These Lemon Berry Cheesecake Bars are exceptionally creamy and rich! Fresh berries swirled on top of a buttery graham cracker crust!
Okay y’all seriously, how amazing do these cheese cheesecake bars look? I’ve been dreaming of cheesecake for weeks now. I swear I will have a taste for something for what seems like forever and it will not go away until I have it! If you guys have been following me for a while then you know I’m all for easy yet delicious desserts that take little to no time to make. These Lemon Berry Cheesecake Bars are the real deal, they are literally the perfect spring dessert. Full disclosure…my husband and I actually crushed the whole pan by ourselves within the week…yikes! Haha, usually we try and share the treats but these babies were irresistible. I mean cheesecake isn’t that bad right? Any way, once you make these you will 100 percent see what I mean.
I also love how versatile the berry sauce is. I had some leftover and actually used it to top french toast a couple days later. If you love cheesecake, but don’t feel like busting out the springform pan or building a water bath, this recipe is for you!
QUICK TIP
- Feel free to line the pan with parchment paper. However, it isn’t required. I was able to cut the bars in the pan and remove them with no trouble without using parchment paper.
- In addition to the parchment paper (if you decide to use), I recommend spraying the pan with a little non-stick cooking spray before and after adding the parchment paper.
- If you don’t have fresh berries available, no worries! You can use frozen, unthawed berries.
- You can make the berry sauce up to one day prior to making the cheesecake bars. Just be sure to keep it covered in the fridge.
- Be sure to cool the berry reduction prior to mixing into cream cheese mixture.
- Make sure your cream cheese is room temperature before you start to mix. This will prevent clumps of cream cheese in your mixture.
- To swirl, you’ll want to dollop spoonfuls of the berry mixture on top of the unbaked cheesecake batter, then use a skewer or butter knife to gently swirl. You will want to continue layering the batter and berry mixture.
- I recommended baking these Lemon Berry Swirl cheesecake bars for about an hour. Keep in mind that the center will have a little jiggle to it when you remove them from the oven which is completely fine. Be careful not to overbake. To tell that they’re finished baking, look for the following signs:
- Slightly puffed edges that may be beginning to turn light golden brown.
- The center should bounce back to the touch if you tap it gently with your finger.
- Make sure you allow the cheesecake bars to cool completely before you place them in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Questions about these Lemon Berry Cheesecake Bars? Did you make this recipe? Let me know in the comments below! Tag me #chefelizabethreese on Instagram, I’d love to see your creations!
Lemon Berry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the Berries
- 1 Cup Strawberrirs, Stems Removed
- 1 Cup Blueberries
- 1 Cup Rasberries
- 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar (For the Berries)
For the Crust
- 2 Packs Crushed Graham Crackers
- 1½-2 Sticks Melted Butter
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
For the Filling
- 24 oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
- ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1½ Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Cup Sour Cream
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
- 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Puree the berries with sugar. Add the berries to a sauce pot and simmer until thickened and reduced by half. Chill immediately in the fridge.
- Combine graham crackers, melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until moistened. Spray nonstick cooking spray into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Press the graham cracker crust into the bottom of the baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla and sour cream and beat until smooth.
- Add in the eggs to cream cheese mixture one at a time until all are combined. Pour half of the cream cheese mixture over graham crackers.
- Dollop half of the cooled, pureed berries randomly over the cream cheese mixture and swirl with a skewer or knife. Top with remaining cream cheese mixture, and repeat with remaining pureed berries.
- Place the pan inside of a larger pan filled ½ inch full with water. Bake at 325 degrees for about one hour. The cheesecake is done when edges are lightly browned and the center is a little jiggly.
- Let the cheesecake cool on the counter top for about 30 minutes before transferring to the fridge and chilling for at least 2 hours or overnight. Enjoy!
Leave a Reply