Our no-bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars offer a sweet surprise of goodness since they’re made with Lifeway Farmer Cheese and Lifeway Kefir that nourishes your gut with live probiotics and your muscles with bioavailable protein for a strong, healthy body.
That’s not the only thing to love about this recipe, though! Blueberries used here are one of nature’s best foods for a healthy heart, gut, and brain. They’re the perfect feel good ingredient to use in recipes just like Lifeway Farmer Cheese and Kefir, which makes this dynamic dessert must-try!
Blueberries are packed with fiber and polyphenols, an antioxidant that acts as a prebiotic for your gut, and they’re rich in compounds that improve blood flow, mood, and focus.
Meanwhile, Lifeway Farmer Cheese contributes to the main part of the cheesecake base, and it provides your body with an excellent source of protein without any added sugar or salt. Our farmer cheese is cultured with live probiotics, so it’s also packed with gut health benefits and is low in lactose. Our whole milk kefir keeps this cheesecake thick, creamy, and packed with probiotics since we use it in place of heavy whipping cream.
In these Blueberry Cheesecake Bars, blueberries, Lifeway Kefir, and Lifeway Farmer Cheese come together in an easy-to-enjoy format with no baking required. That makes this delicious, easy recipe a crowd-pleaser you’ll want to keep on hand all year long thanks to a little help from Lifeway!
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for optimal digestion and gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1.
Lifeway Kefir is packed with a variety of vital nutrients important for overall health, including bone and muscle health; these include vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Along with our probiotic-rich kefir, Lifeway also offers artisan-made Farmer Cheese,a creamy, high-protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support healthy muscles and a healthy microbiome. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is easy to spread, free of gums and thickeners, and contains no added salt or sugar for optimal health benefits.
Prep Time: 2.5 hours Servings: 8-10Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 box organic graham crackers, like Annie's (use gluten-free alternative if needed)
- 3 tbsp. coconut sugar
- 1 container (6 ounces) slightly melted Unsalted Kefir Butter
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 2 cups Organic Whole Milk Vanilla Kefir
- 2 tsp. powdered gelatin
- 4 cups Farmer Cheese
- 1 tbsp. vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 tsp. sea salt
For the Blueberry Compote:
- 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
Directions
- Make the Crust: Add the graham crackers, kefir butter, and coconut sugar to a food processor to create crumbs. Mold into the bottom of a 9x13" glass baking dish to form the crust on the bottom. You can also divide it into two different pie pans to make two pies if desired. Set aside.
- Whip together all the ingredients for the cheesecake filling in a food processor or stand mixer. Pour it over the graham cracker crust and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan, add the blueberries and maple syrup, and cook on low heat on the stovetop. Stir gently and mash down the berries as they warm up to create a compote. Once their juices start to release, mash them with a large spoon or a potato masher to quicken the process. Put the lid on the pot for 1-2 minutes after this process so they cook down a little more, then turn off the heat. Remove and let cool for 30 minutes to 45 minutes in the fridge while the cheesecake mixture from step 2 sets up.
- Place the blueberry mixture on top of the cheesecake mixture after the cheesecake has fully set for 2 hours, then let the entire dish sit 30 minutes to 1 hour to firm up/set further in the fridge. Slice into bars and serve. Enjoy!
