These Sugar Free No Bake Lemon Cheesecake bars are easy to make in 30 minutes. They have a coconut, walnut and date base and naturally sweetened lemon cream cheese top that is full of lemon flavor.
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I love making lemon desserts and I've revamped the classic Cream Cheese Lemon Bars. I swapped the usual cheesecake base for a combination of walnuts, coconut and dates. No graham cracker crumbs needed for this recipe!
For the cheesecake filling, I swapped sugar for powdered sweetener that seemlessly blends into the cream cheese so that it becomes smooth and creamy.
And of course there is lemon. For that delicious tangy bite using freshly squeezed lemon is a must. Check out my Sugar Free Lemon Bars for a less creamy alternative, which is one of my most popular recipes!
For a super simple cheesecake recipe, my Sugar Free Lemon Cheesecake In a Cup could not be easier. Plus it has blueberries!
Recipe Highlights
- Naturally sweetened using powdered monkfruit
- Sweet, nutty, chewy base with a creamy lemon cheesecake top with coconut scattered on top
- There's a secret ingredient! Peanut Butter which adds to the creaminess and helps it to set.
- No oven needed - they will set in the fridge
- Great for making ahead as they keep in the fridge for 5 days
- Makes 12 generous sized bars
- Each bar is around 185 calories per slice
Is the peanut butter taste detectable? No, the small amount used blends into the cheesecake filling and is the perfect combination when making a no bake cheesecake as it helps to add form and structure to the filling so that it sets without the need for a setting agent like gelatin. Its a little secret to creating delicious creamy no bake cheesecake recipes.
How To Make The Base
- Dry roast the walnuts in oven for 7 minutes
- Add base ingredients into a food processor and blitz until a fine crumb has formed
- Prepare dish for the slice to go into. Line base and sides with foil so its easy to get out. (I used a rectangle metal loaf tin 30 cm x 15 cm (12 inch x 6 inch).
- Pour and press in base ingredients into the dish
- Pop it into the fridge whilst you prepare the filling
Top Tip
Highly recommend using a powdered sweetener. Using a granulated sweetener may result is a "gritty" cream cheese as it is not as fine. Granulated sweeteners can be ground down with a mortar and pestle or using a coffee grinder if unable to find a powdered sweetener. The one I use is Monkfruit powdered sweetener and it has no bitter aftertaste.
How To Make the Cheesecake Filling
- Blitz cream cheese in food processor so its soft and gooey. Add remaining ingredients for the filling and blitz for another minute.
- Spoon cheesecake filling on top, smoothing with the back of a spoon.
- Sprinkle loose coconut and lemon zest on top
- Cover and let it set in the fridge for 6 hours
Lemons
I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice, AND the lemon zest. The juice goes into the cream cheese and that zest is sprinkled on top with a little desicated coconut!
Recipe Tips
- Lemons: Wash your lemons before zesting to make sure they are nice and clean. Also I love to firmly roll the lemons on the counter before cutting them to help them soften up and release some of the juices.
- Cream Cheese: Make sure it is as room temperature before adding to the food processor, otherwise you'll end up with a lumpy cheesecake. I used "light" cream cheese in this recipe. It was still very rich and creamy, but if you prefer, by all means use full fat. (Calories were calculated using light/reduced fat cream cheese)
- Coconut: I used unsweetened desiccated coconut which is the finer type coconut, however you could equally use shredded coconut which is slightly coarser.
- Dates: Medjool dates are best as they are sweeter, softer and have an almost caramel like taste.
- Setting: 6 hours is the minimum setting time. Overnight is better.
Storage
Store these no bake Lemon Cheesecake Bars in an airtight container in the fridge. They'll stay fresh for upto 5 days. Just like these Lemon Cheesecake Balls, Lemon Tart, Chocolate Coconut Date Balls.
Recipe Variations
- Limes Instead of Lemons: For a different twist, swap the lemon with lime. Make the recipe the same, swapping out in the same quantity lemon for lime.
- Nuts: Walnuts can be substituted with almonds, cashews or pecans.
- Cups instead of bars: Instead of using a square or rectangle tin, you could use a silicone muffin tray, or a regular muffing tray with paper liners to create Coconut Lemon Cups.
- Vanilla Extract: might sound strange, but it adds a subtle balance and richness to the sweet and sour flavor! Only a little is needed, around half a teaspoon.
- Pan: I used a rectangle metal loaf pan 30 cm x 15 cm (12 inch x 6 inch). Alternatively you could use a square baking pan. Make sure to line the pan with parchment paper or foil to make it easy to get the cheesecake out.
Say goodbye to regular cheesecake because the naturally sweetened cheesecake layer with its sweet and sour creamy filling is hard to resist in this recipe.
More Healthy Sweet Recipes:
- Silky No Bake Chocolate Slice
- Gooey No Bake Caramel Slice
- Lemon & Blueberry Cheesecake Dessert Cups
- Sugar Free Lemon Bars
Sugar Free Lemon No Bake Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Base
- ½ cup pitted Medjool dates - approx. 9 at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup Desicated Coconut
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted
- pinch of salt
Coconut Lemon Filling
- 2 x 250 gram blocks of Light/Low Fat Cream Cheese - roughly ½ pound or 2 cups
- ½ cup Powdered sweetener that measures like sugar - I use Monkfruit
- ¼ cup Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons Natural Peanut Butter
Optional
- 1 tablespoon Desicated coconut
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
Base:
- Dry roast the walnuts on a baking tray in the oven for 7 minutes at 180 degrees c, or 350 degrees F
- Add all the base ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor and blitz for a couple of minutes until a fine crumb has formed
- Line a dish with foil or parchment paper (over the base and up the sides) so it is easy to remove slice (I used a rectangle metal loaf tin 30 cm x 15 cm (12 inch x 6 inch).
- Remove blade if using a food processor, and press crumbs firmly into the base of a square or rectangle dish or tin. Use the heel of the palm to press firmly into all corners of the dish.
- Put base in fridge for 30 minutes to let it firm up. Meanwhile, clean the food processor, ready for the filling.
Lemon Cheesecake Filling:
- Add the cream cheese to food processor and blitz for a minute. Add the rest of the ingredients for the filling and blitz for another minute to combine.
- Spoon cheesecake filling onto base, smoothing with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle coconut and lemon zest on top.
- Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge for 6 hours minimum.
- Slice into 12 pieces with a clean sharp knife. Store in the fridge in an air tight container for 5 days.
Notes
- Lemons: Wash your lemons before zesting to make sure they are nice and clean. Also I love to firmly roll the lemons on the counter before cutting them to help them soften up and release some of the juices.
- Cream Cheese: I used "light" cream cheese in this recipe. It was still very rich and creamy, but if you prefer, by all means use full fat. (Calories were calculated using light/reduced fat cream cheese)
- Coconut: I used unsweetened desiccated coconut which is the finer type coconut.
- Dates: Medjool dates are best as they are sweeter, softer and have an almost caramel like taste.
- Peanut Butter: you can leave this out if you prefer - it will still set in the fridge. Or you could swap it for cashew nut butter.
- Tin Size: I used a rectangle metal loaf tin 30 cm x 15 cm (12 inch x 6 inch). Alternatively you could use a square one of similar size, foil muffin cases with liners, or use a 12 hole silicone or metal muffin tray (however this may make more than 12 depending on how big the muffin tray is)
- Limes Instead of Lemons: For a different twist, swap the lemon with lime. Make the recipe the same, swapping out in the same quantity lemon for lime.
- Highly recommend using a powdered sweetener. Using a granulated sweetener may result is a "gritty" cream cheese as it is not as fine. Granulated sweeteners can be ground down with a mortar and pestle or using a coffee grinder if unable to find a powdered sweetener. The one I use is Monkfruit powdered sweetener and it has no bitter aftertaste.
Nutrition
Note: Sugars contained in this recipe are from naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables or other natural sweeteners. Calories have been calculated for your convenience using My Fitness Pal and are based on the ingredients listed in the recipe card.
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