Making these luscious Berry Topped Cheesecake Bars is less daunting than a full blown cheesecake, and just as delicious!! These homemade cheesecake bars are phenomenal!

Berry Topped Cheesecake Bars sliced and served on white plates with berries

Berry Topped Cheesecake Bars

Each month, I get giddy when perusing the sugar-laden recipes on Hugs & Cookies XOXO. It’s always difficult to select just one to share with you all. With only 3 of us occupying the house right now, cheesecake is always a safe bet.

So when I spied Danielle’s blackberry version, and my mouth started to water, I knew I’d found a winner. I combined both blackberries and raspberries for my topping and, voila, Berry Topped Cheesecake Bars were born.

BBerry Topped Cheesecake Bars served on square white plates next to a bowl of berries

Tips for Making Cheesecake Bars:

These tips work for both cheesecakes and cheesecake bars. A few key points will help make your cheesecake desserts deliciously creamy every time!

  • PRO-Tip: Start with room temperature eggs and cream cheese. They will incorporate better if they’re not cold from refrigeration.
  • Use your paddle attachment when mixing to avoid getting excess air into the batter. You want your cheesecake to be dense, not light and fluffy. If you use a hand mixer, be careful not to overmix.
  • Line your baking pan with non-stick foil. This allows you to lift and remove the bars to a cutting board to slice. It also makes for easy cleanup.
  • Use an offset spatula for spreading out the cheesecake batter. This helps make for a level layer.
  • To slice, I like using a hot, dry knife, wiping it clean after each cut.
  • Another option is to freeze the bars first to make cleaner cuts. Just defrost cut bars before serving.

Rave Reviews for These Berry Topped Cheesecake Bars

Many of you know that the picky hubby is a chocoholic at heart. But these cheesecake bars drew an extra round of praise. I’m always hounding him for a quote for the blog, usually not very subtly. But with these, I received unprompted praise.

He loved these babies as did I. I parceled some up for my sweet neighbor and her husband (a true cheesecake connoisseur) and they confirmed our stellar reviews. These are terrific bars! Feel free to use only blackberries or only raspberries in the topping. Any way you shake it, you’ll love these berry topped cheesecake bars. Thanks, Danielle!!!

More Cheesecake Inspired Recipes You’ll Love:

Berry Topped Cheesecake Bars sliced and served on white plates with berries

Berry Topped Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield 9 servings

A lovely cheesecake bar topped with berries!

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 5 1/2 ounces vanilla wafers (half an 11-ounce box)
  • 1/4 cup pecans
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla

Filling:

  • 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sour cream

Topping::

  • 2 cups fresh berries (I used raspberries and blackberries)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350º.
  2. For the crust: Line a 8-by-8-inch rectangular baking pan with nonstick foil.
  3. In your food processor, pulse the vanilla wafers and pecans into crumbs. Add the melted butter and vanilla and pulse again until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan.
  4. For the filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar in an electric mixer bowl until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream and mix again.
  5. Pour the filling onto the crust, smooth the top and bake for 50 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the oven door and allow the pan to sit in the open oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
  6. For the topping: Add the berries, sugar and 2 tablespoons water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the juices thicken slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.
  7. In a small bowl, make a slurry by stirring together the cornstarch and a tablespoon of water until smooth. Add the slurry to the berries, return to the boil and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and cool the mixture.
  8. Pour the berries over the cheesecake and place the pan into the fridge to cool and set for at least 2 hours.
  9. When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the pan by lifting the edges of the foil and slice.

Notes

Bring the cream cheese and eggs out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you plan to start mixing. This will help them incorporated more easily into the batter.

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman via Hugs & Cookies XOXO

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

9

Serving Size:

1 bar

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 432Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 247mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 2gSugar: 37gProtein: 5g

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

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Skinny Tip

I’m starting a new series of Skinny Tips. How I keep slim is one of my most frequent inquiries. I’ll feature tips on some of my upcoming blog posts.

Tip #12: Eat nutrient-dense food part 2. Don’t waste your calories on soda, white bread or dare I say, too many sweets. Most foods in this category will be high in fiber as well and will help fill you up.