Imagine a gluten-free keto version of the classic peanut butter pie, only way easier to eat, and no pie tin required!
Dessert Hybrids & Why We Love Them
It’s no coincidence that the name of this recipe is a complete mess and totally confusing. I did that with purpose.
I needed you all to know that this isn’t a cheesecake and it isn’t a peanut butter pie. IT’S BOTH.
Cheesecake / Pie / Bar
To really sell this dessert —not that I need to…I mean, look at it—just know that the basic genetic makings are no-bake cheesecake(ish) while the preparation is very “peanut butter pie” esqe and it’s shaped like a BAR.
Then, to make matters even better, it’s coated in a chocolate peanut butter ganache!
Plus it’s all gluten-free, sugar-free, and a friend to keto dieters.
Don’t Bake It, Fake It
In the interest of time, no-bake vs yes-bake cheesecakes are really a wash. They both take a while to cool and set. But if you hate extra work and don’t feel like firing up the ol’ oven —no-bakes are where it’s at.
Related: Silky Keto No-Bake Cheesecake with ZERO Gelatin!
OKAY so I lied.
I do “bake” because of the crust.
You don’t have to, but it holds together MUCH better. It’s only 8 minutes in the oven and then you can shut that sucker down and pretend like those 8 minutes never happened.
Now just top it with the whipped peanut butter pie/cheesecake insides and top it with the creamy concoction of chocolate peanut butter ganache and voilà!
Keto Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pie Bars (No-Bake, mostly)
Related: No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Silk Coconut Crunch Bars
Did I mention that this cheater’s ganache is ACTUALLY just like Magic Shell for ice cream??? Because it is.
And it has peanut butter in it….
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- Super Moist Keto Chocolate Cupcakes
- Dreamy Whipped Peanut Butter Cheesecake Truffles! 🥜 {Only 2g Net Carbs!}
- Tender and Flaky Keto Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish!
Low Carb No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie Bars
Gluten-free Keto Peanut Butter No-bake Cheesecake Bars are like a peanut butter pie but in bar form! Light, fluffy, and not a lick of sugar in sight.
Ingredients
Chocolate Crust
- 1 cup Almond Flour
- 1/3 cup Swerve Granular
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
- 4 tbsp Butter, room temperature
Whipped Peanut Butter Filling
- 2-8 oz blocks Cream Cheese
- 1/3 cup Swerve Granular
- 3/4 cup Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/2 tsp Liquid Stevia
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache
- 1 cup Low Carb Milk Chocolate
- 1/4 cup Creamy Natural Peanut Butter
- 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
Instructions
The cream cheese needs to be soft (ROOM TEMP) to mix well so set them out early!
Make THE CRUST
- Heat the oven to 350° and line an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, Swerve, and Xanthan Gum.
- Add the butter and cut in with a fork combine. Press into the pan and bake for 8 minutes. Let cool while you make the filling.
FILLING
- Whip the heavy cream and liquid sweetener until stiff, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, granulated Swerve, and peanut butter until smooth.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Don't overmix or you will lose the light and airy texture from the whipped cream!!
- Spread the filling over the prepared crust. Refrigerate (don't freeze yet! See notes) until set, at least 4 hours or overnight. The longer, the better.
Chocolate Ganache
- Melt the chocolate chips in a glass bowl by microwaving for :30 at a time and stirring. Repeat if needed until smooth.
- Add the coconut oil and peanut butter and stir to combine. Spread the mixture over the cheesecake bars and let cool for at least 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
Notes
Refrigeration/Freezing: You can freeze this AFTER you let it completely set up in the fridge for the 4 hours. If you freeze it right away, you will lose the airy texture.
Ganache Tips: The ganache has both peanut butter and coconut oil to act like Magic Shell! It's fine to add it after the cheesecake has set for an hour (easiest) or you can add it right before serving, then pop it in the freezer for a few minutes to help it firm up.
Nutrition Information
Yield 16 Squares Serving Size 1 SquareAmount Per Serving Calories 314Total Fat 30gCarbohydrates 9gNet Carbohydrates 5gFiber 4gProtein 7g
I just made this. It’s cooling in the refrigerator now. I can say from tasting the filling that it’s going to absolutely rock! I don’t have liquid stevia so I doubled the sweetener for the filling and even added another tablespoon of liquid allulose when whipping the cream. Just one note…I used a mixer to mix the cream cheese and peanut butter and it increased the volume. It pretty much filled my 8×8 pan to the top. There’s not much room for the ganache, but that’s OK. I’ll make it work. 😊
I am confident you’re going to love this one, Dave! And thanks for the heads up on the filling! Hoping you’re able to add enough ganache to get the delicious triple layers, and I’ll update that in the blog. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
I can’t have stevia (causes migraines). What can I use instead?
You can use Allulose!
Okay, these are amazing! My “go-to” is lemon cheesecake bars but I had a hankering for peanut butter and chocolate. So I did a quick little google search for a recipe that called for simple ingredients that I already had in my house…and bingo! I made this and they are addictive so I did myself a favor and froze the rest to keep myself from indulging in too many at one time!!!
Thanks Julie!!! I’m so glad you found this recipe (and just gave me the idea for lemon cheesecake bars) 😃 Funny, I had to freeze them too or else is keep sneaking a sliver till it was gone!
This looks amazing. One of our founders, Jeremy, is a chocolate and peanut butter fiend, so we’ll definitely have to try this!
So I saw these and had to make them IMMEDIATELY! They are soooooo good. Mixing the cream cheese, peanut butter, and whipped cream into a fluffy, creamy filling is such a heavenly sensory experience… followed by spreading the ganache on the top– A-mazing. Thank you for this incredible recipe. This is my second time using your recipes, and I’m hooked!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I am honestly hooked on these no-bake cheesecakes so keep watch for a fruity variation coming soon 😉 Thanks Lindsay!!