Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Sweet raspberry cheesecake bars are the perfect mix of creamy cheesecake with a burst of delicious raspberry flavor. Perfect for dessert platters, these fruity and dreamy cheesecake bars always feel extra special for dessert!

 

Why We Love Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

• Creamy With A Delicious Raspberry Flavor – If you have a raspberry fan in your family they will love the burst of flavor in these creamy raspberry bars.
• Simpler To Make Then Cheesecake– These easy cheesecake bars use a regular square pan instead of a springform pan like traditional cheesecake.
• Perfect For Celebrations – These bars feel decadent for parties, birthdays, Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays, baby showers, Easter and more! These bars can also easily be sliced large or bite-sized for a dessert platter.

Ingredients For Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

For The Graham Cracker Crust

• graham crackers you can also buy already crumbled crumbs by the cup
• brown sugar
• butter – salted melted

For The Cheesecake

• cream cheese – softened to room temperature, 2 blocks
• sugar
• eggs
• sour cream
• vanilla extract

For The Raspberry Topping

• raspberries can use fresh or frozen
• white sugar
• lemon juice

How To Make Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Make The Graham Cracker Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 325. Line a 8×8 square pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
2. Place the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until they become crumbs.

3. Add the graham cracker crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Place the brown sugar and melted butter in with the graham cracker crumbs. Mix together until the crumbs are no longer dry.
4. Add the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Use a ½ cup measuring cup to press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust in the oven for 8 minutes then let the pan cool for at least five minutes.

Make The Cheesecake Filling

1. Place the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add ½ cup sugar and cream together the sugar and cream cheese until fully mixed.

2. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add the eggs half at a time to the cream cheese mixture, whipping until fully mixed.
3. Add the sour cream and vanilla to the cream cheese filling. Whip with an electric mixer until smooth

Make The Raspberry Topping

1. Add raspberries, 6 tablespoons of sugar and lemon juice to a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a slow boil over high heat. Reduce the mixture to medium heat to simmer, stirring regularly to keep from burning. Cook for 10-12 minutes until thick sauce begins to form, then set to the side to cool for a few minutes.

Layer And Bake The Bars

1. Add the cheesecake filling to the top of the graham cracker crust. Use a silicone spatula to smooth the mixture evenly in the pan.

2. Drizzle the raspberry mixture over the cream cheese. Swirl a chopstick or butter knife through the mixture to allow the raspberry filling to mix more into the top of the cheesecake layer.

3. Bake for 35-40 minutes until fully set in the center. You can test by holding the pan with hot pads and gently rolling the pan from left to right just a little. The top center of the pan should not look liquidy but will still jiggle a little. The middle of the cheesecake should feel slightly tacky when carefully touched.

4. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to chill, or overnight. Then slice into small squares and enjoy!

Variation Ideas

Use jam– The raspberry swirl in this recipe is a homemade jam, but you can swap flavors of delicious jam in this recipe. Try my blackberry jam, or make a full batch of raspberry jam and use the rest of the jam for toast! Storebought jam can also be swapped, but the quality of the jam may change the flavor and results.

Add lemon zest– Adding a little (or a lot) of lemon zest to the cheesecake base can give these bars a delicious lemony raspberry twist. Add a little at a time and taste the cheesecake base to make sure you add enough lemon to the mix to your liking. A little goes a long way for lemon zest

Swap the berries– Try using blueberries, strawberries, or even a mix of berries! I’ve made strawberry cheesecake bars a few time, and they are always a hit.

Add whipped cream– A swirl of whipped cream on the plate is delicious with these bars.