No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

Crust:
• 1 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• Sweetener equivalent to 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
Peppermint Cheesecake:
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• Sweetener equivalent to 3/4 to 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 2 tbsp whipping cream, room temperature
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Red food colouring to taste (use natural food colouring if possible)
Topping:
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Sweetener equivalent to 2 tbsp sugar (powdered or liquid sweetener works best)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 ounce dark chocolate, melted (optional)
• 4 sugar-free peppermints, crushed (optional)

Instructions

Crust:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, and melted butter until well combined. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9×9 (or 8×8) inch square pan.
Peppermint Cheesecake:
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener until smooth. Beat in sour cream, whipping cream, and extracts until combined.
3. Add red food colouring and beat until desired colour is achieved (I use India Tree natural food dyes).
4. Carefully spread filling over crust.
Topping:
5. In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream with sweetener and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Spread over filling.
6. Chill cheesecake for at least 3 hours, until set. Drizzle with melted chocolate and crushed candies, if desired.
7. Cut into 16 bars. Or cut into smaller bites for a holiday dessert tray.