Servings: 9 Servings
Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars made with Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese is a lightened up version of the classic dessert.
Ingredients
For the Hazelnut Crust:
- 2 cups hazelnut meal/flour or almond meal/flour
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For The Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
- 1 cup pureed pumpkin
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt*
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons tapioca flour**
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Prepare the Hazelnut Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly coat an 8” x 8” square baking pan (or 8” round cake pan) with oil.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together all of the ingredients for the crust.
- Pour the crust mixture into the prepared baking pan and press it into the bottom and sides of the dish with your hands, evenly distributing the mixture (note: this doesn’t have to be perfect).
- Place the crust in the oven and bake it for 8 minutes, until slightly browned on the edges. Remove from oven and allow crust to cool.
Prepare the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filing:
- Add all ingredients for the cheesecake to a blender and blend just until completely combined.
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the pan with the crust.
- Bake cheesecake in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until the center is set up and doesn’t jiggle when you shake the pan.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then place it in the refrigerator to chill and set up for at least 2 hours prior to serving.
- Serve with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt (or whipped cream), chopped nuts, and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.
Notes
*I recommend using full-fat plain yogurt that is very thick and creamy. 2% or whole milk Greek yogurt works, too!
**You can replace the tapioca flour with corn starch. I have not tested this recipe using corn starch, but have read that you can use corn starch as a 1:1 replacement for tapioca flour.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Serving (of 9), Calories: 310kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 70mg, Sodium: 164mg, Potassium: 117mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 20g