These gluten free, nut free pumpkin cheesecake bars will make your tastebuds sing and are full of pumpkin flavor and protein with lower sugar thanks to siggi's pumpkin & spice yogurt. This cheesecake bar recipe is an easy, healthy make ahead snack or dessert great for fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by siggi's. All thoughts and opinions are my own. These partnerships help make Living Well Kitchen a reality, and I appreciate your support of the brands I love!
Whether or not you're ready, pumpkin season is here, but fun fact: you don't have to settle for cloyingly sweet, artificially flavored lattes and desserts to celebrate the fall season.
While those are fine like one time a year, I couldn't enjoy those much more than that. My tastebuds and stomach wouldn't have it. I like to eat food that makes me feel good from the inside out that taste really good. Usually that means food that has simple, real ingredients.
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That's why I made these Streuseled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars. I love the fall and want to be able to celebrate it as much as possible, and these make my dreams come true!
They are made with simple ingredients and are oh so very delicious. Something I really love about these is that they qualify as dessert but can also be enjoyed as a satisfying snack or even breakfast.
The protein from the yogurt and eggs, fiber from the oats and pumpkin seeds, and flavor from the spices, dates, and siggi's pumpkin & spice yogurt (instead of a bunch of sugar and/or butter) satisfy your sweet tooth but keep you from having a dreaded sugar crash after eating.
[P.S. Did you see these Coconut Protein Pancakes I made a few weeks ago for an easy, high protein, lower sugar breakfast?]
I am loading up on the pumpkin to give these as much flavor as possible, so these have pureed pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, and siggi's siggi's pumpkin & spice yogurt.
I have to admit that I eat this pumpkin & spice yogurt year round because I love it so much, but this yogurt really makes these pumpkin cheesecake bars.
Instead of having to use a ton of sugar and cream cheese, you use the siggi's pumpkin & spice yogurt to give it the pumpkin flavor + creamy texture you want with lower sugar and higher protein.
Don't worry though; there is still cream cheese. These are cheesecake bars after all. Just make sure to use the block of cream cheese softened, and do not use free fat. You don't want your cheesecake bars to fall apart.
One more thing: like pretty much all cheesecake, you need to refrigerate before enjoying. I wanted to give you fair warning because you will want to dive right in when these come out of the oven after making your house smell like a fall-lover's dream.
And come on, who doesn't love the fall?!
So jump aboard the pumpkin-loving bandwagon with these pumpkin cheesecake bars because they will make your tastebuds sing!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 3/4 cup oats
- 1/2 cup dates
- 3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie mix
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 1/2 cup dates
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 (5.3 ounce) containers siggi's pumpkin & spice yogurt
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie mix
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 325*F. Line an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add the oats to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for 10 seconds. Add the dates, and pulse for 30 seconds until combined. Add the pumpkin seeds, pumpkin puree, and salt. Pulse until it sticks together and starts to form a ball, about 30 to 60 seconds.
- Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and set aside.
For the filling:
- Add the dates to the bowl of the food processor. Puree for 30 seconds until smooth. Add the siggi's pumpkin yogurt, cream cheese, pumpkin puree. Blend until smooth and completely combined.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract. Blend until combined.
- Add cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Blend until combined. Pour mixture over crust, and bake for 45-50 minutes until set. Let cool for at least one hour in the oven, and transfer to the refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before slicing.
- Keep in the refrigerator, and eat within 2-3 days. Enjoy!
Meme
Need more pumpkin in your life? Try these...
Pumpkin Chili & Pumpkin Cornbread
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