Summery swirly berry bars with a no-bake lemon cheesecake filling, crispy cereal crust, and sweet jam swirl. Vegan, gluten-free, healthier!
I know its not quite summer yet, but in great anticipation for the best season of the year I am sharing the most bright, berry-swirled, baking-free summery sweet bars.
Lemon + blueberry. This is my favorite fruity combo. Of all time. But also this recipe could be a template…lime raspberry cheesecake bars. Or strawberry creamsicle cheesecake bars. Or blackberry grapefruit cheesecake bars? I can’t imagine a not delicious citrus + berry combo to be honest. But here is the basics:
- Crispy cereal crust
- Creamy no-bake cheesecake filling
- Jammy berry swirl topping
Crispy Gluten-Free Crumb Crust
My favorite cookie free way to make a crispy crumbly crust is with granola or cereal. Any kind of cereal will work to be honest, I used crispy brown rice cereal here, opt for a gluten-free cereal if necessary. I do not recommend puffed cereal, the texture will come out weirdly mushy.
Grind the cereal first – I recommend a food processor over a blender here – before adding the remaining crust ingredients. Don’t over grind, sandy is what we’re going for not dust.
No-Bake Dairy-free Cheesecake Filling
This is one of those HOW ARE CASHEWS THIS MAGICAL? kinda dairy-free cheesecake fillings. Raw cashews soaked for just a few hours plus citrus juice and sweetness and a little zest blends to the most luxurious cheesecake bar middle layer. Don’t rush the soaking and use a high speed blender for optimal creamy heaven-ness vibes.
Jammy Berry Swirl Topping
The sweet show-stopping purple swirl topping that is so easy to make. Frozen berries + coconut sugar + water simmered stovetop until the berries get extra sweet and naturally starts to thicken, usually about 10 minutes. Watch and stir frequently to make sure the berries don’t burn. I personally think frozen berries yield a sweeter smoother swirl, but fresh will work too. (Or you could use store-bought jam for an ultra lazy shortcut too!)
More No-Bake Berry Recipes You’ll Love
- Mini Cookies & Cream Cheesecakes
- Roasted Strawberry Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Superfood Ice Cream Bars
- No-Bake Matcha Cheesecake
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours (chilling time)
- Total Time: 8 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: bars
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: american
Description
Summery swirly berry bars with a no-bake lemon cheesecake filling, crispy cereal crust, and sweet jam swirl. Vegan, gluten-free, healthier!
Ingredients
Crust
- 3 cups (96g) crispy brown rice cereal
- 1/4 cup (50g) coconut oil
- 3 tbsp (60g) agave
Cheesecake
- 2 cups (240g) raw cashews, soaked and drained
- 1/3 cup (105g) agave
- 1/3 cup (70g) coconut oil
- 1/3 cup (80g) lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Swirl
- 1 cup (140g) frozen blueberries
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 2–3 tbsp water
Instructions
- In a food processor, grind the cereal to a rough crumb.
- Add coconut oil and agave. Process until sticky and clumpy.
- Press firmly into a lined 8×8” square pan. Freeze.
- Blend all filling ingredients until very smooth.
- In a small saucepan, combine frozen berries, coconut sugar, and water. Simmer over medium-high heat stirring frequently for 10-12 minutes until berries start to break down and sauce thickens.
- Pour cheesecake filling on top of the crust, dollop with blueberry sauce, swirl with a chopstick.
- Freeze overnight.
- Slice and eat! Keep leftovers in the freezer.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 213
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 32mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
Keywords: cheesecake, no bake, cashew, easy, vegan, dairy free, gluten free, summer, healthy, dessert
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