Skinny Mocha Cheesecake Bars
These Skinny Mocha Cheesecake Bars are lightened up with Greek yogurt and less sugar! Serve these bars for an easy and lighter dessert.
I think that every day should include two things, coffee and chocolate. Who’s with me?
Oh and a little cheesecake. So today I’m bringing you these Skinny Mocha Cheesecake Bars. It’s like three delicious things all rolled into one bar. The best part? They’re lightened up too!
My skinny jeans are thanking me right about now.
So what makes these bars a little lighter? First, the crust is a little lighter than your usual cheesecake recipes with just 6 full-sheet graham crackers and a little bit of butter (just 2.5 tablespoons!). Instead of your usual two or more packages of cream cheese, you’ll be using one package of cream cheese and some Greek yogurt. The Greek yogurt adds a little bit of protein and keeps these bars on the lighter side.
Now there is some sugar in this recipe. But there’s only 1/3 cup and split between 12 bars it’s really not that bad. If you prefer your cheesecake a little sweeter you can definitely feel free to add a couple extra tablespoons of sugar into the cheesecake filling.
And of course, there’s the melted chocolate and coffee flavor too. When you combine the two into this cheesecake, it creates one seriously delicious mocha flavored cheesecake that will leave you coming back for more.
These bars also freeze really well too, which is what I did with them after taking these pictures. Enjoy!
Skinny Mocha Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 6 full-sheets chocolate graham crackers
- 2.5 tablespoons melted butter
Cheesecake:
- 1 8-ounce package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
- 2 teaspoons hot water
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temperature
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with foil, making sure to leave some overhang for easy removal, and set aside.
- Add the chocolate graham crackers to a food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a small bowl and mix with the melted butter until fully combined.
- Spread the mixture into the prepared baking pan, pressing it down firmly.
- Bake at 350°F for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
To make the cheesecake filling:
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add in the melted chocolate and mix until fully combined.
- In a small bowl, add the instant coffee and hot water and mix until fully dissolved. Add into the mixing bowl, along with the Greek yogurt, flour, and vanilla and mix well.
- Add in the egg and mix on low speed until well combined.
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the prepared crust and spread it out evenly.
- Bake at 325°F for about 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Slice into bars and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Mine was still runny after 25 minutes! Not sure what to do— bake longer????
Did you use cream cheese spread in a tub? If it’s still runny, I would recommend baking it until the bars look set.
Can you substitute espresso powder for the instant coffee?
That would be fine! It is stronger than instant coffee though, so you may want to reduce it to just 1/2 teaspoon if you don’t want a super strong coffee flavor.
we are make this in class for fun i have had them before and i think they are really good
do you post nutritional info on your recipes? I cannot find any.
Thanks
I typically don’t include the calorie count for recipes on my site, since it can vary based on the brands/products that you use. My Fitness Pal has a great website and app that you can use though to get a more accurate calorie estimate. Hope that helps!
A great light cheesecake base. I’ve used it for a lot of flavour variations, excellent!
Glad to hear that, Stacey!
Any suggestions on what you can use if not chocolate graham crackers? I am not sure if I can find some that are safe for us. I could do reg graham crackers maybe mixed with some cocoa?
The unsweetened cocoa powder may be a bit bitter if you mix it with the graham crackers and don’t add any sugar. If you do that, I would taste it first and make sure it’s not too bitter. You could just do a regular graham cracker crust too.
I don’t drink coffee, but I love coffee flavored desserts! Especially when they have chocolate in them too! And, they are even better when they are skinny! I haven’t had cheesecake in forever and these are making me crave it!
I’m kind of the same way too, Izzy! I’m not a huge coffee drinker, but I do love it in desserts 🙂
These sound delicious – I love the mocha flavor, and that they’re a little bit lighter. My kind of recipe!
These sound so yummy! I love chocolate and coffee together. And anything “skinny” is definitely up my alley… that just means I can eat more. 😉
The more the better, right? 😉
This combines two of my favorite things: coffee and cheesecake! I Love the addition of greek yogurt for a lighter take!
Mocha cheesecake – yes please! Desserts are always better with a bit of coffee 🙂 These bars look amazing- I probably wouldn’t have any left to freeze!
You had me at ‘skinny’ (always wins me over!), but then I saw ‘mocha’, and I think I’m in love! Mocha is the business! YUM!
So since there’s coffee in these gorgeous bars, that means I can have them for breakfast right?? 😉 I seriously cannot stop my drooling, Danielle! These bars are amazing!!
Yes! I like that idea, Sarah! 🙂
Cheesecake and chocolate are two of my major weaknesses, and I LOVE Greek yogurt cheesecake. I will definitely be trying this recipe!!
Coffee and chocolate are definitely two things that sneak their way into my everyday. Well not really sneak…they’re pretty prominent lol I love these skinny cheesecake bars! They don’t look lightened up one bit.
Love the reduced fat cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and hot water to replace all the more fatty daity you normally see in cheesecake! So yum 🙂
I agree, sometimes it’s just not needed! Thanks, Medha 🙂
I love that these are skinny! And is there anything better than mocha?!
I really don’t think there is anything better! 😉
Coffee and chocolate have to happen, but especially together and in CHEESECAKE. These bars are the best!
Chocolate and coffee is definitely needed every morning! I’m loving these skinny cheesecake bars! The mashup of flavors is perfect for a Thursday. These are so pretty, too! I love the chocolate crust!
I’m glad you agree 🙂 Thanks, Gayle!