Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Bars with Chocolate Ganache
on Dec 17, 2015, Updated Feb 28, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Not all holiday desserts have to be loaded with calories. These lightened up Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Bars with Chocolate Ganache let you indulge in a sweet treat without all the regret!
I have a love hate relationship with the holiday baking season. I love to bake and I especially love to bake for other people. It relaxes me and makes me happy to be able to make something sweet and beautiful for family and friends. Baking and I get along as long as I don’t have a dozen cookies, a pie or a cake sitting in my kitchen staring at me for too long. You see the problem is I LOVE dessert and if it’s in my kitchen it starts calling my name. The next thing I know I have a cookie in one hand and a piece of cake in the other and a pile of guilt an hour later. My self-control lacks strength when pretty desserts are within my reach, I’m sure some of you can relate.
Luckily, this holiday season I’ve created these lighter Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Bars with Chocolate Ganache and felt virtually no guilt after devouring one! You see the thing is, I have a secret weapon in these bars and its name is Born Sweet® Zing™ Baking Blend!
Zing™ Baking Blend is made with stevia leaf extract and pure cane sugar and has only 5 calories per serving. It’s made without artificial ingredients and bakes just like sugar only fewer calories. A dessert with less calories that tastes as good as these vanilla bean cheesecake bars is something I can get behind!
Along with the Zing™ Baking Blend cutting out some of the calories, I’ve also replaced a portion of the cream cheese with plain non-fat Greek yogurt. The yogurt adds an amazing creaminess to the bars! The bars are loaded with vanilla flavor, which comes from either a vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste, whichever is more convenient for you. Using a vanilla bean instead of just the extract give you a more intense vanilla flavor, plus those gorgeous black specks! The final flourish on these bars is the dark chocolate ganache drizzled over the top. It adds just enough chocolate flavor without overpowering the vanilla bean cheesecake. If you’re in need of a slimmer dessert to sink your teeth into this holiday, then you have to treat yourself to one of these vanilla bean cheesecake bars with chocolate ganache!
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Bars with Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
Crust
- 6 graham crackers
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounces low fat cream cheese, softened
- 6 ounces plain Greek yogurt, full fat or low fat
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean
Chocolate Ganache:
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream, add an extra tablespoon if the ganache is too thick
Instructions
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Bars
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a food processor (or in a freezer bag roll over the crackers with a rolling pin) pulse the graham crackers and cinnamon until they are finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until combined.
- Press the graham cracker crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared 8x8 baking pan.
- Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Remove the crust from the oven and lower the temperature to 300° F. While the crust cools, prepare the filling.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand-held mixer, beat the cream cheese, Greek yogurt and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Add in the eggs, salt, flour, and vanilla bean paste and beat until combined and smooth. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and place it in the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes or until it is set, but still jiggles a little in the center, don’t overbake. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Once the cheesecake bars have cooled cover them with plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Drizzle with the chocolate ganache before serving.
Chocolate Ganache
- Add the chocolate chips and heavy cream to the top of a double boiler over simmering water (making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t come in contact with the water). Melt the chocolate stirring occasionally until the mixture becomes warm and smooth.
- Drizzle the ganache over the cheesecake bars with a spoon or use a pastry bag with a small round tip.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
This is beautiful! I want a big slice. I bet the vanilla bean adds so much flavor.
Thanks Julia! The vanilla bean adds so much more flavor compared to just using vanilla extract, I love it!
I can’t resist a good Cheesecake bar!
They are definitely irresistible!
Oh wow! This looks amazing! I have a cheesecake weakness, I would have to eat them all!
Thanks Marye! Cheesecake is my weakness too. :-)
I’m in love. I have a very similar cheesecake recipe, and no one believes me when I say it’s healthy! A fun holiday idea is adding a little molasses and spices for gingerbread cheesecake!
Thanks Margaret Ann! Your gingerbread cheesecake version sounds great as well.
Gorgeous cheesecake! I love the simple and classic flavor. The chocolate ganache on top is the perfect way to top it all off!
Thank you Julie! You can’t go wrong with the classics!