Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Satisfy your sweet tooth with these simple and tasty strawberry cheesecake bars. Made with fresh strawberries, cream cheese, and a buttery graham cracker crust, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite!

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Strawberry desserts are a must for the summertime, and these incredible strawberry cheesecake bars are on of our favorites! If you love cheesecake but hate all the work that it requires, then you’ll love this recipe. There’s no pie pans and water baths required. Just simple ingredients, a baking dish and a little bit of love!

Cheesecake bars are such a fun, shareable treat! I always make pumpkin cheesecake bars in the fall and crumble peach cheesecake bars are an anytime treat too. They satisfy that craving for a creamy and rich cheesecake without taking forever to make. So tasty, rich, and creamy!

Why You’ll Love Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

• This recipe for strawberry cheesecake bars can easily be doubled or tripled to make extras! Make multiple pans full of creamy strawberry goodness.
• Make this dessert ahead of time and store until needed. Cheesecake stores wonderfully in the refrigerator and freezer!
• Cheesecake bars are perfect for parties and other gatherings. Their convenient serving size make them easy to serve quickly and eat without a fork and knife.

Ingredients for Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars

• Cream cheese – I do not recommend using low fat cream cheese. While it may save on some calories and the fat content, splurging for full fat cream cheese will ensure that these bars have the best flavor.
• Brown sugar – Make the most amazing graham cracker crust sweetened with brown sugar.
• Sour cream – Wanna know the key to the best cheesecake bars? Sour cream! Trust me, it works like magic.
• Eggs – Add some structure to the cheesecake mixture with eggs.
• Vanilla extract – Give the cheesecake filling a complimentary flavor to strawberry with a bit of vanilla extract.
• Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter, both will work!
• Strawberries – Find the most ripe and sweet fresh strawberries for the best flavor.
• Sugar – Use granulated white sugar to sweeten the cheesecake mixture and make the strawberry layer.
• Water – You’ll need a bit of water to cook down the strawberries for this tasty dessert.
• Salt – Use a little salt to help balance the rich sweetness from the other ingredients in this recipe.
• Graham crackers – Graham cracker crumbs make the BEST cheesecake crust.

How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then spray and 8×8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.

Add the graham crackers and brown sugar to your food processor and pulse for 20 seconds to combine. Then pour in the melted butter and continue pulsing.

Transfer the mixture to the previously prepared baking dish and use your hands to press it down in the pan.

Moving along to the strawberry mixture, place the strawberries, sugar, water and salt into a small saucepan and bring it to boil over medium heat, stirring continuously.

Reduce to medium low heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to help break down the strawberries as they cook. Then set the mixture aside to cool.

To make the cheesecake layer, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, white sugar and vanilla in a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer.

Once smooth, scoop it out onto the graham cracker crust and smooth it into an even layer with a silicone spatula.

Pour the strawberry mixture over the top and then use a butter knife to swirl it into the cream cheese.

Place the strawberry cheesecake bars into the oven and bake for 35 minutes.

Once baked, remove from the oven and allow them to cool for 15 minutes before transferring to the fridge. Allow the cheesecake bars to cool in the fridge for 1 hour, then slice and enjoy!

How to Store Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

FRIDGE: Transfer leftovers cheesecake bars to an airtight container or tightly cover the 8×8 baking dish tightly with plastic wrap. Store in fridge for 3-4 days.

FREEZER: You can freeze these easy strawberry cheesecake bars too! Place them into an airtight container or wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months.

How do you cut cheesecake bars neatly?

There are multiple different ways to cut cheesecake bars, so just choose your favorite. But for the most success, ensure that you have a sharp knife and the cheesecake bars are completely set and cooled.

Wipe your knife off in between cuts so that you can get clean cuts each time. It can also help to dip your knife in hot water before slicing through strawberry swirl cheesecake bars!

What can I use in place of graham cracker crumbs?

There are a few tasty options to use in place of graham crackers in a crust! The cookie part of golden Oreos is delicious, and vanilla wafers are also tasty. For a chocolatey twist, use regular Oreos!

I hope you love these tangy, creamy and wonderfully delicious strawberry swirl cheesecake bars! You should try my slutty cheesecake bars too.

More Cheesecake Recipes You’ll Love!

• This No Bake Cheesecake is another wonderful recipe to make if you don’t want to go through the process of baking this creamy dessert.
• S’mores Cheesecake brings together the creaminess of a cheesecake with the classic flavor of s’mores.
• No Bake Key Lime Cheesecake is one of our most favorite summer time desserts!
• Make a No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake around Christmas time as a fun and unique sweet treat.

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

 

4.75 from 4 votes

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Try this easy and delicious strawberry cheesecake bars recipe. With a buttery graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake filling, and fresh strawberry topping.

Prep:25 minutes mins

Cook:45 minutes mins

Chill Time:1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total:2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

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bars

Ingredients

Crust:

• ▢ 12 graham crackers
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
• ▢ ½ cup butter melted

Cheesecake Filling:

• ▢ 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• ▢ ¼ cup sour cream
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ ½ cup sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberry Topping:

• ▢ 2 cups strawberries quartered
• ▢ 1 Tablespoons sugar
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon water
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 8×8 inch baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.

Crust

• Add graham crackers and brown sugar to your food processor and pulse for 20 seconds. Then, add the melted butter in through the top and continue pulsing until combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and use your hands to press the crust down into the pan.

Strawberry Topping

• Add the strawberries, sugar, water and salt to a small saucepan and bring them to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously. Then, reduce heat to medium low heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, using a wooden spoon to help break down the strawberries; set aside to cool a bit.

Cheesecake

• For the cheesecake layer, Add the cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla to a large bowl and mix with a hand or stand mixer until smooth.
• Scoop the cheesecake mixture out onto the graham cracker crust and smooth it out with a spatula. Then, pour the strawberry mixture over the cream cheese mixture and spread out evenly. Once evenly spread out, take a butter knife and swirl the strawberry sauce into the cream cheese.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake the bars for 35 minutes. Remove them from the oven and wait 15 minutes before transferring them to the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow them to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!

Tips

FRIDGE: Transfer leftovers cheesecake bars to an airtight container or tightly cover the 8×8 baking dish tightly with plastic wrap. Store in fridge for 3-4 days.

FREEZER: You can freeze these easy strawberry cheesecake bars too! Place them into an airtight container or wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1bar, Calories: 252kcal (13%), Carbohydrates: 20g (7%), Protein: 3g (6%), Fat: 18g (28%), Saturated Fat: 10g (63%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 66mg (22%), Sodium: 250mg (11%), Potassium: 101mg (3%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 14g (16%), Vitamin A: 612IU (12%), Vitamin C: 11mg (13%), Calcium: 49mg (5%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.