These Keto Cranberry Cheesecake Bars are a perfectly sweet treat, ideal for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any time you crave a delicious and guilt-free dessert. These bars have perfect layers of shortbread crust, creamy vanilla cheesecake, tangy sugar-free cranberry sauce, and pecan crumble. They're quick, easy to make, and crafted with simple, low-carb, and keto-friendly ingredients.
Why Cranberry?
Cranberries are one of the favorite things about fall and winter. Yes, cranberries are keto-friendly! They’re about 90% water and have a relatively low number of carbs. Cranberry desserts are especially delightful during the holiday season. The cranberry mixture adds the perfect balance of sweet and tart and pairs so well with the creaminess of the cheesecake.
Ingredients You'll Need
Here's a breakdown of the key components and ingredients for these delectable bars:
For the Crust:
- Almond flour
- Coconut flour (optional, for texture)
- Sweetener (such as Erythritol, Allulose, or Monk Fruit)
- Melted butter
- Egg (works as a binder)
- Salt
For the Cranberry Sauce:
- Fresh or frozen cranberries
- Allulose sweetener (or your preferred sugar-free alternative)
- Water
- Orange zest (or a splash of orange juice)
- Lemon juice (optional)
- Orange extract (optional)
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- Full-fat softened cream cheese
- Sweetener
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Sour cream (optional, for extra creaminess)
- Cottage cheese (optional, for added protein)
For the Pecan Crumble Topping:
- Butter
- Pecans (chopped)
- Almond flour
- Sweetener
- Chia seed powder (optional, for added nutrients)
- Cinnamon (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here are detailed instructions to guide you through creating these keto-friendly bars:
1. Prepare the Cranberry Sauce:
- Combine cranberries, Allulose sweetener, orange zest, and water in a heavy saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes or until the cranberries are soft and thickened.
- Add in orange extract.
- Mash cranberries and set aside to cool. You will use only ½ cup of this cranberry recipe. The rest of the cranberry sauce to be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
2. Make the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 6x9” or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy lifting.
- Whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour (if using), sweetener, and salt.
- Add the melted butter and hand blend with a fork until the mixture is crumbly.
- Press the crust mixture to the parchment paper lined pan.
- Press the crust firmly and evenly into the pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes until the edges look golden brown.
- Set aside to cool slightly; allow the crust to cool completely before adding the cheesecake layers.
3. Prepare the Cheesecake Filling:
- Cream together the softened cream cheese and sweetener in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer.
- Add the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla, and beat until fully combined and creamy. Aim for a smooth and creamy consistency, but be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the slightly cooled crust.
- Spread evenly.
4. Assemble and Bake:
- Using ½-1 cup of your sugar free cranberry sauce drop small spoonfuls over the cheesecake filling, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Lastly you are going to gently drag a knife edge through the red and white mixture to decoratively mix the two together.
- For the Pecan Crumble: Mix the ingredients for the crumble in a small blender or food processor and pulse until it resembles a crumb-like mixture. Sprinkle over the cranberry layer.
- Bake 25 minutes, or until the cheesecake filling is set, but ever so slightly jiggly.
- Turn off the oven and leave the oven door ajar.
- Let cheesecake bars sit in the open cooling oven for another 30 minutes. Then remove the pan and let cool to room temperature about another 30-60 minutes.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove Pan from fridge and lift the parchment paper bars out of the pan.
5. Cooling and Setting
- Let it cool completely, then chill in the fridge for a few hours.
- It will be hard to let this chill for 2 hours before serving, but chilling it to set makes for firm bars.
- Once fully chilled you will lift out the parchment paper with the entire dessert intact.
Tips for Perfection
- Room Temperature Ingredients: This is non-negotiable. Ensure your cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature for a smooth filling.
- Mix, But Don’t Overmix: Mix the cheesecake filling until just combined to avoid a lumpy texture.
- The Jiggle Test: The center should jiggle slightly when you give the pan a gentle shake before removing it from the oven.
- Patience Pays Off: Chill the bars in the fridge for a few hours before slicing for the best texture.
- Hot Knife Trick: Dip your knife in hot water and wipe it dry before each cut for clean slices.
- Lining the Pan: Line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy lifting.
Variations and Add-Ins
- Nuts: Sprinkle chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds on top for an added crunch.
- Citrus Zest: If you want to add a splash of lemon juice or orange juice, you can.
- Sweetness Level: Adjust the amount of sweetener to your liking.
Serving and Storing
- Serving: Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing.
- Fridge: If you want to refrigerate these sugar-free cranberry cheesecake bars, you have to wrap each cheesecake bar in plastic. Place the cheesecake bars in an airtight container and refrigerate up to a week.
- Freezer: You can freeze these keto cranberry cheesecake bars for up to 2 months. To freeze, tightly wrap each individual bar in plastic wrap.
Nutritional Information
These bars come in at 5 net carbs each for a substantial serving. The nutrition facts are for one piece. This recipe makes 18 cheesecake bars (each is approximately a 2x2 inch square. These nutrition facts listed are determined using nutrition information from the USDA Food Database. Our nutrition facts are accurate, but if you are using different products, please make your calculations.
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tags: #keto #cranberry #cheesecake #bars #recipe