Raspberry Chia Cheesecake Bars

Name: Raspberry Chia Cheesecake Bars
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 3 h 25 min
Yield: 9
Ingredients: ☐ 1 cup (130g) slivered almonds; ☐ ½ cup (80g) hemp hearts; ☐ 1 Tbsp (7.5g) flaxseed meal; ☐ a pinch of salt; ☐ 2 Tbsp (30ml) water; ☐ 1¼ cup (300ml) soy or pea milk; ☐ ¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice; ☐ ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp (60g) pumpkin seeds; ☐ ½ cup (78g) Brazil nuts; ☐ ¼ cup (48g) granulated allulose; ☐ 1 tsp vanilla extract; ☐ 1 tsp agar agar powder; ☐ ½ tsp salt; ☐ 1 Tbsp (6g) lemon zest; ☐ 2 Tbsp (20g) chia seeds; ☐ 6 oz (170g) raspberries; ☐ 2 Tbsp (24g) granulated allulose

Raspberry Chia Cheesecake Bars

Prep Time 30 mins Cook Time 55 mins Cool/Rest Time 2 hrs Total Time 3 hrs 25 mins

4g net carbs

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Author: Heather Varaleau Meal & Course: Breakfast, Desserts, Snacks

Difficulty: Intermediate Servings: 9 Calories: 280 Beast Season: Suitable throughout the year, Summer Dietary Tags:

Soy-Free

Gluten-Free

Oil-Free

Moderate Protein Balance

Description

Creamy, tangy cheesecake-style bars with raspberries and a nutrient-rich blend of nuts and seeds. Chia seeds, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and Brazil nuts provide plenty of protein without protein powder.

Yield: 9 bars

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time: 55 minutes | Rest Time: 2 hours

Equipment Required: an oven, a small food processor, a high-powered blender, and an 8-inch (20cm) square cake pan.

Storage: refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Ingredients

Base Ingredients:

☐ 1 cup (130g) slivered almonds ((or equal weight in sliced almonds))
☐ ½ cup (80g) hemp hearts
☐ 1 Tbsp (7.5g) flaxseed meal ((preferably golden ✎))
☐ a pinch of salt ((equal to half a ⅛ tsp))
☐ 2 Tbsp (30ml) water

Filling Ingredients:

☐ 1¼ cup (300ml) soy or pea milk ((unsweetened))
☐ ¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice ((about 1 large lemon))
☐ ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp (60g) pumpkin seeds
☐ ½ cup (78g) Brazil nuts
☐ ¼ cup (48g) granulated allulose (or equivalent in sweetener of choice Ⓠ )
☐ 1 tsp vanilla extract ((sugar-free))
☐ 1 tsp agar agar powder ((optional ✎))
☐ ½ tsp salt
☐ 1 Tbsp (6g) lemon zest ((zest of 1 lemon))
☐ 2 Tbsp (20g) chia seeds

Raspberry Topping Ingredients:

☐ 6 oz (170g) raspberries ((about 1⅓ cups))
☐ 2 Tbsp (24g) granulated allulose (or equivalent in sweetener of choice Ⓠ )

Instructions

For the Base:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Put the almonds, hemp hearts, flaxseed meal, and salt in a small food processor and pulse until almonds are a breadcrumb-sized.

You could add a few drops of liquid stevia or a pinch of pure monk fruit if you'd like to sweeten the base. Allulose or another granulated sweetener is likely to burn.
Drizzle the water over the nut/seed mixture and pulse 2-3 times to incorporate. Do not overblend or you will form a paste. Mix in any remaining dry patches with a small spatula or mixing spoon.
Line an 8-inch (20cm) square cake pan with parchment. Allow the parchment to hang over 2 sides for easy removal of the bars.

I prefer to use a loose-bottom pan, as well as parchment, for all my bar recipes.
Press the bar base mixture into the bottom of the pan.
Bake for 15 minutes.

For the Filling:

Zest the lemon prior to juicing it. I use a microplane for this.
Put all filling ingredients, apart from the lemon zest and chia seeds, in a high-powered blender and blend to smooth.

6 Tbsp = ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp
Add the lemon zest and chia seeds to the filling mixture and mix in by hand. I just do this inside the blender carafe.
Pour the filling mixture atop the baked base. There is no need to cool the base first.

For the Topping:

In a small bowl, mash the raspberries. You can use a fork or mini masher for this.
Add and mix in the allulose.
Dollop the raspberry mixture atop the filling. Using the end of a chopstick or skewer, swirl the topping and filling together.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Transfer from the oven to a wire cooling rack and cool at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Then cool in the refrigerator for 1-1.5 hours until fully chilled.
Cut into 9 bars and enjoy chilled or at room temperature.

For clean edges, wipe the knife blade between cuts.

Used to Make This Recipe

Multi-Purpose

Immersion Blender & Food Processors Check It Out
High-Powered

Vitamix Blender (Propel 750) Check It Out
Easy Removal

8-Inch (20cm) Square Cake Pan Check It Out
Easy Clean-Up

Pre-Cut Parchment Paper (8×12 inch [20x30cm)]) Check It Out
Ginger & Zest

Microplane Check It Out
Great for Guacamole

Mini Masher Check it Out
Handy Sizes

Measuring Spoons Check Them Out
Easy to Store

Measuring Cups Check Them Out
Accurate

Kitchen Scale Check It Out

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Nutrition Facts

Servings 9

Serving Size 1 Bar

Amount Per Serving
Calories 280kcal

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 23g36%
Total Carbohydrate 18g6%
Dietary Fiber 6g24%
Protein 12g24%

Allulose 8g
Net Carbs 4g

* Total Carbs - (Fiber + Allulose + Sugar Alcohols) = Net Carbs

Notes

The agar agar powder creates a firmer bar. However, it can be omitted and the bars will still turn out fine, just with a softer filling.

Keywords: raspberry chia cheesecake bars, keto cheesecake bars, vegan cheesecake bars, raspberry cheesecake bars, chia cheesecake, high protein cheesecake bars, protein powder free protein bars, raspberry chia bars, low carb raspberry dessert, vegan keto dessert bars, dairy free cheesecake bars

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Can I make this recipe nut-free?

I have not tried making these bars nut-free. If I were to try to make these bars nut-free, I would replace the almonds in the base with an equal weight of sunflower seeds and I would replace the Brazil nuts with 3 Tbsp (30g) pumpkin seeds and 3 Tbsp (45ml) coconut oil. The macros in the resulting bars would be similar, but with the net carbs increasing to 5g per bar.

Can I used a different kind of plant-based milk?

Yes. I see no reason why another type of plant-base milk wouldn't work in this recipe. However, keep in mind that the soy/pea milk does add a little additional protein to the bars (about 1g per bar).

Can I make these bars lower in carbs?

Yes. You can omit the raspberry swirl to shave off about 1g net carbs per bar. The filling is still flavorful and on its own.

Can I use a differnt kind of berry or other fruit?

Yes. Strawberries have about the same net carbs as raspberries, and blackberries have a bit less. Most other fruit that would taste good here is higher in carbs, but if you have the carb limit, you could use a higher carb fruit option. See the food lists on the resources page to explore your options.

Do I need to use agar agar?

Not necessarily. Agar helps firm up the filling, but if you don’t have it, the bars will still set—just with a softer texture.

Are these bars sweet like a typical cheesecake dessert?

Not overly. They’re gently sweetened and intended to also be suitable for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack. Add more sweetener if you're looking for a more dessert-like level of sweetness.

What do you mean by "sweetener of choice"?

I'm referring to your preferred net carb-free sweetener. My first choice of sweetener is granulated allulose because it is the most similar in taste and behavior to sugar. But allulose isn't available everywhere. Other granulated options are erythritol, an erythritol blend, or xylitol. Pure low-bulk/highly-concentrated options are pure monk fruit or pure stevia. For these, you will have to look at your packaging and adjust the quantity needed for the recipe. For simplicity, you can assume that the amount of allulose I've listed is equivalent to sugar. Sucralose or another artificial sweetener is also an option.

What data is used to calculate the calories and macros?

When available, I typically use NCCDB data in Cronometer to calculate calories and macros. There are a few items that I choose to use label or custom data for instead, despite the availability of NCCDB data. This is usually because I've found that the label data differs substantially and consistently for these foods. In this recipe, I have used label/custom data for the hemp hearts (Manitoba Harvest), flaxseed meal (blend of pre and post-2025 NCCDB data), pumpkin seeds (Bob's Red Mill), agar agar powder (Now Foods), and chia seeds (Bob's Red Mill). Be aware that both NCCDB and label data change over time and so what I've given here may have changed since the recipe was first published.

The calorie and macro numbers on your recipes seem oddly uniform. Why is that?

Counting calories and macros can negatively affect mental health by being time-consuming and by creating an obsession with inconsequential levels of detail. In an effort to mitigate this, numbers are rounded. In most cases, numbers equal to or greater than 10g are rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g. 10g, 11g, 12g, etc.) and numbers below 10g are rounded to the nearest 0.5g (0.5g, 1g, 1.5g ... 9g, 9.5g). Any numbers below 0.5g are given as is (e.g. 0.1g, 0.2g, etc.). Calories are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5.