These no bake keto cheesecake bars taste just like the orange creamsicles you loved as a kid! They’re easy to make and are totally sugar free and grain free. Whip some up today!
love no bake keto desserts like these easy creamsicle bars. And I love when the weather begins to warm up and I look forward to making and enjoying tasty sugar free treats like this one.
I’m going to be straight up honest and tell you that creamsicles were never my favorite flavor as a kid. Given the choice, I’d go with something chocolatey, like Fudgsicles. And of course I have a recipe for Keto Fudgsicles, which we make all summer long. If I had to pick something fruity, I’d go with cherry or lime.
Orange was pretty low on my list of flavors, even if it did have a creamy vanilla center.
But I have to admit that these keto creamsicle bars have made me change my tune. Orange, vanilla, and cream are simply gorgeous together, especially over a shortbread crust.
If I could have a do-over, I am pretty sure I would have eaten more creamsicles in my childhood. Lesson learned!
Updated Keto Creamsicle Bars Recipe
This recipe isn’t brand new, as it happens. I created it back in 2017, and I used stevia as the sweetener in both the crust and the filling.
And I got a number of comments from readers indicating that they found the bars to be quite bitter. Stevia is tricky that way and while mine turned out well, this was not the case for all readers. It seemed that some brands of stevia interacted with the orange extract to create a bitter flavor.
I do not like to have recipes on All Day I Dream About Food that aren’t over-the-top spectacular. That’s a tall order at times, because all of us experience these sweeteners a little differently.
But as stevia is quite overpowering to many people, I decided to update this recipe and make it more palatable to more people.
And boy, is it palatable. I discovered a whole new appreciation for creamsicles with this new version!
How to make keto creamsicle bars
This is an easy no bake cheesecake bar recipe. It only takes about 25 minutes to make, and the hardest part is waiting for them to firm up. Ready to get started?
The crust
The crust is simply a no-bake shortbread, consisting of 4 ingredients:
- almond flour
- powdered sweetener
- salt
- melted butter
If you can’t use almond flour, try another seed or nut flour in its place. Coconut flour does not make a good crust like this, it will be too crumbly and dry.
For the sweetener, as long as it is powdered, it should work well. A granular sweetener will be too gritty for this no bake recipe.
Creamsicle filling
As with many no bake cheesecakes, this one requires gelatin to help it set properly. It is not optional and I cannot recommend any good substitutes. I recommend good grassfed gelatin, rather than the commercial Knox gelatin found at most grocery stores.
- Dissolve the gelatin with the orange juice first. Yes, this recipe uses orange juice. No, it’s not enough to raise the carb count appreciably. Yes, it’s still keto. No, I am not going to offer you any substitutes.
- Beat the cream cheese with more powdered sweetener. Again, as long as the sweetener is the powdered kind, you can use whatever you like. Do be forewarned that sweeteners that include allulose may take longer to set. And some are more concentrated so be sure to read the package and see how sweet it is in compared to sugar.
- Use both vanilla and orange extract. Creamsicles are made with a vanilla ice cream center and this helps mimic that same flavor.
- Slowly drizzle in the gelatin mixture as you beat the cream cheese mixture, until well combined and smooth.
- To achieve a pretty orange color, use just a little a natural food coloring. There are a number of options but I like the powders from Color Kitchen.
- Spread the filling over the crust and refrigerate. This is where some patience is required, because it needs to set for 3 to 4 hours, at least.
- Garnish with some whipped cream and small slices of orange or some fresh orange zest. I like to cut long strips of orange zest with a cocktail peeler.
Storage information for keto creamsicle cheesecake bars
As with most cheesecake recipes, these bars need to be refrigerated at all times. They can be made ahead by a day or two, and cut into squares when you plan to serve.
More delicious no bake keto recipes
- Keto Snickers Cheesecakes
- Easy Keto Brownie Parfaits
- 5 Minute Keto Peanut Butter Mousse
- Dairy Free Keto Peppermint Patties
- French Style Keto Chocolate Mousse
- Keto Peanut Butter Fudge
Keto Creamsicle Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups (160 g) almond flour
- 1/4 cup (45.5 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter, melted
Filling
- 1/4 cup (62 g) fresh orange juice
- 1 1/2 tsp (1.5 tsp) grassfed gelatin
- 16 ounces (453.59 g) cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup (136.5 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener
- zest of one medium orange
- 1 1/2 tsp (1.5 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1 tsp orange extract
- Natural orange food coloring, (optional)
Instructions
Crust
- Lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture begins to clump together.
- Turn out into the prepared baking pan and press firmly and evenly into the bottom. Use a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup to even it out as much as possible. Freeze while making the filling.
Creamsicle Filling
- Pour the juice into a microwave safe bowl and sprinkle with the gelatin. Heat on high for about 20 to 30 seconds, and stir to dissolve the gelatin. Let cool to lukewarm.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the sweetener, orange zest, vanilla extract and orange extract.
- Slowly drizzle in the orange juice/gelatin mixture with the beaters running. Beat in just enough natural food coloring to achieve a light orange color.
- Pour the mixture over the crust and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Chill until firm, 3 to 4 hours.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Such a light and fluffy treat! Enjoyed these this afternoon and they were exactly what I needed to cure my sweet tooth; delish!
These turned out GREAT! I made them to share with friends and everyone enjoyed them, kids and adults alike.
Only change I made was baking the crust ala your Lemon Cheesecake bar recipe. This is just as good.
Healthy no bake dessert ? I’m all in !
Creamsicle bars are my absolute favorite flavor combo. I’m all in for this one! Yum!!
Great flavor! I had no issue with bitterness as a result of orange extract, and no problem with using Swerve. However, they did not set up as much as I would have liked, and I am guesting this is a result of my using Knox gelatin instead of the grass-fed you recommend (which I cannot find so need to order). Can you offer a suggestion for using the former instead of the latter? Thanks!
Well Knox gelatin also needs to “bloom” to work properly so it’s a very different process when you add it. Maybe you just needed a little more of it?
Actually, by freezing then allowing to thaw before serving, it did just fine. But next time I will add a bit more. I made a sugar-free coconut chocolate sauce that I drizzled on top then added whipped cream – yum!
OMG!!!! I made this recipe for dessert after Father’s Day dinner and it was so AMAZING!!!! It was also super easy to make. I will definitely be making this again!!
I am looking forward to trying this in lemon. I bought Stevia liquid when I first started eating the Atkins way in 2000. It was quite pricey and HORRIBLE! I think I was so happy to give it to one of my friends who thought she was going crazy and thought it was because of sugar. She liked it. So glad. I didn’t even ask for any money, it was about $30. That was a lot for just some sweetener back then and now. I have Swerve on order from Amazon. Should get it by this Tuesday. I will then purchase a couple more lemons, wasn’t sure we could even use lemon juice. I have been using limes with 100% coconut milk, 2 Splenda packets, 1/3rd cup of fresh squeezed lime juice, 1 tsp lime zest, a cup of ice and blend it like crazy. Oops, I forgot, you can either top it off with soda water of do like I do, I take 2/3 cups of chilled Patron Silver Tequila. Makes or a super creamy, drink. I love Patron Silver tequila, or you could use vodka, or rum, or just after blending, just op it off with soda water. Your choice entirely!!! Thanks again for these great recipes. I think I may be able to continue eating this way for a lot longer than 2 years, which is what I did last time. I love meat, and the fattier cut of ground beef is not only better for you, it has a better flavor than the low fat kind. Yes, I am a CARNIVORE!!!
Can you clarify the type of gelatin you used? I am assuming it is the kind that gels up; ie the orange can from Great Lakes. I have both the green and orange cans and I don’t want to use the wrong one. Thank you.
Hi Patty…the orange can, yes. The green can is collagen so they are not both gelatin. Hope that helps!
Could I sub 1/3 less fat cream cheese, and fat free sour cream for the full fat versions?
Iam so frustrated.I cannot eat almond/nut flours.will coconut flour work?
Also do u have any recipes w coconut flour?
And can this be made to the crust and frozen into pipcycles?
I sincerely thank you for your answers….
I have a lot (and I mean A LOT) of coconut flour only recipes, including my recent keto bagels recipe. Search my blog. Unfortunately, while it makes for great cakes and donuts, coconut flour doesn’t make very good crusts or cookies.
Thank you!!! These turned out DELICIOUS and my Dutch boyfriend loved them. I am a newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetic and your recipes are helping me so much. So thankful!!!
Is there any other flour that could be used for the crust? I have tree nut allergies, can’t use any tree nut flours?.
Have you ever tried sunflower seed flour?
Could I possibly use coconut flour instead of almond? Only because I have that!
Coconut flour does not make a good crust like this.
I made this substituting lemon juice (didn’t use any extract) and used Serve. It is SOOOOO good.
“Swerve”
Hi! These also came our bitter to me. I think it was the extract, because I used Sweeve and not Stevia. Next time I will leave out the extract. Thanks, though. Other than the extract flavor, these were yummy! (I used Watkins Pure Orange Extract.)
Ah, I used Frontier orange extract so that might be part of the difference!
Thanks for the tip. Is this what you use? It seems to be called “flavor” rather than extract here, so I might have the wrong product. Thanks for all you do!
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Frontier-Natural-Products-Orange-Flavor-Alcohol-Free-2-fl-oz-59-ml/35811?gclid=Cj0KCQjwkN3KBRCuARIsADT_flr2noG-ReEsmcGqlt5JRI5IlRwibk6fpb_K8AislcJIOqHcheUuWY8aAjXpEALw_wcB
I wonder if the problem is that if you use extract (which has alcohol in it), then the alcohol doesn’t get cooked off with these bars, and the whole thing ends up tasting like alcohol. If you use flavoring, there’s no alcohol in it, so you get just the flavor. I wonder if the bitterness that some think is the Stevia might be the alcohol in the extract? I could also be off-base. I’m a “faker,” not a “baker” (nod to Food Network), but it’s a thought. 🙂
Possibly you’re on to something. That is the extract/flavour I used.