Peppermint Cheesecake Bars
 
Prep Time
Cook time
Total time
 
These Peppermint Cheesecake Bars are easy to make and have the most amazing texture! They're the perfect Christmasy dessert! You don't even need a spring-form pan to make them. Check the Notes section below for a nut free crust option as well as answers to all kinds of questions I'm sure you're burning to ask. ;) Don't forget to bring your cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs to room temperature before mixing up the cheesecake. Room temperature ingredients and letting the cheesecake cool slowly in the oven after baking will help prevent big cracks. Using all full-fat ingredients would help too, but I like to use a mix of both full and reduced fat for a softer texture and fewer calories (see note below).
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: THM S, Low Carb, Keto, Sugar Free, Gluten Free
Serves: 9
Ingredients
CRUST:
CHEESECAKE:
  • 2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese (room temperature)
  • ½ cup sour cream (room temperature)
  • 2 eggs (room temperature)
  • .
  • 2 tablespoons THM Super Sweet Blend (or more, to taste)
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 6-8 drops peppermint essential oil (or peppermint extract, to taste)
  • .
  • 7 drops red food coloring
Instructions
  1. CRUST | Whisk the almond flour, cocoa powder, and Super Sweet Blend together. Add the melted butter and mix well. Press the crust mixture (it will be wet) into a greased 8"x8" baking dish and pre-bake at 350* for 8 minutes.
  2. CHEESECAKE | While the crust is pre-baking, make the filling. Beat the cream cheese (using a hand mixer or stand mixer) until smooth. Add the sour cream and beat again until smooth. Add the eggs and beat again. Add the Super Sweet Blend, vanilla, cream of tartar, and 6 drops of peppermint oil and beat for a minute to make the filling a little thicker and fluffier. Taste and add more sweetener and/or another drop or two of peppermint oil if desired and beat again.
  3. When the crust comes out of the oven, pour the cheesecake filing over the hot crust and shake the pan a bit to smooth the top. Drop 7 drops of red food coloring around the top of the cheesecake and use a knife to make a swirl, similar to a peppermint candy. Shake the pan gently again to smooth the top out.
  4. Bake at 350* for about 25 minutes until browning a little around the edges and mostly set but still a little jiggly in the middle. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door cracked open for 10 minutes to cool, then finish cooling the cheesecake on the counter before covering and refrigerating. Refrigerate overnight before serving, if possible.
Notes
-I often use my baking mix for a nut free crust option, but I do love an almond flour crust so I used that in this recipe. CLICK HERE for a nut free crust recipe. (It's for a bigger cheesecake, so you may need to cut it in half. Add cocoa powder for a chocolate crust.)
-As always, feel free to use your favorite low-glycemic sweetener to taste in place of the THM Super Sweet Blend I used! Various sweeteners vary in strength, so taste and adjust to find the right amount.
-I used 8 oz. full-fat cream cheese and 8 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, but both will work. Full-fat cream cheese will give you a firmer result with fewer cracks, but I actually like the texture best when using a combination of both full and reduced fat. I used reduced-fat sour cream to cut down on unnecessary calories. If you're doing keto and you want to use all full-fat ingredients, go right ahead! I calculated the nutrition info with the ingredients I used.
-The cream of tartar is used to keep some air in the cheesecake so it's not as dense. I think it gives the cheesecake a great texture, but you can leave it out if you don't have it.
-Please do your own research regarding ingesting essential oils and use peppermint extract if you prefer. I'd start with ½ teaspoon of something like Watkins brand peppermint extract and increase until you get the right amount since it's so strong and can easily be overdone. I personally find that I can get a better peppermint flavor (less astringent and toothpasty) using peppermint essential oil. I used 8 drops, which is probably a bit strong for some of you, so start with 6 and add more if desired. UPDATE: My mom said she used 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract in place of the peppermint essential oil and loved the recipe!
-Of course you don't HAVE to use the food coloring if you'd rather not, but it makes the cheesecake so pretty! I know there are healthy options out there involving beet root powder if you're inclined to experiment, but I have no experience with them personally.
-Net carbs calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols from total carbs.
Calories: 307 Fat: 28 g Carbohydrates: 5.67 g (net) Protein: 9 g
Recipe by Briana Thomas at https://www.briana-thomas.com/peppermint-cheesecake-bars/