Gluten Free Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars

Gluten free rhubarb cheesecake bars are an easy to make dessert made with cream cheese and mascarpone. A healthy walnut crust is the perfect base for these creamy rhubarb studded bars. 

Can I get real here for a minute? I am obsessed with these gluten free rhubarb cheesecake bars! If I could put ten exclamation points and a happy dance emoji behind this statement, I would.

That’s just how much I love these creamy, naturally sweetened bars.

Sometimes cheesecake bars can feel a little heavy. But for summer? I think light and creamy cheesecake bars are the way to go. That’s exactly what these gluten free rhubarb cheesecake bars are.

Plus, it wouldn’t be summer if we didn’t use some rhubarb. This sweet and tart fruit is the perfect balance to this cheesecake bar I’m head over heels for.

Gluten free rhubarb cheesecake bars humble beginnings

Let’s start with one of the main ingredients in this cheesecake bar: rhubarb. I picked up a few stalks of rhubarb from our Madison farmer’s market the other weekend.

Rhubarb is a more fibrous fruit, but when it’s cooked down, it becomes soft and sweet. You may also find it paired with strawberries or raspberries. But today, we’re pairing it with fresh blackberries.

If you grow your own rhubarb  then you should definitely be using it to make these gluten free rhubarb cheesecake bars. But if you’re like me, {Burken can attest to the fact that I have a black thumb when it comes to growing things} it’s easier to support those at the farmer’s market with my rhubarb stalk purchases.

Not your traditional cheesecake

I think what makes these cheesecake bars so different from your traditional cream cheese only bars is the use of mascarpone.

Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese that is creamier than regular cream cheese. It has a little bit more acidity, but it pairs so beautifully with the sauteed rhubarb.

Similar to regular cheesecake bars we beat a little bit of cream cheese and the mascarpone until creamy. Then add eggs and some pure maple syrup for a light natural sweetness, and we have ourselves a cheesecake base.

Gluten free walnut crust

Now, I do love myself a traditional graham cracker crust, but I wanted to switch things up a bit with this one. It’s just another added layer that makes these cheesecake bars so 💣🔥. {Yes, I just used bomb and fire emoji in one. Again, these bars are both}.

The crust is actually just as simple to put together as a graham cracker crust. Walnuts for texture and to mimic graham crackers. Dates and honey for sticky sweetness. And coconut oil to mimic traditional butter.

Process everything and press into an 8″x 8″ pan. Now, I’ve used both glass and metal pans to bake. If you’re going with glass, don’t bake the crust ahead of time. It gets too dark around the edges. With a metal pan, it will only take about seven minutes of pre-baking to firm up the crust slightly.

Your new favorite cheesecake bars

Once everything is all baked up, it’s time to let it sit and chill.

The first time around I didn’t know just how creamy, lightly sweet and delicious these bars were. The second time? I wanted to slice into these gluten free rhubarb cheesecake bars right out of the oven. But, chilling was necessary for the mascarpone filling and walnut crust to set up properly.

But once these babies have chilled, dive right in! I didn’t even take these bars to work because I have been eating them every night this week. Again 💣🔥

Want more delicious bars? Check out these tasty recipes below: 

Bourbon Cranberry Bars

Healthy Scotcheroo Bars

Healthy Snickers Ice Cream Bars

5 from 1 vote

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Gluten Free Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Chill

6 hrs

Total Time

1 hr

 

Gluten free rhubarb cheesecake bars are an easy to make dessert made with cream cheese and mascarpone. A healthy walnut crust is the perfect base for these creamy rhubarb studded bars.

Course: Dessert

Keyword: cheesecake

Servings: 9 bars

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil divided
• 3 Tbsp. honey divided
• 2 cups chopped rhubarb
• 2 cups walnuts
• ½ cup pitted medjool dates roughly chopped
• 4 oz lite cream cheese softened
• 8 oz mascarpone cheese
• 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 6 oz blackberries

Directions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8” x8” pan.*
2. In a medium saucepan, melt 1 Tbsp. coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the rhubarb and 2 Tbsp. honey. Saute until tender, about 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, add the walnuts, dates, remaining 1 Tbsp. coconut oil and 1 Tbsp. honey. Blend until walnuts are broken down and all ingredients are combined.
4. If you’re using a metal pan, press the walnut mixture into an even layer in the prepared pan. Bake for 5-7 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.**
5. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the mascarpone and mix until smooth.
6. Beat in the eggs, vanilla and salt until all combined.
7. Fold in the cooked rhubarb and blackberries.
8. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes***, until bars start to pull away from the edges and lightly browned on the top.
9. Let bars cool completely, cover and place in the refrigerator for 5-8 hours.
10. Slice into 9 bars and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

*Note: you can use a glass or metal pan. The photos I have show glass, but I actually prefered baking in a metal pan.

 

**Note: if you decide to use a glass pan, don’t pre-bake the crust.

 

***Note: if you did use a glass pan, bake for 48-54 minutes.