Healthy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
These creamy cheesecake bars are perfect for fall! They’re full of sweet pumpkin flavor and cozy spices. Leftovers will stay fresh if stored in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for at least 6 days.
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST
- 2 ½ cups (75g) brown rice cereal
- 2 tbsp (26g) Truvia
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter, melted
- 5 tbsp (75mL) nonfat milk, room temperature
FOR THE FILLING
- 1 (8oz) block Greek yogurt cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (240g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup (183g) pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie mix!)
- ¾ tsp liquid stevia
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and coat an 8”-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- 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 Truvia. 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 18-21 minutes or until it feels dry to the touch. Cool completely to room temperature.
- To prepare the filling, beat the cream cheese and Greek yogurt in a medium bowl until smooth. Mix in the pumpkin purée and stevia. Mix in the egg white, stopping when just incorporated. Mix in the cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla until just incorporated.
- Spread the filling on top of the cooled crust. Bake at 300°F for 18-22 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 3 hours before slicing and serving.
Notes
BROWN RICE CEREAL NOTES: The brown rice cereal should yield about 1 ⅛ cups of crumbs. The same amount of graham cracker crumbs may be substituted instead. If using graham cracker crumbs, then omit the Truvia and reduce the milk to 3-4 tablespoons.
TRUVIA ALTERNATIVES: Any granulated sweetener that sweetens cup-for-cup like granulated sugar may be substituted for the Truvia in the crust.
BUTTER ALTERNATIVES: Coconut oil or stick-style vegan butter may be substituted for the unsalted butter.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
CREAM CHEESE ALTERNATIVES: If you can’t find Greek yogurt cream cheese, Neufchâtel cream cheese (⅓-less fat) is the best substitute. Full-fat cream cheese and fat-free cream cheese should also work. Whatever type you use, make sure it's really well softened and the brick-style kind. (Do not use tub-style cream cheese!)
STEVIA NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: I buy my liquid stevia online here because that's the best price I've found, and you'll use it in all of these recipes of mine too! If you prefer, 1 ½ teaspoons of this powdered stevia may be substituted in place of the liquid stevia.
I cannot guarantee whether any other sweetener substitutions will work. The ¾ teaspoon of liquid stevia is the equivalent of about 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and if substituting another granulated sweetener (other than the aforementioned powdered stevia!), the baking time may increase.
I do not recommend using any other liquid sweetener (ie maple syrup, honey, or agave).
CORNSTARCH NOTE: The cornstarch helps thicken the cheesecake bars. I don't recommend substituting anything for it.
SPICES ALTERNATIVE: If you prefer, 1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice may be substituted for the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
OPTIONAL HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM: I used this healthy homemade whipped cream recipe to top the bars in the photos in the blog post above.
GLUTEN FREE VERSION: No modifications needed!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar, higher protein}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.