Key Lime Protein Cheesecake Bars

So yesterday I woke up and discovered via Instagram that it was Pi Day…March 14th.  This is not the kind of thing I remember on my own, but once reminded, of course I had to make some pie.  Now the thing about this pie that I made is that you just can’t rush perfection 😉 You have to be patient with it, and in this case – let it set up overnight so it makes the most deliciously airy, creamy key-lime pie that you would never imagine is totally healthy.  Seriously, think about these macros: 76 calories made up of 7 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat and 5 grams of carbs.  Magical…

Here’s the secret to keep the top from cracking…water bath!  The explanation of how to do it is in the recipe.

4.80 from 5 votes

Key Lime Protein Cheesecake Bars

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 8 bars

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Servings: 8 bars

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/3 cup fat free cottage cheese
• ▢ 2/3 cup Dannon Light and Fit Key Lime Greek Yogurt, (5.3 oz container)
• ▢ 1 scoop Cellucor Whipped Vanilla Whey protein
• ▢ 1 1/2 egg whites, (approx. 1/4 cup)
• ▢ 3 tbsp lime juice
• ▢ 2 packets Truvia
• ▢ 1 tsp arrowroot flour

Crust Ingredients:

• ▢ 1/4 cup pecan halves
• ▢ 3 tbsp coconut flour
• ▢ 1 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• ▢ 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ Pinch of cinnamon

Instructions

• In a food processor or Nutribullet, process pecan halves with coconut flour and cinnamon until no chunks remain.  Mix in almond milk and vanilla extract.
• Spray a small glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Press crust evenly into base of dish.
• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a food processor or nutribullet, combine cottage cheese, lime juice and Truvia until smooth.  Add remaining pie ingredients and pulse until smooth.  Remove food processor container from mixer base and tap the base of the container to remove air bubbles.
• Pour pie mix over crust and gently tap the base of the dish against a towel-covered counter to remove any remaining air bubbles (pop any that come to the surface with a toothpick).
• Place dish into larger baking dish and fill dish with water until almost even with the top of the cheesecake filling.  Bake at 325 degrees for 28-30 minutes or until center of cheesecake is firm and no longer jiggles like Jello.
• Allow cheesecake to cool in the water bath until water is room temperature, then remove from water bath and refrigerate, uncovered overnight before serving.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 76kcal (4%), Carbohydrates: 5g (2%), Protein: 7g (14%), Fat: 3g (5%), Cholesterol: 6mg (2%), Sodium: 67mg (3%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 2g (2%)

I made my pie in a 7×5 inch Pyrex dish, but if you have a small round pie pan (or bundt cake type thing) that will work too.  Actually a round dish would probably be better.  Because – just fair warning here – I had a hell of a time trying to scoop these slices out! It’s probably best if I just eat the whole thing right out of the dish 🙂 Don’t think I won’t.

I topped my pie off with a bit of protein whip – just mix together 2 parts Greek yogurt to 1 part MuscleTech Platinum 100% Casein in the Vanilla Ice Cream flavor.  I used about 1/4 cup Greek yogurt with 2 tbsp of casein.  So delicious! Nice and smooth without being too dense.

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