Stop what you are doing right now and make these Whole Grain Raspberry Cheesecake Bars!! Well, maybe finish reading this post so you can get the recipe. Otherwise though, the making of these bars should become a very high priority. My family is in love with them!
As it happens, one day I decided to experiment with combining my Raspberry Oatmeal Bar recipe with my Crustless Cheesecake recipe. The result is this incredible, layered dish of delightfulness.
The cheesecake filling bakes right into the bars, creating a fantastic moist texture with raspberry cheesecake flavor. Truly, each bite of these bars is full of WOW.
As a bonus to the deliciousness of these Raspberry Cheesecake Bars, we get to enjoy the nourishment of whole grains, healthy fats, and low sugar content. I personally find nothing wrong with serving these bars for breakfast. But they are also wonderful as a dessert!
Whole Grain Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
- 1½ cups whole wheat flour
- 1½ cups rolled oats
- ½ cup sucanat or brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup melted butter
- ½ cup 100% raspberry jam
- CHEESECAKE LAYER:
- 8-ounces softened cream cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons real maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix together flour, oats, sucanat, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir in melted butter until the mixture resembles crumbs.
- Press half of the mixture into an 8x8 inch baking pan.
- Spread jam over the top.
- In a blender or with beaters, whip together cream cheese, egg, maple syrup, and vanilla.
- Spread this cheesecake layer over the top of the jam.
- Sprinkle remaining oat mixture on top of the cheesecake layer.
- Bake in a 350° oven for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.
Not a fan of raspberries? Substitute any of your favorite jams or jellies. And my next experiment will likely include something involving chocolate too! (You are shocked, I’m sure.)
I noticed your chocolate chip version of these bars that you sent us this week, and clicked through to see the raspberry version as well. You see, I foolishly bought the HUGE tub of cream cheese last time I was at Costco (then noticed it suggested using it within 10 days of opening), since we had bagels and my family had been requesting it. So right now I’m trying to bake and/or cook with as much as possible, so as not to waste it.
(I know you’re not supposed to freeze cream cheese, but don’t you do this as well? I think I’ll freeze some in small portions to use in recipes that require cream cheese, even though I don’t think it will be as good for spreading.)
Tried the recipe and we loved it! It was easy and delicious, and I look forward to trying the chocolate chip version next.
Freezing cream cheese doesn’t work well as it thaws strangly. It’s still usable, but it’s not smooth and spreadable. :)
Sounds yummy. I’m excited to try it. I’m wondering what the egg does in this recipe. I’m used to making egg substitutions for my allergic son, but I’m not sure this would even need a substitution, I guess we shall see!