Low carb or not, these cranberry lemon keto cheesecake bars are here to stay! These are so delicious and simple to make. These keto cheesecake bars are even better when made in cupcake tins for portion control. Keto meal prep at it’s finest!
For low carb/keto cheesecake bars- cranberry is the way to go
While these are great made with raspberry, blueberry, strawberry… I don’t want to sacrifice the carbs from the mouthwateringly tart, fresh squeezed lemon juice. Cranberries are not only nutritious but they save a lot on the carbs while pairing great with lemon.
Splurging on tasty creations tend to happen most around the holidays… cranberries for the win!
Why meal prep keto desserts?
I personally found that treats left out in plain sight disappear mighty fast as I just cant help myself! Keeping treats in the freezer keep them out of sight but close enough if a dessert emergency strikes.
To freeze individual keto desserts
Simply wrap these guys individually in plastic wrap and store them together in a big ziplock bag. Pull one out and let it thaw to room temp for 10-20 minutes or keep a couple in the fridge so they are ready to go!
Cranberries
You want to use fresh or frozen cranberries so you can control the sugar. I almost always have a bag of cranberries in the freezer because they are so easy to add to smoothies!
Simply put them in a colander and run warm water over them for a minute or so, they thaw quickly… at least enough to chop. Don’t fuss too much over chopping them as they break down while they simmer.
Cranberry Lemon Keto Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- Cupcake tins or 9×9 baking dish
Ingredients
Fruit topping
- 1½ cup cranberries chopped
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup Lakanto monkfruit sweetener
Crust
- 8 tbsp butter or coconut oil softened
- 2 tbsp Lakanto monkfruit sweetener or equivalent
- 1¼ cup packed almond flour
Cheese cake
- 8 oz cream cheese (one brick) softened
- ⅓ cup Lakanto monkfruit sweetener
- zest of one lemon
- 2 tbsp lemon juice zest before squeezing!
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp orange extract
Topping
- 2 tbsp butter or coconut oil softened/room temp
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 tbsp Lakanto monkfruit sweetener
- ½ cup crushed pecans
Instructions
- First up, preheat that oven to 350°.
- For the sauce- In a sauce pan add the cranberries, water and sweetener. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until it begins to thicken up. 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
- For the crust- While the fruit is simmering make the crust. Combine the butter, sweetener and almond flour and press into either a cupcake pan (lined with cupcake papers or not) or an 8×8 parchment lined baking dish. I like the parchment to overhang the sides just a little so it's easier to lift the cooled cheesecake from the pan.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes and cool completely. It will not look done at all.
- For the filling- While crust is cooling, use a handheld mixer to blend cream cheese, sweetener, lemon juice, zest, and extracts. Blend smooth then pour over crust.
- Drizzle or spoon the cranberry sauce over the filling.
- For the topping- In a small bowl combine softened butter, almond flour, sweetener and pecans. I like to use my fingers to mix then sprinkle on top the cheesecake.
- Bake 20-22 minutes until very lightly browned. Cool to room temp then place in the fridge to set about 4 hours or overnight.
Notes
