Skinny Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Yields: 16 bars
 
These creamy cheesecake bars make for a wonderful summer dessert! They’ll keep for at least 6 days if stored in the refrigerator completely covered with plastic wrap or transferred to an airtight container.
  • for the crust
  • 2 ½ cups (75g) crisp brown rice cereal
  • ¾ tsp powdered stevia
  • 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
  • 5 tbsp (85mL) nonfat milk, room temperature
  • for the filling
  • 2 cups (480g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1 (8oz) block Greek yogurt cream cheese, softened
  • 1 large egg white, room temperature
  • 1 ½ tbsp (12g) cornstarch
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla crème stevia
  • ¾ cup (105g) fresh whole strawberries, diced
  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F, and lightly coat an 8”-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. To prepare the crust, add the cereal to a food processor or blender, and pulse until the cereal turns into fine crumbs. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in the powdered stevia. Mix in the butter and milk until all of the cereal mixture is completely incorporated. Gently press the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake at 300°F for 15-18 minutes or until it feels dry to the touch. Cool completely to room temperature.
  3. To prepare the filling, beat the cream cheese and Greek yogurt in a medium bowl until smooth. Mix in the egg white, stopping when just incorporated. Mix in the cornstarch until completely incorporated. Mix in the vanilla and vanilla crème stevia, stopping when just incorporated. Gently fold in the strawberries.
  4. Spread the filling on top of the cooled crust. Bake at 300°F for 35-38 minutes or until the center barely jiggles when the pan is gently shaken. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before covering with plastic wrap, ensuring that the plastic wrap completely touches the tops of the cheesecake bars. Chill for at least 8 hours before slicing.
Notes: The brown rice cereal should yield about 1 ⅛ cups of crumbs. The same amount of graham cracker crumbs may be substituted instead; then omit the powdered stevia and reduce the milk to 3-4 tablespoons. Regular crisp rice cereal may also be substituted.

Any granulated sweetener may be substituted for the powdered stevia in the crust; you’ll need the equivalent of 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Any milk may be substituted as well.

If you can’t find Greek yogurt cream cheese, substitute Neufchâtel cream cheese (⅓-less fat).

Powdered stevia (4 ½ teaspoons) may be substituted in place of the vanilla crème stevia, along with an additional 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. If using the powdered stevia, add it along with the cornstarch. I cannot guarantee whether any other substitutions will work, and I do not recommend using any other liquid sweetener (i.e. maple syrup, honey, or agave). The amount of vanilla crème stevia is the equivalent of ¾ cup of granulated sugar, and if substituting another granulated sweetener, the baking time may change.

Frozen and fully thawed strawberries may be substituted for the fresh. If using this substitution, gently pat the strawberries with a paper towel to remove excess moisture from thawing.

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, lower sugar, higher protein}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2016/06/26/skinny-strawberry-cheesecake-bars/