I’m sharing SPLENDA® Sweetener Products in my life as part of a sponsored series for Socialstars™ #SplendaSweeties #SweetSwaps
A buttery pecan crust with a creamy vanilla cheesecake filling and blueberry topping.
I’m excited to share this Blueberry Cheesecake Delight recipe now that summer is just around the corner. Warm weather makes me overjoyed to share all sorts of summer desserts. I find myself making fruit desserts for such occasions such as potlucks, summer holidays, and for hosting a backyard barbecue.
When it comes to dessert, I want a dessert that will both cool me down while being light at the same time. After heading to the farmer’s market last week, I found an abundance of blueberries. I brought home a few pints to toss in with salads and to make these blueberry cheesecake bars.
I love cheesecake, but rather than go the traditional, predictable Springform pan route, I sometimes like to bake them in a rectangular pan and cut them into squares. It’s easier to cut and easier to serve, which means it’s easier to eat, which is always a plus in my book. It also makes these perfect for a potluck dinner such as a summer barbecue with friends.
Summer is a great time to lighten up traditional recipes. Substituting an ingredient or two for a better option is not only ideal for consistent eating habits but often is just as satisfying as the original recipe.
This classic cheesecake isn’t your typical dessert because it’s made with less added sugar. I’ve swapped out traditional sugar and replaced it with SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener. It’s hard to imagine cheesecake how cheesecake can be pillowy with less added sugar but I have a few tricks that will make this your go-to cheesecake recipe for now on.
Swapping sugar for SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener is easy. The package comes with a conversion guideline and tips on how to appropriately use the product. Where I normally use powdered confectioner’s sugar for cheesecake, that’s not the case for these bars. In fact, a simple conversion of powdered sugar to SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener will actually work for this recipe. In addition, I gave the cheesecake a luscious, pillowy filling with unflavored gelatin. This extra step will allow the cheesecake to gel and hold up in high humidity and heat which is perfect for all those summer parties.
Baking and cooking with stevia is not as challenging as some home cooks make it out to be. It is much sweeter than sugar and therefore, less volume is used. What I love about this product is that it’s a natural sweetener made with no artificial ingredients.
This year, I’ll be making recipes that incorporate SPLENDA® Naturals and Sweetener Products. Be sure to check back for more recipes in the future that use less added sugar.
What are some of your favorite #SPLENDASweeties and #SweetSwaps summer desserts to make?
Blueberry Delight
Ingredients
- 5 ounces pecan halves (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 packets SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Cheesecake Filling
- 26 packets SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener
- 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup half & half or heavy cream
- 1 + 1/2 tablespoons corn startch
- 16 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Blueberry Topping
- 2 pints blueberries
- 2 packets SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 3 tablespoons coldwater
Instructions
- For the pecan crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Place the pecans in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until finely ground. In a medium bowl, whisk pecans, flour, 3 packets of SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener, and salt until combined. Melt butter then add to bowl and blend mixture well.Transfer the mixture to a 8x8-inch or 9x13-inch baking dish; press flat. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill until firm, at least 20 minutes.Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool.For the cheesecake filling: Combine gelatin and 1/4 cup cold water in a bowl and stir to combine. Stir in corn starch. Bring the heavy cream to just a simmer in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add the hot cream to the gelatin mixture and stir to combine and dissolve. Set aside.Beat the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and 26 packets of SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener in the bowl with a mixer. Add the heavy cream-gelatin mixture and beat until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Pour filling into the cooled crust. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.For the blueberry topping: Combine the blueberries and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, about 4 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together cold water, cornstarch, and gelatin. Allow to set for about 1 minute then pour mixture into the saucepan. Carefully stir blueberries and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 packets of SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener. Refrigerate blueberries for at least 30 minutes. Gently spread mixture over cheesecake filling. Slice and serve.
6 Comments
Simon Vanbecelaere
06/09/2017 at 4:14 pmI’ve seen these on pinterest! Lovely recipe if you ask me! I love Pecan for baking projects! This crust must rock in combination with the other ingredients!
Natalia
06/09/2017 at 5:25 pmI love blueberries, and cheescakes, and the combination of the two!! Never thaught of making cheesecakes in a rectangular pan, but after reading your post I thought, but why not?! Love your pictures!
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine
06/09/2017 at 5:59 pmWow, no sugar! That sure makes these appealing. They are really beautiful!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
06/09/2017 at 7:09 pmA healthier cheesecake? I’m totally on board with this one! These squares look delectable and I’ve got several occasions coming up that these would be perfect for! Thank you!
Amanda | Chew Town
06/10/2017 at 12:34 amLove the delicious blueberry slice, and what a perfect no sugar dessert – definitely guilt-free!
swayam singh
06/10/2017 at 12:47 amI am currently obsessed with blue berries too!! In fact i am making a blue berry galette as we speak 🙂 This looks so so delicious. I would probably get up in the middle of the night for a slice of this!