A press-in nut crust and easy blueberry topping make these low carb no-bake cheesecake bars the ultimate in easy and tasty.
When I started researching low carb diets, seven years ago, there weren't many on-line resources for information or recipes. I remember visiting George Stella's website where he had a forum for low carb members. One day, I read a thread about low carb breakfasts. At the time, it was an area in which I struggled. A woman posted that she often had low carb cheesecake for breakfast.
I think my mind exploded at that exact instant!
Never one who enjoyed eggs in the morning, I was intrigued by the idea of low carb cheesecake for breakfast. I had always shunned it as being unhealthy because it was loaded with calories and saturated fats. Armed with new information, I realized that it consisted mainly of cheese and eggs - things I was supposed to be enjoying on a LCHF (low carb high fat) diet. I went to work and made a low carb version of my Nana's cheese Pie, which is crust-less and ahh-mazing!
Having a small serving of sugar-free cheesecake for a couple of weeks helped me ease into the transition of my new low carb lifestyle. And as the scale continued to show a loss, my guilt eased. Then, I discovered my favorite crust-less quiche and began a new love affair with breakfast.
Now, I'm not advocating low carb cheesecake for breakfast because that would be irresponsible, but it did ease me through the initial transition. It helped me forget about my previous high carb favorites - cereal & toast.
Summertime is perfect for impromptu bar-be-cues, casual dinner parties, and other informal gatherings. For these occasions, it's great to have an easy dessert recipe to throw together the day before; one that doesn't require heating up the house. An egg-less no-bake dessert fits the bill.
Like many of you, I'm a fan of no-bake desserts. And although many of the desserts I've shared the last two years are no-bake, most involve about 15 minutes of cooking time on the stove or a few minutes in the oven to set a crust.
This recipe requires no oven, but it does require 15 minutes of stove-time to cook the blueberry topping. The simple nut crust only needs hands to press it into the pan and the no-bake filling can be made with a hand mixer. See? Super easy.
BTW, this is the same no-bake cheesecake base that I used in the Pecan Turtle Cheesecake Bars I posted last Fall. (You can make the low carb sauces yourself or purchase your favorite sugar-free sauces, making it faster and easier! You won't believe it's low carb by it's picture!)
Wow your family with this easy and delicious dessert.
Low Carb Cheesecake Bars with Blueberry Topping is 7 net carbs per serving.
[This post and recipe may contain affiliate links.]
No-bake Cheesecake Bars (Blueberry Sauce)
Ingredients
Pecan Crust
- 1 cup pecans (4 oz/ 114 g) toasted
- 1 cup almond flour (4 oz/ 114 g)
- ¼ cup whey protein powder (¾ of a scoop/ 25 g) (I use Isopure)
- â…“ cup Low carb brown sugar (70 g) powdered (or erythritol or Swerve)
- 4 tablespoons butter (2 oz/ 57g) melted
No-bake Cheesecake
- 2 packages cream cheese (16 oz) softened
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream (4 oz/ 118 g)
- â…” cup low carb powdered sugar (3 oz/ 85 g) (or your favorite powdered sweetener)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (15 ml)
- ½ teaspoon stevia glycerite (2.5 ml)
Blueberry Topping
- 2 cups blueberries 10 oz/ 283.5 g, frozen or fresh
- 3 tablespoons water 45 ml
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice 15 ml
- 3 tablespoons erythritol 45 ml, or more to taste
- 1 pinch nutmeg
Instructions
- Preparation: Toast the pecans (I use a toaster oven, but the oven or a pan on the stove will do the trick), cool, and place in a food processor to finely grind. Gather the ingredients. Powder the Sukrin Gold (or erythritol or use Swerve). Butter or spray the bottom of an 8x8 or 9x9 inch square pan. Melt the 4 tablespoons of butter.
- Low Carb Pecan Crust: Mix all of the dry ingredients for the crust together thoroughly. Add the melted butter and mix again. The mixture should hold together when squeezed gently in your fist, if not, add a little more butter. Pour the pecan crust mixture into the prepared baking pan and press firmly into place. I lay a piece of waxed paper over the crust and press it firmly into the pan with a flat bottomed glass.
- No-bake Cheesecake Layer: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the vanilla and sweeteners and mix again until thoroughly combined making sure to scrape the bowl. In a small bowl, whip the whipped cream until very stiff. Working in three batches, fold the whipped cream into the sweetened cream cheese mixture. Spread the cheesecake layer evenly on the crust and refrigerate over night.
- Blueberry Topping: Put all of the ingredients for the low carb blueberry sauce into a medium pan over medium heat, cover. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat to med-low or low and let it simmer, uncovered, until some of the blueberries burst and the sauce has thickened - about 10-15 minutes. Cool.
- To Serve: Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the blueberry sauce over each cheesecake bar or pour the cooled sauce over the whole pan and cut into 12 pieces.
Notes
Nutrition
Mary Dody
Make this recipe all the time! Love it..
Lisa
Those look delicious!
tania
delicious!
Pennie
Really easy recipe, doesn't take much time, can make ahead of when you need it and family really loves it.
Kristine
970g low carb brown sugar?? something seems very wrong there haha. Otherwise amazing recipe!
Kim Hardesty
Oops! I think the 9 was supposed to be an open-parenthesis. Thank you for letting me know about the typo and I'm glad you like the recipe, Kristine! Be well. -Kim
Laureen Stilling
Can thos be frozen?
Kim Hardesty
Absolutely, Laureen! Enjoy. -Kim
Laurie Lindeman
My hubby made this yesterday - it’s the best low carb dessert we’ve made so far! Delish!!!
Michael Latham
OMG! Amazingly good! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! Been on Keto for 2 weeks. Lost 8 lbs and recipes like this make it so easy!
Leah
One of the best no bake cheesecakes I have ever had. No it too heavy and Keto/Diabetic friendly!
Kim
Great, Leah. I am so happy you liked the recipe. -Kim
Michelle
Do you know what the net carbs are without the blueberry sauce? I don’t do fruit while on Keto
Kim
Not off hand, Michelle. I would enter the other ingredients into Fatsecret.com and let it calculate for you. -Kim
Jackie
Hi Kim, could I substitute coconut flour for almond flour?
Kim
Hi Jackie. I'm sure that you could.... but I don't have a measurement for you. Have you tried using sunflower flour (ground raw sunflower seeds)? It works similarly to almond flour and Sugar Free Mom uses it for her son who is very allergic to nuts. You can also just use your favorite coconut flour crust from another site. -Kim
Joann
I’m going to bake the crust for a bit(like the full fat recipe) wish me luck! won’t have to toast pecans this way.
Kim
It should be fine, Joann. Enjoy the recipe. -Kim
Mary
What is glyerite?
Kim
Hi Mary. Stevia glycerite is a concentrated viscus liquid sweetener made of stevia and some vegetable glycerine. It does not have the bitter that many liquid stevia brands have. I always try to use less erythritol based sweeteners because they have a cooling effect when eaten and can either leave a cold crust on the outside of baked goods or can crystallize in things like curds, puddings or cheesecakes. Sometimes with cheesecakes you can get both a crust and some crystallization. It bothers some but not others. I use less erythritol (Sukrin or Swerve or generic erythritol) and augment sweetness with stevia glycerite, which you can find on Amazon. I hope this helps. -Kim
Cynthia
Will the recipe come out the same if I don't add stevia glycerite? I don't have it. But I have liquid Monkfruit Sweetner. Thank you!
Kim
Yes, Cynthia. If you like the liquid monkfruit, use that to augment sweetness. -Kim
Sylvia
Hi,
I am new to this whole cooking thing. What do you mean by "powder" the Sukrin Gold?
Thanks in advance!
Kim
Sure, Sylvia. That means to grind it up in a coffee grinder or other similar device. The erythritol based sweeteners don't dissolve like sugar does and are sometimes a little bit "crunchy". Welcome to a new way of eating. Enjoy your journey! -Kim
Debra
My blueberry sauce ended up too liquid - is there a thickener you added?
Kim
Debra, it sounds like it wasn't cooked long enough. I'm sorry. Sometimes blueberries have a higher or lower water content. You can add 1/8 tsp xanthan gum (or 1/2 tsp of arrowroot powder or cornstarch) with the sweetener so it doesn't clump up. I hope the cheesecake was good even if the syrup hadn't thickened. Enjoy your weekend. -Kim
Sonia
Hi Kim... the picture alone has me drooling. The entire family loves blueberry cheesecake. Do you think I can use walnuts instead of pecan in the crust? If this turns out well i would be a cheesecake convert (used to avoid because of high fat content). Thanks
Kim
Absolutely, Sonia. Walnurs would be great. Enjoy the recipe. -Kim
Karen
Great recipe, made it yesterday. Very delicious!
Kim
Glad you liked the recipe, Karen. Enjoy your Monday. -Kim
Karen
This is my go to dessert for company. Everyone loves it! Thanks for your great recipes.
Sara Joy
This recipe is incredible. It is SO easy and delicious. And it's so versatile!! (I tried strawberry protein powder in the crust...oh lord.) thank you so so much for the recipe!!
Kim
Thank you Sara. Oh wow! I never thought about strawberry protein powder in the crust (probably because I only have plain). What a great idea. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your tweak and to leave such a nice comment. Have a nice week. -Kim
Ange
Thank you, this recipe looks fantastic! Will it be easy to remove the cake from the pan though?
Kim
Yes, Ange, it can be removed easily from the pan. The first piece is always sacrificed, but the others should be fine. Make sure to let the dessert sit in the fridge overnight. This helps the crust absorb a little of the moisture from the cheesecake. It doesn't get too soggy however. Make sure to press the crust into the pan very firmly. Let me know if you have any more questions. Have a wonderful week. -Kim
Linda Murphy
OHMYGOSH! this is the best cheesecake! I have never made cheesecake, always thought it was too difficult. This receipt is quick, easy and delicious. I didn't think I would like the crust unbaked, so I baked it for 7 minutes, let it cool then added the filling. The crust was firm with a nutty crunch, which I liked. I topped the cheesecake with strawberries, since I didn't have blueberries and Mr. perfers strawberries anyway. He ate is portion sooo fast I don't think his taste buds had a chance to enjoy the yummy goodness. He'll be back for more, for sure, but not if I get there first! Thanks Kim, for this fabulous cheesecake. Linda
Kim
So happy that you and the Mr. liked the cheesecake bars and thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a nice comment. Have a wonderful weekend. -Kim
Julie
Hi Kim,
I'm new to your site. My question is about the protein powder. I've read several of your other recipes that also call for protein powder. What flavors are you using? I've discovered the vanilla and chocolate, but are you incorporating other flavors into your recipes? Correct me if I'm wrong, but i thought I had read a recipe from you for bread, and you added protein powder, vanilla and chocolate don't seem to be a great fit for that recipe. That is why i am wondering about your flavors. Though I've read hundred of recipes from various sites over the last few weeks, so I may be frankensteining recipes, lol. Thanks for any insight you can offer me, Kim!
Kim
Hi, Julie, great question. I am using Isopure Zero Carb whey protein isolate. I am using plain. I used to buy the vanilla to use in desserts, but just buy the one tub, now. Just for your information, the whey protein powder really helps with the texture of baked goods. I love adding it to pie crusts because it adds that little something extra to make it more like a cookie crust. It also gives a more true bread-like consistency to baked goods. Gluten is a protein and is what adds the incredible stretchy texture to wheat products, although whey protein is not anything like gluten in its properties, it does make a difference. I would use vanilla in baking recipes and chocolate in baking recipes that are chocolate. I hope this helps. -Kim
Debbie
A fantastic recipe but is there anything i can sub for the whey protein powder ?.
Kim
Hi Debbie. The whey protein powder makes the crust more cookie crumb like. You can omit it and the bars will still taste great - the texture of the crust will just be different than what my family enjoyed. Without the protein powder, you may need to cut back on the butter a little. Enjoy the recipe. -Kim
Shans
I must try this.
Kim
Shans, it's good. I hope you enjoy it. -Kim
Nissa
So I made this recipe today and my husband's exact words were, "This is the best cheesecake I've ever had - better even than normal cheesecakes."
Thank you for this simple and sinfully delicious recipe, Kim! This is definitely going to be my go-to keto dessert from now on! :)
Tina
I love this recipe. So does my family it makes us feel like we are cheating. I substituted the Suk4in Clear in the blueberry sauce and it turned out great. I thank you for your recipes they have been a lifestyle saver.
Kim
Hi, Tina. Thanks for letting me know your family likes the cheesecake bars. I love the sub of the syrup in the blueberries - great call. You are very kind. Have a great week. -Kim
Bridgette
Okay, my error I reread the instructions again, more thoroughly and you did say to powder it. Time to break out the grinder as I am so making these.
Kim
Oh, good. I'm glad you found an answer to your question, Bridgette. Thanks for the comment. Have a nice day! -Kim
Bridgette
I am not much of a cook, but I try :/. I follow directives pretty good. lol. I have the Sukrin Gold (brown sugar), now when you say "powdered" are you saying I need to powder it, because mine appears more granular.
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
This looks amazing! I love that you can eat it and not feel guilty! And why not have a piece for breakfast? Works for me :)
Kim
Thanks Kathy! Have a wonderful week. -Kim
Gabrielle Delp
Did you use the plain protein or vanilla? Thanks.
Kim
Hi Gabrielle, great question. I only buy plain now because it's more versatile, but if you have vanilla that would be great! -Kim
Laura
The best no bake low carb cheesecake I've ever made. Thank you for an excellent recipe!
Kim
OhMyGosh Laura, you've made my week! I'm so glad you liked the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and tell me what you think. Have a great week. -Kim