These no bake almond butter cheesecake bars are easy to make, delicious, and a great alternative for anyone with a peanut allergy. Plus, it’s summer and who wants to turn on a hot oven? Not me.
I’m a mom of a peanut allergy kid and I also make desserts for a living. So, I’m forever on a mission to create desserts we can enjoy as a family that make giving up peanut butter a little less of a tragedy. I mean, ok, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but you get it. These no bake almond butter cheesecake bars are super easy to make, and that almond butter cheesecake filling is creamy, slightly tangy, and has that dreamy texture we expect from peanut butter but struggle to replace with almond butter.
This is in HUGE part thanks to the brand of almond butter. They are certainly not all created equal and I’m pretty certain that at this point I’ve tried them all. There are several brands we like, but my absolute favorite when it comes to replicating that creamy texture we think of with peanut butter, is Barney Butter. I like the Bare Smooth Creamy Almond Butter. It’s SOO creamy and ready to go right out of the jar, no endless stirring to get the oils mixed back in. Oh, and the best part, the ONLY ingredient is almonds. Praise be. This is not an ad, I’m just a fan!
How to Make No Bake Almond Butter Cheesecake Bars
Make the Chewy Chocolate Crust
This crust is so easy to make and has a texture similar to a chewy brownie, but comes together so quickly with just a few simple ingredients. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang with the parchment so that you can easily lift the bars out when you’re ready to slice and serve them.
Melt the butter and set aside. Combine the espresso powder with hot water and stir until the espresso powder dissolves into the water. In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, and dark brown sugar. Stir in the melted butter and espresso. It will form a thick dough. Press the dough into the prepared pan into an even layer. Pop into the fridge while you make the almond butter cheesecake filling.
Make the Almond Butter Cheesecake Filling
In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar. Use a hand mixer to cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Mix for 3 minutes, or until smooth. Make sure to use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure everything is getting mixed. If you skip that step, your cheesecake won’t be perfectly smooth, but will likely have chunks of cream cheese that didn’t get properly mixed. Add the almond butter and mix to combine.
In a separate bowl, add the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until stiff peaks form. By hand it will take 3-5 minutes. You could do it with a hand mixer too, but there’s probably not enough to make it worth breaking out the stand mixer. Fold the whipped cream into the almond butter mixture 1/2 at a time until combined, careful not to deflate the whipped cream. Pour the cheesecake filling onto the prepared chocolate crust. Spread evenly, then chill for at least 3 hours, up to overnight.
Make the Chocolate Topping
About 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve, melt the chocolate and coconut oil by microwaving in 20 second intervals until smooth. Pour over the chilled cheesecake and pop into the freezer for about 5 minutes, or until chocolate has set. My favorite chocolate for melting as a topping like I did here, are these Dark Chocolate Ghirardelli Chips. They melt up so nice and smooth, but feel free to use your favorite!
Optional – top with your favorite toppings! I chopped some toffee bites, almond butter cups, and flaky salt. Remove the bars from the pan but running a sharp knife around the edges and then lifting them out using the parchment overhang. Slice into 6 equal slices. Serve as 6 large slices or slice again down the middle for 12 smaller portions.
These no bake almond butter cheesecake bars will keep in the fridge for up to a week and are best served cold!
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No Bake Almond Butter Cheesecake Bars
- Prep Time: 20
- Total Time: 20 minutes + Chill Time
- Yield: 12 Cheesecake Squares 1x
Description
No bake chewy chocolate crust topped with creamy almond butter cheesecake filling and dark chocolate.
Ingredients
For the Chewy Chocolate Crust
- 1 C (100 g) Almond Flour
- 2 TBSP (12 g) Dark Cocoa Powder
- 2 TBSP (30 g) Dark Brown Sugar
- 3 TBSP Salted Butter, melted
- 2 tsp Insant Espresso Powder
- 2 TBSP Hot Water
For the Almond Butter Cheesecake Filling
- 4 oz (Half Block) Cream Cheese
- 1/2 C (110 g) Creamy Almond Butter, I recommend Barney Butter
- 1/4 C (55 g) Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 C (65 g) Heavy Cream
- Pinch of Salt
For the Chocolate Topping
- 1 C (150 g) Dark Chocolate Chips, I recommend Ghirardelli 60% Chips
- 1 TBSP Coconut Oil
Instructions
For the Chewy Chocolate Crust
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
- Melt the butter and set aside.
- Stir the espresso powder into the hot water until it dissolves, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, and dark brown sugar.
- Fold in the melted butter and espresso.
- Press the dough into the prepared pan and chill in the fridge while you make the cheesecake filling.
For the Almond Butter Cheesecake Filling.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese and sugar with a hand mixer until smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the almond butter and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the whipped cream into the almond butter mixture 1/2 at a time until combined, careful not to deflate the whipped cream.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture onto the chocolate crust and spread evenly. Chill at least 3 hours up to overnight.
For the Chocolate Crust
- About 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve, melt the chocolate and coconut oil by microwaving in 20 second intervals.
- Pour over the cheesecake filling and then freeze until set, about 5 minutes.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
*You can sub an equal amount of creamy peanut butter, NOT the natural kind with the oil that separates.
If you loved the recipe for these No Bake Almond Butter Cheesecake Bars, be sure to check out my Almond Butter Tahini Brownies!
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