“Lightened Up” Blueberry Walnut Cheesecake Bowls

 

Sorry I’ve been away from posting for a couple of weeks.  I am actually on vacation in sunny Florida, along the Gulf Coast.  I think we left Newfoundland just in time too….a couple snowstorms and an ice storm makes us more appreciate of our time in the sun.  I am hopeful that one day I will embrace the wintry weather but that’s not going to happen this year!! Sorry, it’s just not gonna happen 🙂 Even here in Florida, the last couple of mornings has been 32 degrees F but at least there is no snow and the sun is still shining.  Happy mornings!!

So, I’m not in my own kitchen and I definitely don’t have access to my usual appliances, baking pans / dishes nor my variety of cooking supplies.  We had company last night for dinner and I wanted to make a simple dessert with what I had on hand so I improvised with a favorite recipe of mine…Blueberry Walnut Cheesecake Squares became  Blueberry Walnut Cheesecake Bowls.  No 8 x 8 baking pans in this kitchen so baking the bottom layer in a 9 x 13 pan and then cumble the bottom layer into small bowls for individual bowls of creamy nutty yumminess!!

Also this dessert has only a little over a 1/3 cup of sugar, walnuts, oats, greek yogurt, coconut oil and fresh blueberries. All healthy ingredients so you don’t mind a little indulgence after a great meal.  The creaminess of the filling with the oat and walnut crust and fresh blueberries is soooo goood!!!  I actually made myself a smaller version of this dessert to sample before supper. You cannot feed your company something that you haven’t sampled right!! Yum! Yum! Yum! and I may have licked the bowl…just saying 🙂

“Lightened Up” Blueberry Walnut Cheesecake Bowls (makes 6 servings)

• 2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 TBSP plus 1/3 cup sugar, divided
• 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
• 3 TBSP coconut oil, melted
• 1 pkg 8 oz low fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 TBSP orange juice
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (or any berries you have in your refrigerator)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine walnuts, graham cracker crumbs, 2 TBSP of sugar, and coconut oil.  Mix well and put into an 8 x 8 pan, press down on mixture to spread evenly in pan.  Bake for 15 minutes until edges are brown. Set aside to cool.

Beat cream cheese with remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and orange juice.  Mix well.  Add greek yogurt and stir to combine.

In individual small bowls, mason jars or whatever you have on hand, add a couple spoonfuls of cooled walnut oat mixture, add a couple spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture and then add blueberries.  Sprinkle any extra crust crumbs over the blueberries. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy! 🙂

NOTE:  If you want to make them into squares, put the baked crust in the refrigerator to harden then spread the cream cheese mixture over the top, then top with the blueberries.  Refrigerate and cut into squares before serving.

DD