Since the juicy hamburgers and hot dogs are hard to resist on the Fourth of July, why not lighten up dessert by making these low-cal swirled cheesecake bars?
After you serve these delicious red, white and blueberry treats, let your guests in on the surprise — each bar is only 133 calories!
- 1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust
- 1 (8 oz) package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar substitute (or 2 teaspoons Stevia, or to taste)
- 3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese (pureed in a blender until smooth)
- 1 whole egg
- 2 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 small lemon, juiced (or 2 tablespoons lemon juice)
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1/3 cup low sugar strawberry preserves
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 8×8 baking dish with foil (to ensure easy removal of bars), and spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Remove graham cracker crust from pre-made pan, and crumble/press it down, re-forming it into your foil-lined pan. Put crust into the oven to bake for 8 minutes, then remove from oven.
3. While crust is baking, combine all of the ingredients, (except for the strawberry jam and blueberries), with a hand-held mixer until smooth.
4. Pour filling over graham cracker crust and smooth with a spatula.
5. Drop jam (by the spoon-full) over cheesecake filling. Drag a spoon (or knife) gently through the filling to create marbling. Drop blueberries evenly over cheesecake. Place in the oven, bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cheesecake is almost set in the center. Let cool. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours, or overnight.
6. Remove from the refrigerator and use foil to lift entire cheesecake out of pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into 12 even bars. (Tip: To keep clean lines, use a pizza cutter and wipe the blade with a paper towel between each cut.) Refrigerate until ready to serve.