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!
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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
- 9 sheets graham crackers about 1 cup of crumbs
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter – salted melted
For The Cheesecake
- 16 ounces cream cheese – softened to room temperature, 2 blocks
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For The Raspberry Topping
- 3/4 cups raspberries about 6 ounces fresh or frozen
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
How To Make Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Make The Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325. Line a 8×8 square pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Place the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until they become crumbs.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla to the cream cheese filling. Whip with an electric mixer until smooth
Make The Raspberry Topping
- 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
- Add the cheesecake filling to the top of the graham cracker crust. Use a silicone spatula to smooth the mixture evenly in the pan.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- Add whipped cream– A swirl of whipped cream on the plate is delicious with these bars.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies– Soft and tender cookies filled with delicious raspberry in the center for a burst of raspberry flavor.
Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Cups– These delicious mini cookies are filled with sweet cheesecake and topped with fresh fruit. Delicious, and so cute for parties!
Raspberry Cupcakes– Moist raspberry cupcakes topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting, these yummy made-from-scratch cupcakes are always delicious!
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Sweet raspberry swirled in a creamy cheesecake bar, this decadent treat always feels extra special for dessert!
Equipment
- 1 8 x 8 Metal pan
- 1 Food Processor
- 1 Aluminum foil or parchment paper
- 1 Electric Mixer
- 1 Saucepan
Ingredients
For The Graham Cracker Crust
- 9 sheets graham crackers about 1 cup of crumbs
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter – salted melted
For The Cheesecake
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened, 2 blocks
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For The Raspberry Topping
- 3/4 cups raspberries about 6 ounces fresh or frozen
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
Make The Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325. Line a 8×8 square pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Place the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until they become crumbs. 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla to the cream cheese filling. Whip with an electric mixer until smooth.
Make The Raspberry Topping
- Add raspberries, 4 tablespoons of sugar and lemon juice to a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a slow boil over high heat. Reduce the mixture to medium low 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
- Add the cheesecake filling to the top of the graham cracker crust. Use a silicone spatula to smooth the mixture evenly in the pan.
- Drizzle the raspberry mixture over the cream cheese. Swirl a chopstick or butterknife through the mixture to allow the raspberry layer to mix more into the top of the cheesecake layer.
- 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.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes. Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to chill, or overnight. Then slice and enjoy!
Notes
Doubling The Recipe
When doubling this recipe, I use a 9×13 pan. Expect the bars to bake for 40-45 minutes.Slicing Cheesecake Bars
These bars are delicious but rich. I often will slice them into 12 pieces instead of 9 to share. They are also so cute sliced into bite-sized cubes for a dessert platter.Storing Bars
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days.Nutrition
Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 216mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 930IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
Comments & Reviews
Anne says
I went the extra step to strain the seeds when I made the raspberry syrup because no one wants that many seeds. It really made the difference. Otherwise it was an easy and delicious recipe.
Tina Oldakowski says
What do you set the oven to, 350 I’m assuming . .. . .
Tina Oldakowski says
Forget it, I found it .. . .. . 325 . .. . .
Debbie says
Can I freeze these?
Kristy Richardson says
Yes, these bars freeze alright. I would slice them and freeze them on a cookie sheet, then wrap in freezer paper or wax paper before putting in an freezer container or freezer bag. Hope that helps!
Marianne Healy says
ok with the raspberry seeds, do not need to strain?
Kristy Richardson says
I didn’t find it necessary to strain the seeds for this recipe. You can if you prefer.