Cheesecake Protein Bars With Raspberry Jam
This stunning recipe uses raspberries to dress up a creamy no-bake cheesecake with a crunchy almond, oat crust. Sweet, delicious and divine raspberry topped protein bars! Perfect for any occasion - and they are so easy!
Servings 16
Ingredients
Base Crust
- 1 cup almonds, pecans or walnuts or a mix
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup dates, soaked 30 minutes and drained
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
Creamy Cashew Filling
- 2 cups cashews, soaked 3+ hours and drained
- 1 13.5 oz can coconut cream, full fat (solid part only) *see note below
- 1/4 cup protein or collagen peptides powder
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1-2 lemons, juice and zest – depending on how lemon-y you prefer
Raspberry-Chia Topping
- 2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
Instructions
Base Crust
- Note: Place the can of coconut cream in the fridge or freezer for at least 1-2 hours before making these bars to allow coconut cream to separate.Make the crust first. Line a 8 x 8-inch baking pan or dish with parchment paper on the bottom and sides leaving some overhanging to act as a handle to get the bars out easier for cutting.Place almonds and oats into a food processer and process until broken down and crumbly. Add dates and coconut and continue to process until mixture is sticky and well combined. Be careful not to over process as its nice to have texture variance and different sized “bits” in your base crust.Press the base mixture into the bottom of your pan or dish evenly. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
Creamy Cashew Filling
- Open chilled can and scoop out the cream that has separated and set hard on the top. Save the remaining coconut water to use in a smoothie, drink, or discard.Place all filling ingredients, cashews, coconut cream, protein powder, honey, lemon juice and zest into the food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Depending on the power of your blender this might take a few minutes.Stop blending to scrape the sides if necessary and continue to blend until very smooth. Taste test add more honey or lemon if you think it needs it.Pour the filling over the chilled crust and spread evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon, then place back in the refrigerator.
Raspberry-Chia Topping
- In a small mixing bowl mash together the raspberries, chia seeds, honey, lemon juice and zest with a fork. Set aside for 20 minutes to gel and thicken up.Remove the slice from the refrigerator and spread the chia seed jelly over the top of the cheesecake layer evenly.Place into the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until mixture has firmed. Then use a sharp knife to cut the cheesecake into 16 bars or more smaller squares. If frozen, allow to thaw for 10-15 minutes before serving.Store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days or in the freezer for a month.Notes: Try using other fruits like blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries.