Enjoyed with fresh whipped cream and fruit sauce, or purely as-is, these Creamy Cheesecake Squares with Nut Crust are a perfect dessert for any occasion!
Add whole pecans to food processor and pulse until texture is similar to a ground flour.
Add almond meal and coconut sugar and pulse a few times to blend.
Add melted butter and mix well into nut mixture.
Press nut mixture in a parchment-lined baking pan (see baking pan sizes notes below). Set aside.
Layer 1:
In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla. Beat well until mixture is smooth. (See note below.)
Pour cream cheese mixture over nut crust in pan and spread evenly, making sure to spread it to the edges of the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 10-15 minutes.
Layer 2:
Set oven temperature to 425 deg F (230C).
Combine Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla and mix together with a whisk until well combined.
Pour over Layer 1 in the pan and use the back of spoon or a spatula to spread evenly to the edges.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Bring cheesecake to room temperature completely before covering with foil or pan lid.
Refrigerate cheesecake overnight.
Cut cheesecake into squares. Serve with fresh whipped cream and fruit sauce, if desired.
Notes
The pan I used was 8.25 x 11.5 inches, which is not your typical size, but a 9 x 11-inch pan should work the same.
You could also use an 8x8-inch pan, but make sure the sides are tall enough to accommodate the extra thickness.
When beating the cream cheese mixture, do not worry if there are tiny little lumps of cream cheese remaining. As long as the majority of the mixture is smooth, the little lumps will melt when baked and you won't notice anything.
This recipe can be made using a deep-dish pie plate so the cheesecake can be served as slices. Simply make sure to press the crust up the side of the dish as well as the bottom.
The cheesecake freezes well! Freeze uncovered first, then wrap in foil and seal in a ziploc bag.
Tastes great topped with chocolate sauce, chopped nuts, chocolate shavings, fresh fruit, crumbled cookies, etc.