Cheesecake Bars with Raspberry Swirl

Smooth and creamy cheesecake bars layered over a crisp graham crust and topped with raspberry sauce. These are cheesecake goodness in small portions, decadent but not too sweet.

Jump to:

• Why you’ll love this recipe
• What you’ll need
• Ingredient notes and substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Frequently asked questions and tips
• The key takeaway
• Watch how I make it here
• More dessert recipes you may like
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why you’ll love this recipe

• They are fun and easy to make.
• You can choose your cookie for the crust.
• Use your favorite store-bought jam instead of making it from scratch.

What you’ll need

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Raspberries: Use fresh or frozen raspberries. Blueberries, strawberries, or other types of berries will work, too.  You can also use store-bought jam as an alternative.  You will need about 6 tablespoons.
• Graham Crackers: To substitute, use any crunchy cookie like Biscoff, vanilla wafers, Oreo, or digestive cookies.
• Cream cheese: You need a pound or 2 (8-ounce) rectangular blocks of full-fat cream cheese. 
• Sour cream: Plain, full-fat Greek yogurt is a good substitute, tangy like sour cream.  It is added to soften the dense texture of cream cheese.  You can also use heavy cream for a very creamy texture.
• Cornstarch or Flour: Its addition makes the cheesecake more firm and makes cutting easier.  Without the starch, the texture is very creamy.  If you are not particular about that, go ahead and omit this.

How to make this recipe

Always practice Mise en place (a French term meaning "everything in its place") by getting your ingredients and tools ready before starting.

Measure all the ingredients. Use a kitchen scale if you have one. Make sure they are at room temperature. (1)Place the cream cheese and sour cream in a large bowl and the eggs in a separate one. Cover and let it sit on the counter for an hour or so.  You can also cut up the cream cheese to soften faster and submerge the eggs (in the shell) in a bowl of warm tap water until no longer cool to the touch.

Make the raspberry sauce:

(2)Combine the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. 

(3)Mash them with a spoon or spatula – it will be watery. (4)Cook over medium heat until the liquid is reduced, about 5 minutes.

(5)Dissolve the cornstarch in a tablespoon of water to make a slurry and add it in. (6)Stir and cook for another minute until thickened with a consistency like jam.  Turn off the heat and let it cool.

Make the crust: Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325° Fahrenheit (165° Celsius). (7)Grease an 8x8-inch pan with cooking spray or butter. (8)Line with parchment paper that overhangs on two opposite sides (to use as handles to take the cheesecake out of the pan after baking). 

(9)Cut the butter into pieces and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. (10)Heat for about 30 seconds just until melted – watch so it doesn’t explode.

Using a (mini) food processor, pulse the graham crackers into fine crumbs. (11)Add the melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. (12)Process until it resembles coarse sand.  Alternatively, you can place the crackers in a zip-top bag and smash them with a rolling pin or a heavy object. Add in the melted butter, sugar, and salt. Mix until it resembles wet sand. 

(13)Pour the graham cracker mixture into the pan. (14)Spread it evenly with a spoon. (15)Press firmly with a ramekin or the bottom of a glass.  Bake for 10 minutes. Let it cool while you prepare the cheesecake mixture.

Make the cheesecake layer:

(16)Add the sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the room temperature cream cheese and sour cream. 

(17)With a hand mixer, beat on medium-low speed until smooth.  If you are using a stand mixer, make sure you use the paddle attachment so you don’t beat too much air into it causing it to deflate and crack. (18)Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides as needed.

(19)Add in the eggs and mix until just combined. (20)Using a rubber spatula, finish mixing with a few more strokes.  Overbeating can cause cracks on the surface. 

Assemble: (21)Pour the cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust. (22)Spread it evenly with a spoon.

(23)Drop spoonfuls of the raspberry sauce on top. If you didn’t make the sauce from scratch, use your favorite jam instead. 

(24)Swirl with a knife, chopstick, or skewer.

Bake: (25)Bake for 30 minutes until set. The center should wobble slightly when the pan is shaken. 

Cool and Refrigerate: Cool completely in the pan at room temperature (for about an hour) and cover with plastic wrap. If covered too soon while still warm, the condensation will make the surface of the cheesecake wet, the crust soggy, or the layers separate. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) to set, then remove it from the pan and slice.

Serve:  Run a metal spatula or a thin-bladed knife around the edges before pulling it out of the pan.  A trick to cutting cheesecake neatly is to keep the knife slightly warm and clean.  To do this, dip the knife in a container with hot water or hold it under hot tap water, and wipe it clean each time with a paper towel.

Store: Leftovers should be wrapped thoroughly or placed in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to a month or so. Frozen cheesecake can be thawed in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a couple of hours.

Frequently asked questions and tips

The key takeaway

Cheesecake is a make-ahead dessert, it’s easy and quick to put together but does need time to set before slicing, so plan accordingly.

Watch how I make it here

More dessert recipes you may like

📖 Recipe