After our last set of finals in high school each year, my close friends and I would walk a couple of miles from campus to the shopping mall up the road, where we picked a place from the plethora of restaurants to eat, flip through yearbooks, and talk about summer vacation plans while sitting in the warm June sunshine. Those afternoons full of reminiscing and bellyaching laughs were always the perfect finish to the school year.
For our senior year, we chose one of the fanciest restaurants at the mall and arrived right as they opened to avoid the hour-long line normally associated with that chain. Tired of being cooped up in classrooms, we elected to sit at a table outside under the umbrellas.
At the end of the meal, nearly everyone else ordered a dessert from the extensive menu, but I politely declined, knowing that my parents probably planned on celebrating with an ice cream cake after dinner that evening. (It’s my mom’s favorite way to celebrate any graduation—elementary, middle, and high schools, and yes, college too!)
Since the restaurant was famous for it, one guy requested a slice of their traditional cheesecake with a side of fresh berries and whipped cream. When the plate arrived, I nearly gasped at the size of the piece—and sat in amazement as my friend polished it all off. I would’ve needed to run a half marathon to compensate for all of those decadent calories!
With my younger brother’s very special graduation quickly approaching, that cheesecake memory resurfaced. I thought that making a healthier version of it to serve alongside my mom’s favorite dessert would be the perfect way to celebrate, which resulted in these Skinny Raspberry Cheesecake Bars!
Let’s start with the graham cracker crust. Normally, all of those crumbs are held together by a stick or two of melted butter. No thank you! Instead, we’ll use just a tablespoon plus an egg white and a touch of milk for our lighter version. They bind together the crumbs without tasting greasy or heavy, and that simple swap shaves off quite a few calories too!
Now for everyone’s favorite part: the filling! It’s sweet, creamy, and packed with protein—basically a dessert lover’s dream come true. For the best texture, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before beginning. I know it’s hard to remember to set those bricks of cream cheese on the counter ahead of time, but I promise it’s worth it!
Unlike that slice that served as today’s inspiration, I decided to mix fresh Driscoll’s raspberries into the filling instead of simply serving them on top. I’ve been on a big fruit kick lately, so the more I can add to my treats, the better! Because the berries release juice while baking, we’ll add a little extra cornstarch to the filling to help the bars set.
The hardest part of baking cheesecake is always the waiting game at the end. The cheesecake bars need to chill for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator before slicing and serving to ensure that they set with the creamiest texture possible. It’s pure torture to spend an afternoon gazing at them on the shelves whenever I pull open the door, so I usually bake my cheesecakes at night so they can set overnight while I sleep!
But this creamy, fruity, protein-packed reward is always worth the wait!
| Skinny Raspberry Cheesecake Bars | | Print |
Prep time: 25 minutes • Bake time: 35-38 minutes • Cool and chill time: 4 hours
- for the crust
- 7 sheets (109g) honey graham crackers
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 2 tbsp (30mL) nonfat milk
- for the filling
- 2 (8oz) blocks fat-free cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup (96g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (140g) fresh Driscoll’s raspberries, chopped (a little less than one 6oz package)
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and lightly coat an 8”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the crust, add the graham crackers to a food processor or blender, and pulse until they’re fine crumbs. Add the crumbs to a bowl, and mix in the butter, egg white, and milk. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake at 300°F for 8 minutes. Cool completely.
- To prepare the filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the egg white until just incorporated. Beat in the cornstarch and vanilla. Gently fold in the diced raspberries.
- Spread the filling on top of the cooled crust. Bake at 300°F for 27-30 minutes, or until the center only jiggles slightly. Cool completely to room temperature; then cover the top with plastic wrap, ensuring that the plastic completely touches the filling. Chill for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving.
This is a paid endorsement from Driscoll’s — visit www.driscolls.com for more berry recipes. As always, all text, opinions, photos, and recipe are my own.
These look like the creamiest cheesecake bars ever! As well and being healthier, they still sound seriously decadent!
Thanks Eve! 🙂
Oh my! These look heavenly. I am always excited for cheesecake recipes that help me save some calories. I will definitely be enjoying these soon. <3
Thanks Erin! I’d love to hear what you think of them! 🙂
Sounds so yummy!! I have graham cracker crumbs not any graham crackers. How much crumbs would you guess? About 1 1/2 cups. Thanks for your help
Thanks! I’d recommend 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs to start. If the crust mixture looks too wet, add in another tablespoon, but if it looks too dry, add a tiny bit more milk. I hope you enjoy the cheesecake bars!
Totally gorgeous and I just LOVE that they are skinny! I simply must try these Amy!
Thanks Trish! Good thing I stored some in the freezer… I’ll have to drop some by sometime! 🙂
hi. I am always excited for cheesecake recipes that help me save some calories.. 🙂 🙂
Then these sound perfect for you Sneha! I hope you enjoy the bars if you try them! 🙂
Cheesecake bars sound amazing, especially if they are skinny!
Thanks Shelby!
Amy, I LOVE that you nutritionally analyze your recipes. That is such a big help. Thank you!! (I know how to do it myself, but it’s much easier if someone else does!) I can’t wait to try these raspberry cheesecake bars.
My pleasure Suzy! I’m really glad you find it useful. I hope you enjoy the bars!
A light dessert for summertime! I’m always in need of more of those!
You can never have too many desserts in the summer Julie! 😉
These are so deliciously awesome! I used a cup of rhubarb instead of raspberries because I had some and WOW! Thanks so much for wonderful healthier recipes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake bars Cindy! I definitely need to try a rhubarb version — that sounds incredible!
Is there any substitution for graham crackers? We don’t have them in Australia, I tried to find a recipe to make some but they require graham flour, which we also don’t have in Australia.
Digestive biscuits should work Katelyn! No need to make your own graham crackers. They’re more or less our version of digestive biscuits, just rectangular in shape with a slightly different flour. I hope you enjoy the cheesecake bars!