High Protein Vegan Cheesecake Bars (GF)
Easy to make, high protein vegan cheesecake bars make a perfect portable breakfast, high protein snack, or dessert! They're gluten-free, too.
Servings: 9 squares
Ingredients
Base:
- 1.33 cups quick-cooking rolled oats (see notes for options)
- 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted (see notes for options)
- 2 teaspoon coconut sugar (see notes for options)
- 2 tablespoons nondairy milk (e.g., oat milk, soy milk, almond milk)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Filling:
- 14 ounces package of extra firm tofu
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar (see notes for options)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Optional: additional 2 tablespoons oats to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
- Base: Line a 9 inch (22.5 cm) square pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang (for easy removal later).
- In a medium bowl, combine the oats, 2 teaspoons sugar, oil, milk and cinnamon until well-blended. Press evenly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temp to 325F (160C).
- Wrap the tofu in a few sheets of paper towels and squeeze some of the excess liquid. Crumble the tofu into the bowl of a food processor and add the cream cheese, coconut sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes until very smooth.
- When base is finished baking, remove from oven and evenly pour and spread with the filling. If desired, sprinkle top with additional 2 tablespoons oats.
- Return pan to oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until center is just set when pan is jiggled and edges and top are pale golden.
- Cool completely on a wire rack and then chill for at least 2 hours until cold. Cut into 9 squares.
Notes
- Storage: Store the cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Quick-cooking oats option: Replace with old-fashioned rolled oats, but first pulse them (a few pulses) in a blender or food processor to break them down before using.
- Coconut oil options: You can use an equal amount of vegan butter, melted, in place of the coconut oil.
- Cream cheese option: If you do not need the bars to be dairy-free, you can use an 8-ounce package of dairy cream cheese.
- Coconut sugar option: Use an equal amount of brown sugar, granulated sugar, or the granulated sweetener of your choice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1piece | Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 0.3IU | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg