These low carb raspberry cheesecake bars are baked with a chewy coconut macaroon crust and swirled with fresh raspberries. They’re also gluten free, sugar free, and keto friendly. Even better, you still get all the creamy richness of a cheesecake, minus the guilt!
This post is sponsored by Wholesome Sweeteners and all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Butternut Bakery possible!
Diet friendly low carb raspberry cheesecake bars
Since Butternut Bakery is primarily indulgent dessert recipes, I like to throw in a few diet-friendly recipes to help those of you who still want a sweet treat without all the sugar.
These raspberry cheesecake bars definitely fit the bill! They’re completely sugar free, and we all know sugar adds tons of carbs and calories. But shhh…we don’t talk about that here!
Not only that, but I swapped out the typical graham cracker crust for a coconut macaroon base. This cuts the carbs and gluten…making these cheesecake bars gluten free! I’m also adding more of these recipes to my blog which you can find under my gluten free recipe index.
Last but not least, these also qualify as keto cheesecake bars. Because there’s zero sugar and very low carbs, these make the perfect keto dessert. See? You can still indulge on any diet!
Baking a sugar free cheesecake
Just because these low carb raspberry cheesecake bars are sugar free, that doesn’t mean they aren’t sweet. You do gain some sweetness from the raspberries but the main star of the show is organic stevia.
When I say stevia, you might be thinking of those small paper packets…but there’s not enough patience in the world for me to measure about 1/4 cup with those! Luckily Wholesome makes a completely organic stevia that comes in a convenient and scoopable package.
Stevia usually gets a bad rap for leaving a slightly bitter aftertaste. That’s definitely not the case with Wholesome Organic Stevia because it’s a unique blend of organic stevia and organic erythritol for a much smoother flavor. It’s so easy to bake with and adds delicious natural sweetness.
Ok we know it’s a great sugar substitute…but what is stevia? It’s a natural sugar substitute derived from the leaves of a plant called Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, which is actually part of the sunflower family. Because the Wholesome Organic Stevia is certified organic, these plants are ethically sourced and once processed, it’s completely free of any artificial fillers or chemicals.
If you’d like to swap out the sugar in your favorite recipe, the ratio is 1/4 teaspoon of Wholesome Organic Stevia to 2 teaspoons sugar. Making a 1-to-1 replacement could lead to an overly sweet and somewhat bitter dessert.
Simple coconut macaroon crust
It contains a few extra ingredients, but a coconut macaroon crust is a great low carb and gluten free alternative to your typical cheesecake crust.
The ingredients consist of:
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Coconut flour
- Coconut oil
- Egg whites
- Wholesome Organic Stevia
- Baking powder
If you prefer, you could use sweetened coconut if you aren’t too picky about this being a low carb recipe. No other adjustments are needed, it will just make the crust a bit sweeter.
The coconut flour is important here because it helps absorb the wet ingredients so you aren’t left with a sticky mess of a crust. Coconut flour is also much more absorbent than almond or regular flour so it’s not a direct 1-to-1 swap. For that reason, I don’t recommend using a different flour in this recipe.
Simply combine all of the ingredients until the mixture is evenly hydrated. You’ll need to pack it down tight into the bottom of your baking pan. This helps give strength to the crust so the slices don’t crumble apart.
You’ll bake it without the cheesecake for just 5 minutes. This helps give the crust a bit of a head start so that it can bake all the way through once the cheesecake is added.
How to get the perfect raspberry swirl in low carb raspberry cheesecake bars
The raspberry swirl on top is very simple to make and just consists of fresh raspberries and Wholesome Organic Stevia.
All you have to do is blend the two together until smooth. I like to do this step before making the cheesecake to speed up the assembly process.
After you’ve poured the cheesecake batter into the pan, spoon the raspberry mixture on top. Place random “blobs” that are somewhat evenly spaced apart. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Swirl with a toothpick until all of your “blobs” are gone. The toothpick might catch on the crust so try not to stick it down all the way.
Then you’re ready to bake! The stevia helps to almost caramelize the raspberries as the bars bake. This creates a sweet but slightly tart top which goes so well with the ultra creamy cheesecake and slightly chewy crust. Trust me, you won’t even know they’re low carb!
For more cheesecake recipes, check out my:
- New York Cheesecake
- Salted Caramel Cheesecake
- Banana Bread Cheesecake Cups (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram or comment below if you make these Low Carb Raspberry Cheesecake Bars. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
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These low carb raspberry cheesecake bars are gluten free, sugar free, and keto friendly! They have a chewy coconut macaroon crust with swirls of fresh raspberries.
Ingredients
Coconut Macaroon Crust
- 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 tbsp Wholesome Organic Stevia
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
Cheesecake
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup Wholesome Organic Stevia
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup full fat Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
Raspberry Swirl
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 tsp Wholesome Organic Stevia
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease an 8×8 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper.
- Mix together all of the coconut crust ingredients until well combined.
- Press the crust into the bottom of the pan and bake for 5 minutes.
- Next, blend together the raspberries and stevia until smooth. Set aside.
- For the cheesecake, cream together the cream cheese and stevia. Make sure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature for a lump-free batter.
- Mix in the vanilla, lemon juice, and yogurt.
- Lastly, mix in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each egg.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan. Make sure the crust has cooled before doing so.
- Spoon the raspberries over top the cheesecake and use a toothpick to swirl it all together.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the edges start to pull away from the pan and the center has firmed up.
- Let the bars cool at room temperature for about 30-40 minutes then transfer to the fridge to completely chill for 2 hours.
- Now slice and enjoy!
Keywords: raspberry cheesecake bars, low carb raspberry cheesecake bars, gluten free cheesecake, keto cheesecake
This low carb raspberry cake has made my low carb diet even more easy. Cakes are one of my guilty pleasures so this recipe was a very nice surprise to find.
★★★★★
Yay so happy to hear that! Thank you Veronica!