Low calorie raspberry cheesecake bars

Raspberry season is in full swing and what better way to take advantage than with these low calorie raspberry cheesecake bars? These bars have the tangy, sweet flavor and creamy texture of regular full-fat raspberry cheesecake but for a fraction of the calories! And the best part? It’s really easy to make – It’s a simple case of throwing ingredients into a bowl, baking to perfection then setting in the fridge for easy, prep-able desserts on the go!

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I sound like a broken record declaring every new low calorie recipe as my favorite but these dreamy raspberry cheesecake bars are truly next level. They are one of the easiest desserts to prep for the week ahead and so delicious you’ll never get tired of them. I look forward to the days I know these bars are sitting in the fridge waiting for me!

These low calorie raspberry cheesecake bars tick all the boxes – easy to make, simple ingredients and no need to faff around with a water bath. You can make delicious, creamy and velvety smooth cheesecake without the hassle of a water bath! They can be stored in the fridge for easy dessert prep throughout the week, have just 152 calories per bar and did I mention they taste phenomenal! I don’t think you need much more convincing to make these cheesecake bars and if you can overlook the time it takes them to set, it truly is the perfect low calorie dessert.

Ingredients in low calorie raspberry cheesecake bars

Exact ingredient quantities can be found at the bottom of this page.

To make these low calorie raspberry cheesecake bars you will need:

Rich tea biscuits or graham crackers – My favorite cheesecake base for lower calorie cheesecakes will always be rich tea biscuits. They make a really delicious base and are very low in calories. If you are unable to get rich tea biscuits where you live, graham crackers are a great alternative in both texture and calories and can be substituted in a 1:1 ratio.

Butter – To make the cheesecake base. I use lighter Flora spread which is technically a margarine but works just as well as butter to hold the cheesecake together. You can opt for regular butter if you don’t have access to low fat butter but the calories will be slightly higher.

Stevia or 0 calorie granulated sweetener – To sweeten the base and the cheesecake. You can use any 0 calorie granulated sweetener here. The stevia I use is a 1:2 ratio of stevia to sugar so bear that in mind if using a different sweetener.

Fresh raspberries – The raspberries will be turned into a puree. You can use frozen raspberries if that’s what you have but I find these cheesecake bars come out better with fresh raspberries as the extra water in frozen raspberries affects the final texture.

Egg – This recipe calls for just 1 room temperature egg, to quickly get a refrigerated egg to room temperature, set it on the kitchen counter for at least 30 minutes. If you’re pressed for time, set in a bowl of warm water for at least 10 minutes.

Light cream cheese – Ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature.

0% fat greek yogurt – Greek yogurt is much thicker than regular yogurt so even when it contains no fat, it’s still thick enough to help stabilise the cheesecake and give it that creamy texture. You can substitute for 0% fat regular yogurt in a 1:1 ratio.

Vanilla – No cheesecake recipe is complete without a dash of vanilla.

Lemon juice – Just a dash to balance the cheesecake.

Plain flour/all-purpose flour – As there is very little fat in the cheesecake, the flour will help stabilise and thicken the cheesecake to get the same texture as full-fat cheesecake.

How to make low calorie raspberry cheesecake bars

1. Pre-heat oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Line a 8×8 inch square tin with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, crush the rich tea biscuits using a rolling pin. You can also place the biscuits in a ziplock bag and crush them that way. Crush until you have very fine crumbs.
3. Add the melted butter and stevia and mix to combine. Transfer to the lined tin and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside.
4. Make the raspberry puree by blitzing the raspberries in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
5. Make the cheesecake by whisking together the egg, stevia, cream cheese, yogurt, vanilla and lemon juice until smooth and lump-free. Sift in the flour and whisk to combine.
6. Pour the cheesecake filling over the base. Using a tablespoon, scoop blobs of the raspberry puree over the cheesecake filling until you’ve used up all the raspberry puree. Use the end of a butter knife or a toothpick to create swirls by lightly mixing the raspberry puree into the cheesecake.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow the cheesecake to completely cool at room temperature before transferring to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours.
8. Slice and enjoy!

Top tips

I would just like to add that these cheesecake bars are very low in calories and it’s partially due to how little fat it contains. This makes the cheesecake more susceptible to cracking so if you do see cracks in your cheesecake (I often do), don’t be alarmed. It will still taste just as delicious!

Don’t over mix – Over mixing can create larger cracks in your cheesecake by adding too much air into the batter. Mix until everything is just combined.

Use room temperature ingredients – Room temperature ingredients incorporate much better which reduces over mixing and thus reduces the chances of getting large cracks in your cheesecake!

Strain the cheesecake batter – If you see any lumps in your batter, it’s better to strain it rather than continuing to whisk which risks over-mixing the batter. By straining the batter, you get all the lumps out without over-mixing!

Storage

This cheesecake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

more low calorie cheesecakes…