Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars

Servings: 6 bars

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 cup roasted lightly salted peanuts
• ½ cup Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts
• ¼ cup natural peanut butter
• 3 tbsp. agave nectar

Cheesecake:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, room-temperature (can sub in non-dairy cream cheese)
• ¼ cup natural peanut butter
• 2 tbsp. agave nectar

Toppings:

• ¼ cup 60% cacao dark chocolate chips
• ¼ cup natural peanut butter
• 1 tbsp. refined coconut oil
• …› cup roasted lightly salted peanuts, chopped
• 1 tsp. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts

Directions

1. First, in your food processor, place the peanuts and Hemp Hearts.
2. Process until all chopped up but still chunky.
3. Add the peanut butter and agave nectar.
4. Process again until the mixture balls up.
5. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and process until it balls up again.
6. Line a bread pan with parchment paper (easier to pull out when all done) and transfer the crust mixture into the pan.
7. Use an additional piece of parchment paper to press the nutty crust mixture evenly throughout the bottom of the pan.
8. Place your room-temp cream cheese in your electric mixer.
9. Turn on the mixer and add the peanut butter and agave nectar.
10. Whip on high until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
11. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the crust and spread it out evenly with your spatula.
12. Place it in the freezer for 30 minutes - 1 hour. You want the bars to set but not to freeze through.
13. When the bars are set, pull the edges of the parchment paper to remove the bars from the bread pan, and place them onto a cutting board.
14. Cut them into 8 squares.
15. Melt the chocolate and ½ tablespoon coconut oil in one bowl and mix until smooth.
16. Heat the peanut butter and ½ tablespoon coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds and mix until smooth.
17. Drizzle the bars with the chocolate and peanut butter.
18. Sprinkle with additional chopped peanuts and Hemp Hearts.
19. Store in the fridge.

Recipe courtesy of The Toasted Pine Nut.