If you’re on the search for a delicious gluten free dessert, these Cranberry Cheesecake Bars are a must-try! And, they can be made low carb and keto-friendly with one simple substitute. This healthy-ish dessert will have our friends and family begging you for this recipe – trust me!
Gluten Free Dessert – Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
Whether you’re making this gluten free dessert for the holidays or for a typical weekend treat, you will not be disappointed. The almond flour crust is nearly identical to the crust on a real cheesecake in terms of taste and texture and the homemade cranberry sauce brings in that sweet and tart flavor.
By the way, if you’re not a fan of cranberries, feel free to substitute them with blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries. But, these gluten free cheesecake bars are perfect with a cup of coffee or as a delicious dessert after dinner.
The Ingredients You’ll Need to Make This Gluten Free Dessert
To make these gluten free cranberry cheesecake bars, you’ll need to make them in layers. Here’s what you’ll need for each layer.
- Gluten Free Crust Layer: you’ll need almond flour, coconut flour, grass-fed butter or ghee, and granulated sweetener. For the sweetener, you can use raw cane sugar or any type of low carb sweetener, such as birch xylitol, monk fruit, erythritol, etc.
- Cheesecake Layer: you’ll need cream cheese (organic, if possible), egg yolk, vanilla and lemon flavors, and your choice of sweetener.
- Cranberry Sauce Layer: you’ll need fresh cranberries, cinnamon, and your sweetener of choice
- Pecan Crumble Layer: you’ll need pecans, almond flour, grass-fed butter or ghee, and sweetener
How to keep this recipe low carb friendly – for each layer, use a low carb sweetener rather than cane sugar and this recipe will be considered low carb friendly – simple as that!
How To Make These Gluten Free Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
This recipe isn’t hard to put together, but it does take a bit of effort because you’ll want to make it in layers. But, it’s completely worth it!!
- Step 1: Make the gluten free crust. Combine all crust ingredients in a bowl, roll it into a ball, and then press it into a lined 8×8 baking pan. Bake the crust and then let it cool before adding the other layers.
- Step 2: Make the Cranberry Sauce. In a small saucepan, add all cranberry sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Simmer for ten minutes to thicken and then let it cool to room temperature.
- Step 3: Make the Cheesecake Layer. Using a handheld electric mixer, whip up all of the cheesecake layer ingredients until fully combined.
- Step 4: Make the Pecan Crumble. Add ingredients to a food processor and pulse until it all comes together.
- Step 5: Assemble the Recipe. Add each layer to the pan and then bake until done. Let cool in the fridge and then cut to serve.
How To Store These Cheesecake Bars
If you’re not tempted to eat these right away, then feel free to store them in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. You’ll just want to cover the pan with foil or saran wrap.
To freeze, I recommend wrapping the bars individually with saran wrap so you can defrost them in single servings. They will freeze for up to one month.
Gluten Free Cheesecake Bars Recipe Video
CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS | gluten free dessert (low carb option)
Video
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 C. Almond Flour, lightly packed
- 1/4 C. Coconut Flour
- 1/2 C. Grass-fed Butter or Grass-fed Ghee, melted
- 2 Tbsp Granulated Sweetener (you can use raw cane sugar, birch xylitol, monk fruit, etc.)
For the Cranberry Layer:
- 2 C. Fresh Cranberries
- 1/2 C. Granulated Sweetener (can also use honey)
- 1/2 C. Water
- 1/2 tsp Ceylon Cinnamon
For the Cheesecake Layer:
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 4 Tbsp Granulated Sweetener
For the Pecan Crumble:
- 1/3 C. Pecan Halves
- 1/2 C. Almond Flour, lightly packed
- 2 Tbsp Grassfed Butter or Ghee, melted or softened
- 1 Tbsp Granulated Sweetener (raw cane sugar, birch xylitol, monk fruit, etc.)
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 pan with foil or parchment paper.
- In a bowl, add all crust ingredients and mix until everything is fully combined. Gather the mixture together into a ball and then beginning pressing the crust into the pan. Continue pressing the crust until it covers the bottom of the pan and is evenly distributed.
- Bake the crust for 8 minutes or until crust is lightly golden and slightly browned around the edges. Remove crust from oven and let cool while prepping the other layers.
For the Cranberry Layer:
- In a small saucepan pan, add all cranberry layer ingredients. Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a light boil (while stirring). Then, reduce heat to low-medium. Cover with a lid and let simmer for 5 minutes. Then, remove lid and let simmer another 5 minutes to thicken.
- Turn off the heat and let the cranberry sauce cool completely.
For the Cheesecake Layer:
- In a large mixing bowl, add all cheesecake layer ingredients. Mix with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until fully combined and the cheese has a whipped-like texture. Set aside.
For the Pecan Crumble:
- In a food processor, add the pecans and pulse 3-4 times to crumble them (but not too much). Then, add all remaining ingredients and continue to pulse until the ingredients are well blended, but be careful not to pulse too many times or the texture will be too fine.
For Assembly and Baking:
- Once the crust has cooled, spread the cheesecake layer evenly over the crust. Then, spread the cranberry sauce layer over the cheesecake layer. Lastly, sprinkle the pecan crumble evenly over top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top layer is lightly browned. This is optional, but after 30 minutes, I like to broil it for 2-3 minutes to give the pecan crumble a slightly toasted look but be careful not to burn it.
- Once done, remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes at room temperature. Then, place it in the fridge to cool completely before cutting and serving. ENJOY!
Notes
- Keep stored in fridge until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Looking for more healthy dessert recipes?
If you’re on the search for more healthy desserts, I’ve got you covered. Here’s a few of my favorites…
- No-Bake Mango Pineapple Energy Balls (gluten free, vegan, dairy free)
- Flourless Protein Brownies (fluffy texture, gluten free, grain free)
- No-Bake Pumpkin Spice Cookies (grain free, low carb, paleo, dairy free)
- Chocolate Almond Butter Cups (grain free, dairy free, paleo)
- Low Calorie Coconut Water Fruit Popsicles (refreshing, vegan, paleo, grain free)
Wow this looks amazing but going to do mine with strawberries,will that work , thanks so much 🌻🥂👏 Merry Christmas
I’ll have to try it with strawberries next too!
Made this for Christmas, was a roaring success. Thank you.
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it!
OMG she wasn’t kidding. These are TO DIE FOR!! I used Lakanto monkfruit sweetener and a whole egg because I didn’t know what I’d do with the leftover white. Didn’t want to waste it lol.
Fantastic recipe. 10/10. The tangy tart cranberries with the sweet creamy cheesecake and the crumble 😅 oh man. Delish. And pretty easy to make! I’d start with the cranberries first next time since they take the longest to thicken and cool. Thanks for the great recipe, Kayla!
So glad you enjoyed them! And, I agree… the tangy and creamy combo is just pure perfection. 🙂
I made these for my husband who has Celiac Disease and now he’s begging me to make them again!
Yay! Glad he enjoyed them. It’s definitely hard to eat just one Lol!
these are great and I’ve made them several times 🙂
so glad you enjoyed them!
These are good. I prefer more tartness in the cream cheese and the cranberry layers by adding more lemon juice. I only used 1/3 cup sugar in the cranberries and they tasted sweet enough. The top layer is nice by I would omit next time to save on calories, fat, time, effort and purchase of pecans. Also, the cream cheese layer did not spread easily because it was too cold. Need to allow cream cheese to warm up more.
Thank you for your feedback!