and stevia extract. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until completely smooth.
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Turn the mixer on low and add the starch and turmeric. Increase the speed to high and mix until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and whip again.
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Pour the mixture over the crust and bake for ~44 minutes, or until the center barely jiggles. The surface of the cheesecake will crack, but that’s okay. You can cover it with whipped cream, Lemon Curd, or Blueberry Compote! Let cool completely, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Healthy Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Amount Per Serving (1 serving = 1/9th of recipe)
Calories 270
Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 80mg27%
Sodium 440mg19%
Potassium 94mg3%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 18g36%
Vitamin A 1050IU21%
Calcium 200mg20%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
I’m pretty shocked — in a good way — about the nutrition facts for this recipe! For a big serving (1/9th of the entire pan, to be exact), there are only 270 calories and 0g of added sugar (the sugar content is naturally occurring in the yogurt and cream cheese), plus a whopping 18g of protein!
HOT DANG!
I’ll totally take two slices, please 😉
If you want to compare these numbers to “regular” cheesecake, you’ll be even more shocked. A slice of “regular” cheesecake will have at least 400 calories, 25g of fat, and 27g of sugar.
And if you want to take it even further, let’s stack my recipe side-by-side with the Cheesecake Factory’s Lemon Cheesecake, where a single slice has 1,170 calories, 73g of fat, and 95g of sugar. Yes, seriously!!!
I vote my cheesecake. I vote mine all the way.
Enjoy!
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With love and good eats,
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– Jess
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