Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Smooth and creamy cheesecake layered over a crisp graham crust swirled with raspberry on top.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Cool and Refrigerate 5

Total Time 6

Servings bars

Calories 195kcal

Cost $10-$12

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 325° F (165° C).
Combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Mash them and reduce the liquid over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Prepare a slurry by mixing cornstarch with a tablespoon of water. Add it in and let it thicken for about a minute to get a consistency like jam. Let it cool.
Pulse graham crackers into fine crumbs in a food processor or crush them in a zip-top bag. Add melted butter, brown sugar, and salt; process until incorporated.
Spread the graham cracker mixture into the pan. Pack them down with a ramekin or the bottom of a glass. Bake it for 10 minutes, then let it cool.
Combine cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, cornstarch or flour, salt, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Beat on medium-low speed until smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides as needed with a rubber spatula.
Add eggs and mix until just combined.
Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and spread it evenly with a spoon.
Drop spoonfuls of the raspberry sauce on top. Create swirls using a knife, chopstick, or skewer.
Bake for 30 minutes until the middle part is set and no longer wet.
Allow it to cool completely in the pan uncovered to prevent condensation, which can make the crust soggy and cause the layers to separate.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Raspberries: Use fresh or frozen raspberries. Blueberries, strawberries, and other types of berries will also work. As an alternative, you can use about 6 tablespoons of store-bought jam.
Graham crackers: Substitute with crunchy cookies like Biscoff, vanilla wafers, Oreo, or digestive cookies.
Sour cream: Greek yogurt is a good substitute—tangy like sour cream. You can also use heavy cream for a very creamy texture.
Cornstarch or flour: It makes cheesecake firm and easier to cut. The texture is very creamy without it; you can skip it if you are not particular about it.