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Raspberry cheesecake bars are so rich and creamy. They have the perfect amount of raspberry filling swirled into the bars.
Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Cheesecake is always a good idea and this recipe with raspberry swirls is extra special. If you love raspberries, this recipe is going to be a new favorite.
You can enjoy everything you love about a traditional cheesecake but in convenient bars. They are perfect for parties and make serving really simple.
Make these today for a decadent treat everyone will want more of. Be prepared for everyone to want the recipe. You may even like this Raspberry Pretzel Salad.
Ingredients:
For the Crust:
- Graham Crackers. These will be crushed into crumbs to make the crust.
- Butter. Unsalted is best because each brand varies with the amount of salt they use. It can really alter the recipe.
- Salt
For the Raspberry Cheesecake Filling:
- Cream Cheese. Softened at room temperature. Full fat cream cheese is best. Light cream cheese does not set as well.
- Granulated Sugar
- All Purpose Flour
- Large Eggs. The eggs need to be room temperature so go ahead and take those out of the fridge.
- Sour Cream. Full fat sour cream is best.
- Vanilla Extract. Pure vanilla extract will give this recipe the best flavor.
- Lemon Juice. This gives the cheesecake a delicious tart flavor. Fresh squeezed is best but you can use bottled in a pinch.
- Salt
- Raspberry Jam. Fresh raspberry jam is delicious or store bought is good too. Just make sure to buy a brand with really good ingredients.
How to make raspberry cheesecake bars
- First, preheat the oven to 325 or 350 degrees depending on your oven. While the oven is warming up, line an 8X8 baking pan with parchment paper or foil. This will make cleanup easier and removing the bars from the pan.
- Next, crush the graham crackers in a food processor to make graham cracker crumbs. If you do not have a food processor, place the graham crackers into a ziploc bag and seal tightly. Then crush with a rolling pin or end of a wooden spoon.
- Then, mix together all of the crust ingredients in a large bowl. Once this is well combined with the melted butter, press the mixture into the bottom of the baking pan.
- Get out your mixer and cream together on high the cream cheese, flour and sugar. You want the mixture to be light and fluffy. I used my stand mixer but a hand held mixer is fine too.
- Once the mixture is combined, reduce the mixer speed to medium. Add eggs, sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Then mix this until well combined and the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture into the crust in the prepared pan. Use a spatula to spread it evenly on the crust.
- Once the cream cheese mixture is smooth, drop spoonfuls of the raspberry jam all over the cream cheese mixture. Then take a knife and gently swirl the raspberry mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
- Finally, bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes. You want the cheesecake to be set and slightly firm. The bake time will vary based on ovens so keep a close watch on it.
- Once out of the oven, let the mixture cool completely at room temperature. Then chill in the refrigerator before cutting and serving. The bars need to chill for a minimum of 4 hours but overnight is ideal so that they can fully set.
Can I prepare this recipe in advance?
Yes. This is the ideal recipe to make in advance. Considering the bars have to cool and be refrigerated for several hours, I actually prefer to make them a day ahead.
Just keep them in the fridge until ready to serve.
Variation ideas
- Pie filling. You can use pie filling instead of jelly.
- Jelly. Try other types of fruit such as strawberry, blueberry, blackberry and anything you love.
- Crust. You can use cinnamon graham crackers for a change. Another idea is to use cookies for the crust.
Vanilla wafers, ginger snaps, oreo cookies or anything you like would be great. I bet crushed pretzels would be delicious.
- Caramel. Swirl caramel in the cheesecake instead of jelly. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Lemon curd. Swirl lemon curd for the best cheesecake lemon bars. I think lemon zest would also be tasty in the cheesecake mixture.
- Raspberry sauce. Substitute raspberry sauce instead of jelly for a thinner swirl.
Tips for easy raspberry cheesecake bars:
- Allow enough time for the raspberry cheesecake bars to stay in the fridge to set. They will be difficult to cut if you rush this step.
- When cutting the bars, use a plastic knife and wipe after each cut if you start to see any build up. This will help to have neat slices with clean edges.
- Food processor. This is the preferred way to make the crust. Not only is it fast and easy but you can get the graham crackers really fine.
- To achieve the smoothest cheesecake filling, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature.
- Don’t overbake the bars. If the cheesecake bars are cooked too long, they will crack as they cool.
How to store?
Cover the leftover bars with a lid and place in the fridge. They will keep up to 1 week stored properly in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze cheesecake bars?
Yes, you can. Just make sure to allow the bars to cool completely before freezing.
Place the bars in a freezer container wrapped in plastic wrap. Make sure the container has an airtight lid. I would also suggest placing wax paper in between the bars to prevent them from sticking.
If you are freezing a large quantity of cheesecake bars, I would suggest flash freezing the bars first. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze them until they are firm.
Then wrap them in plastic wrap and place inside an airtight container. They will last up to 2 months in the freezer.
When you are ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight. They should be ready to enjoy the next day.
This is perfect for holiday baking or special occasions. You can easily make this ahead of time and freeze it to save time.
Print this raspberry cheesecake bars recipe:
Raspberry cheesecake bars
Ingredients
- For the Crust:
- 8 full Graham Crackers crushed into crumbs
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 4 Tbsp Butter melted
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- For the Raspberry Cheesecake Filling:
- 16 oz Cream Cheese softened at room temperature
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 2 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- ½ cup Raspberry Jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 8X8 baking pan with parchment paper or foil.
- Crush up the graham crackers in a food processor to make graham cracker crumbs.
- Mix together the crust ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl. Then press this mixture into the bottom of the 8X8 baking pan.
- Then cream together on high with a hand held mixer or stand up the mixer, the cream cheese, flour and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Reduce the speed to medium and add in the sour cream, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Mix until well combined and the mixture is smooth.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture onto of the crust in the 8X8 baking pan.
- Drop spoonfuls of the raspberry jam onto the cream cheese mixture. Use a knife to gently swirl the jam into the cream cheese mixture.
- Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes until set and slightly firm.
- Allow the mixture to cool completely at room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator before cutting and serving. Chill the bars for a minimum of 4 hours but overnight is ideal so that they can fully set.
- Enjoy!
