Lightened Up Dark Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Whether you’re looking for a special Valentine’s Day treat or are just craving cheesecake, you have to try these lightened up cheesecake bars with strawberries and drizzled chocolate! 

The first time I made these, I spent over half an hour cutting the strawberries into rose-shapes. While pretty, it was a lot of work and awkward to eat. Instead, I now make them by simply placing sliced strawberries on top. Not quite as pretty, but just as delicious. 

However, as chocolate covered strawberries are the ultimate Valentine’s Day treat, I decided to make the recipe a little more festive by adding a drizzle of melted dark chocolate on top. 

Unlike traditional cheesecake, which is known for being high in calories and fat, these cheesecake bars are a lightened up version by using plain Greek yogurt and reduced fat cream cheese. But don’t worry, they’re still just as creamy and luscious! 

Lightened Up Cheesecake Bars topped with Strawberries and Dark Chocolate 

Ingredients

For the Crust: 

• 5 full sheets of graham crackers (about 3/4 cup of crumbs)*
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Cheesecake Filling:

• 8- oz low fat cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup 2% fat plain Greek Yogurt
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Topping: 

• 1 pint strawberries (about 2 cups sliced) 
• 2 ounces dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly grease an 8×8 baking pan. You can also cover the bottom of the pan with parchment paper so that they’re easy to remove after baking. If you go this route, make sure the parchment paper is hanging over the sides of the pan. 
2. Place graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until small crumbs form.
3. Combine crumbs and melted butter in a small mixing bowl, then press mixture into baking pan.
4. Place crust in oven and bake for 8 minutes.
5. Remove crust from oven and make filling while the crust cools.
6. Using a mixer, beat softened cream cheese until nice and smooth. Add in Greek yogurt, flour, sugar, and egg whites. Beat until creamy, it took me about 3 minutes.
7. Add in vanilla extract and lemon juice. Beat for an additional 30 seconds to combine.
8. Pour filling evenly over prepared crust and place in oven for 20 minutes.
9. After 20 minutes, place foil over cheesecake to prevent it from getting too brown. Cook an additional 5 minutes, or until set.
10. Remove cheesecake from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, place in fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight. 
11. Just before serving, melt melt dark chocolate using a double boiler and slice strawberries.
12. Place sliced strawberries on top of cheesecake bars and drizzle melted chocolate over the top. 
13. Slice bars into 16 squares and enjoy immediately! 

Nutrition 

Servings 16 |  155 Calories per Serving

4 g protein; 26 mg cholesterol; 176 mg sodium; 10 g fat; 6 g saturated fat; 10 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 5 g sugar

Notes: 

• For more of a lemony flavor, I like using Trader Joe’s Meyer Lemon Cookie Thins instead of graham crackers for the crust. 
• Whole fat Greek yogurt will make these bars a tad creamier, while using fat-free will result in less creamy bars. I find that 2% fat is a happy medium. 
• Instead of strawberries, you can press blueberries or raspberries gently into the top of the batter right after pouring it into the pan and before baking.