The Sunday Recipe: Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars

July 11, 2021 at 5:05 am (Recipes)
Tags: blueberries, cheesecake, gluten free, refined sugar free

There is something about this time of year that turns my mind to cooking with lemon and blueberries. It’s perfect because the blueberries are just coming on and can be used while they are fresh and firm instead of defrosted with their juice oozing out. Some recipes are just better with fresh blueberries.

I thought of making my lemon bars then I saw a recipe for lemon blueberry bars and that sounded incredible, but the crust used a sugar cookie mix and the filling was a custard with only lemon zest for flavoring. So I came up with this recipe, combining a crust from my favorite lemon bars with the cheesecake filling I perfected, to my taste, last year. I hope you give it a try and I hope you enjoy it. #glutenfree #refinedsugarfree

Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 ½ cups almond flour (About 160 grams)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Filling

• 1 ½ cups, washed and dried blueberries
• 1 8-ounce block cream cheese
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon tapioca or cornstarch

Directions

1. Get out ingredients for the filling and allow to come to room temp. I often get them out before lunch then make the recipe after lunch. Alternatively, it will work to warm the cream cheese and maple syrup on low in the microwave for a minute or two. To warm the egg, place it in hot tap water for just ten minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare an 8 by 8 pan with cooking spray, butter, or oil, and line with parchment paper. (Wax paper also works.)
3. Combine the crust ingredients and press into the prepared pan with your fingers, using the edge of your hand or a finger to press the crust up the side just a little.
4. Bake for 12 minutes.
5. While the crust is baking, combine all the ingredients for the filling, except the blueberries and tapioca flour, in a mixing bowl and whisk or use a mixer to beat until just smooth.
6. Beat in the tapioca flour and set aside to rest.
7. Remove the crust from the oven when it is ready and turn the temperature down to 300 degrees.
8. Place the washed and dried blueberries into the bottom of the crust in a single layer. (I rolled the blueberries in my fingers a little as I chose them to make sure they were reasonably firm.)
9. Pour the filling slowly over the blueberries, moving the bowl around to cover the blueberries without forcing them to move too much.
10. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.
11. Without opening the oven, turn the heat off and leave in the oven for another 30 minutes to finish baking.
12. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the counter for an hour.
13. Cool in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
14. Enjoy!