Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars

Gluten Free Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars, the perfect fall dessert – creamy, dreamy and made to be in your belly!

A new take on apple pie! These Gluten Free Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars are the new dessert favorite! These cheesecake bars are creamy, dreamy, scream fall and the apple crisp topping is to die for!

When I think of fall, I think of the leaves changing color, comfort food, walking through apple orchards and food made from scratch with fresh produce! I think of my grandma’s cheesecake recipe that we would have every year around the holidays, my Uncle Marks ham, my moms twice baked potatoes or her roasted acorn squash.

Basically, I think of family and all the yummy recipes we would make on repeat each year around the holidays that bring joy and total comfort!

These Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars are just that. JOYFUL and TOTAL COMFORT! As in, you’ll be sitting there after the first bite and say “oh my gosh (mouth full of food)… these are amazing!” You know how I know that? Because it’s what I did. (Oh, and the crossing guards at my son’s school did the same after I gave them a try.)

In my opinion, anything with dairy in it, whether it’s cheese, milk, butter, cream etc. is going to be incredible! Just think about how amazing French food is. I don’t think I’ve met a French meal I didn’t like. They use butter and cream in everything… haha! Maybe we should take pointers from them! 🙂

If I’m being honest. I haven’t always used dairy. In fact, about a two years ago I started to steer clear of it. But then, I just wasn’t informed enough about the process and the health benefits of it!

Over the past couple of months, I learned so much, especially at my visit to the local dairy farm and have started to incorporate dairy back into our diet again.

A few of the things I learned on the farm trip were how responsible farmers are with our environment. For instance, in an ongoing effort to make dairy farms more efficient, one gallon of milk today is produced with 90% less land, 65% less water, and a 63% smaller carbon footprint than in 1944. Meaning, we are getting smarter, better and more efficient with how we farm.

Our farmers respect the environment. They don’t pollute or mistreat the land. They recycle water in multiple ways on the farm and also reuse the cow manure to fertilize the crop they produce for the cows and sometimes even transform that manure into energy. Not one thing is wasted on the farm! Dairy farmers are people just like us. They work, they have a family, they need to provide for that family and live on the same earth we do. The dairy community cares about preserving natural resources like the land, air, and water. Whether it’s nourishing people, strengthening communities, or caring for their animals, creating a
sustainable future is an ongoing priority.

Dairy farming is a 24/7 job. There are no breaks! They put their heart and soul into it. They want to make sure it is something they can be proud to stand behind! All the extra effort they put into their craft shows in the products they put out!

It’s why everything that a dairy ingredient touches is called “comfort food.” Think about it. Mac & Cheese. Pizza. Cheese Boards. Milk Shakes. Ice Cream Sundaes. Cheesecake. All comfort foods that leave you wanting more and more because they bring so much joy in eating!

So. What makes these Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars so different? Well, the crust is made from pecans, dates, and cinnamon – instead of graham crackers which brings a nice flavor to the bars. The cheesecake filling is made with cream cheese, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla and lemon juice. You still get all the same creamy texture of cheesecake. Then the topping… oh the topping. The apple crisp topping is what screams fall to me! It was made with BUTTER, Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup and more chopped pecans. The flavor combo of all three layers is seriously mind blowing!

Just be prepared to make these multiple times over the next couple of months! Just sayin!

These Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars remind me of something you’d see on a visit to a farm during the fall – rustic, creamy, and screams fall comfort!

Bon Appetit friends!

**Created with America’s Dairy Farm Families and Importers, in partnership with the Innovation Center for U.S.Dairy. However, like always all opinions are 100% mine! Thank you for supporting the brands that support Joyful Healthy Eats. ***

Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars

• Author: Krista @ JoyfulHealthyEats.com
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Total Time: 2 hours 5 mins
• Yield: 16 bars 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Rustic, comforting, and creamy gluten-free cheesecake bars topped with a buttery apple crisp. These easy bars are a fun new take on a classic fall treat!

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the Pecan Crust:

• 1 cup pecans
• 3/4 cup dry pitted dates
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt

For the Cheesecake Filling:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the Apple Crisp Topping:

• 2 cups diced Granny Smith apples
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans

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Instructions

1. Bake at 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare an 8×8 baking dish by placing parchment paper on the bottom and up the sides for easy removal. Or thinly spread coconut oil along the sides and bottom.
3. To a food processor, add pecans, dates, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Blend or pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. (It should be like crumbs but when you pick it up, it will stick together.)
4. Evenly press pecan mixture on the bottom of prepared baking sheet.
5. In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, Greek yogurt, egg, 1/3 cup maple syrup, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Using a hand mixer, mix until everything is smooth, creamy and there are no lumps. Pour the mixture over the pecan crust. Evenly spread using a spatula.
6. Place 8×8 baking dish in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let sit.
8. In the meantime, heat a medium skillet to medium high heat. Add butter and Granny Smith apples. Sauté until the apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Next add the 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and 1/4 cup of chopped pecans. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring the entire time. Remove from heat and let apple mixture cool. (I put it in the freezer to speed up the process)
9. Once apples are cooled pour on top of the cooled cheesecake bars.
10. Now place the finished cheesecake bars in the refrigerator for 1 hour to let settle.
11. Serve!

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 bar
• Calories: 182
• Sugar: 13 g
• Sodium: 71 mg
• Fat: 13 g
• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Carbohydrates: 16 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 3 g
• Cholesterol: 32 mg

Keywords: cheesecake bars, homemade cheesecake, easy cheesecake

IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO SNAP A PIC AND HASHTAG IT #JOYFULHEALTHYEATS. I LOVE SEEING WHAT YOU MAKE!

Want More Cheesecake Recipes?

Skinny Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Crust

Skinny Cheesecake with Strawberries

Skinny Raspberry Mojito Cheesecake Bars

DON’T MISS A RECIPE ->

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This post is created with America’s Dairy Farm Families and Importers, in partnership with the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. However, the views and opinions included are my own.

This post is created with America’s Dairy Farm Families and Importers, in partnership with the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. However, the views and opinions included are my own.