Lemon Blackberry Cheesecake Bars

I AM SO EXCITED TO POST THIS

I used to make these bad boys at home for birthday parties and 4th of July get togethers and they always disappeared the first time I passed them around (Yes, when I make desserts for parties, I tend to like to carry them on a tray and pass them out, telling people what they are and asking them if they like them haha)

So I got the bright idea yesterday to try and make them healthy...and vegan of course!

Only thing is....I really need to stop baking. It's taking a toll on my body.

Ok so with less complaining and more deliciousness, let's get on to how to make this amazing creation.


So there are 3 separate recipes in this post.


Vegan Lemon Blackberry "Cheesecake" Bars:

Servings: 24 squares

1 macadamia nut crust (recipe below)

1/2 rounded cup blackberry preserves (or you can use any kind of preserves you want. Raspberry goes very well with this)

16oz vegan cream cheese (recipe below)

3/4 cup coconut sugar

2 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour (or any all purpose flour)

3 tbsp Ener-g Egg Replacer + 4 tbsp warm water

1 tbsp grated lemon zest (1 lemon usually does the trick)

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350º

2. IMPORTANT!!!! -Make sure as soon as you are done making the crust, when you take it out of the oven, you immediately pour the fruit preserves over the hot crust and use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly and set aside

3. In a large bowl mix the cream cheese, coconut sugar, and flour and mix with an electric hand mixer on low speed until blended (if you don't have one, which I didn't at the time you can go to work at it with a whisk, just make sure it is well blended)

4. Whisk the Ener-g Egg well, and then add that along with the lemon zest and juice to cream cheese mixture and beat until well blended

5. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the fruit preserves and crust and bake for about 25-30 minutes.

6. Let cool to room temperature before chilling in the fridge for at least 4 hours but overnight will be best. (this is very important when it comes to cheesecake, if you put it in the fridge while it's still hot it can affect the texture and outcome)

7. Cut, serve, and enjoy!

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Macadamia Nut Crust (Gluten-free):

1 cup macadamia nuts
1 tbsp raw almond butter
1/2 banana, mashed
splash of coconut milk
1 1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup almond flour
3 tbsp Ener-g Egg Replacer + 4 tbsp warm water
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Process macadamia nuts in food processor until they become like a normal nut butter
3. Scrap it out of the processor and into a large bowl and mix in almond butter.
4. Mash up the banana and pour just a splash of the coconut milk and whisk together until well blended
5. Pour banana mixture over nut butter mixture and stir together
6. Add in both flours, Ener-g Egg, and oil and mix together until crumbly
7. Dump mixture into a prepared 13x9 baking pan and press down to form crust
8. Bake for about 20 minutes (if making for the cheesecake bars, immediately pour the fruit preserves over the hot crust and set aside)


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Now, I made a homemade vegan cream cheese. You can of course buy one, but I already had all the ingredients and knew how to make it, so here we go if you don't know how to make vegan cream cheese

Vegan Cream Cheese: 

Servings: 2 1/2 cups
*you can cut it in half if you want but you need 16 oz for this cheesecake bar recipe so you'll have about 1/2 cup left over)

1/2 cup raw cashews
6 tbsp water
4 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
4 tsp pure maple syrup
2 cups firm tofu, patted dry with a paper towl, and crumbled
1 tsp sea salt
pinch of garlic powder/garlic salt


1. Add cashews, water, lemon juice, and maple syrup in a food processor or blender, process on low for about 10-15 seconds and then process and medium high speed for a few minutes until well blended and creamy
2. Add crumbled tofu, sea salt, and garlic powder, and process until everything is very smooth, about 3-4 minutes
3. If you are just making the cream cheese then chill it for at least an hour before using it, if using it for the recipe above, then just set aside)