Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
I make oodles of strawberry desserts in the spring and summer and these Strawberry Cheesecake Bars sure hit the spot!
The trio of a shortbread crust, cheesecake filling, and luscious, ripe sliced strawberry topping makes these Cheesecake Bars a spectacular dessert!
Why You Must Make
- With a substantial sugar cookie-like crust, a thin cheesecake filling, and juicy, sliced strawberry topping, it’s hard to put these strawberry cheesecake bars into one solitary category. Are they cookie bars? Cookies? Cheesecake? I’m not going to make that determination, but instead, let you know they’re just plain delicious.
- They’re the perfect way to celebrate strawberry season as the focus is equally divided between the ripe, sweet strawberry slices and the cheesecake layer.
- This Cheesecake Bars Recipe is a terrific way to get your cheesecake fix without a thick wedge of a traditional cheesecake!
Ingredient Notes
- Kitchen Staples – Brown Sugar, Flour, Sugar
- Cream Cheese – At room temperature for a smooth cheesecake layer.
- Sour Cream – At room temperature for easy incorporation.
- Egg – Also have it at room temperature.
- Lemon Juice – Use fresh for the tastiest results.
- Vanilla Bean Paste (or extract) – Vanilla bean paste has specks of vanilla seeds. You can always substitute an equal amount of vanilla extract. I use the Nielsen-Massey brand for both of these products.
- Sliced Strawberries – Look for red berries with a nice sheen and fresh-looking leaves. If they have green or white areas at the stem end, they were most likely harvested too early and won’t be as flavorful. You’ll need about 8-12 strawberries, depending on their size. Toss slices in a bit of sugar if they aren’t sweet enough.
- Currant Jelly – I use the Tiptree/Wilkins & Son LTD brand. It can be hard to find so any clear red jelly can be used to glaze the berries.
Tips for Making These Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Like all cheesecakes, there are a few tips for making these bars that will help you have the best results!
- Line your pan with non-stick foil. Besides helping you remove the bars without sticking, the foil makes for easy cleanup of your pan!
- Have all your refrigerated ingredients at room temperature for the cheesecake topping. Cream cheese, especially, does not blend smoothly when it’s cold.
- Make these bars when you can find beautiful red, fragrant berries. The presentation will be much better!
- I like to glaze berries with currant jelly. If you cannot find currant jelly, look for another red jelly, like raspberry.
A Virtual Baby Shower
My lovely blogger friend, Courtney, of NeighborFood, is expecting her first baby, a sweet BOY, next month. I’m so thrilled for you, Courtney, and cannot wait till you have that precious baby in your arms. I’m delighted to be celebrating this joyful occasion by baking you a special treat.
Frequently Asked Questions
All three of these ingredients will mix more smoothly into a batter when not cold from the refrigerator. This will result in a creamier cheesecake layer.
Yes, you can use any of your favorite berries. Just swap out the jelly flavor to coordinate with the berry flavor using raspberry jelly if topping the bars with raspberries.
Since this recipe serves 16, it’s easy to do. First, cut the dessert in half from right to left. Next, cut it in half from top to bottom. You will have 4 equal-sized squares. Repeat by cutting each of the small squares into 4 squares, from left to right, then top to bottom. Make sure to wipe your knife clean after each cut. This will help make cleaner, more precise cuts.
More Scrumptious Baby Shower Dishes
So when I was invited to cook up something for Courtney’s virtual baby shower, I thought these cookie bars would be perfect for the mom-to-be! And check out what other delights are being served today:
- Twix Millionaire Bars from Wallflour Girl
- Strawberry Cheesecake Bars from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Spicy Tahini Palmiers from Food Lust People Love
- Button Cookies from The Redhead Baker
- No Churn Peanut Butter Ice Cream A Cookie Named Desire
- Mocha Coconut Frappuccino Pie from Melanie Makes
- Watermelon Lime Mocktails from The Live-In Kitchen
- Vegan Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread from Namely Marly
- Mango Pineapple Agua Fresca from Pineapple and Coconut
I want an invite to this party!! Doesn’t each dish sound spectacular??? Just click on the links to visit the other tasty recipes. And stop by Courtney’s blog to say hello to the mom-to-be.
More Tasty Berry Desserts
- Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake from Life Currents
- Vanilla Panna Cotta with Strawberry Gelee
- Strawberry Filled Meringue Roulade
- Berry Tiramisu
- Mixed Berry Cobbler
- More of the Best Dessert Recipes
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Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
A cookie bar with both a cheesecake and fresh strawberry layer.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla paste (or extract)
- Sliced strawberries (8-12 depending on size. Toss slices in a bit of sugar if they aren't sweet enough)
- Currant jelly (or any red jelly), to glaze, optional
Instructions
- Heat over to 350º.
- In a medium bowl blend thoroughly butter, brown sugar, and flour with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Press the mixture into an 8x8-inch baking dish lined with nonstick foil; bake for 15 minutes.
- In another bowl combine sugar and cream cheese, mixing until smooth. Thoroughly beat in egg, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Spread over the baked crust.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Let cool, then chill for at least 1 hour.
- Gently warm about a tablespoon of currant jelly and whisk to liquefy. Brush berries with jelly. Cut and serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 166Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 80mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g
25 Comments on “Strawberry Cheesecake Bars”
I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite of your desserts, but this is right at the top of the list! They are just so delicious and much easier than a traditional cheesecake. Delish!
Love the fresh strawberries you used and can’t wait for spring after seeing this!
A beautiful recipe, Liz… love the addition of sour cream! xxx
Lizzy,
So elegant. Perfect for any party. Congrats to Courtney on her first baby.
Annamaria
Just plain delicious is good enough for me! Love the shimmer of the glaze on these beauties.
Light and lovely dessert! I love anything with strawberries. 🙂
These are so lovely, Liz, like everything you bake, a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth!
Perfect dessert for a precious baby boy and his mommy <3 The shortbread crust sounds divine! Well the whole cheesecake looks heavenly!
The only category these are in is the delicious category! And they’re so pretty with the strawberries!
This is a sweet looking dessert and a great way to use fresh summer strawberries. I love every single layer of it!
i love cheesecake and strawberries so I’m sure I’d love this. I especially like that they’re in bar form so it makes them finger food.
What a gorgeous – and delicious sounding! – dessert. Perfect for a shower!
The directions say to add the milk. WHAT milk? It’s not on the list of ingredients.
So sorry, it should “sour cream,” not milk. I missed that when proofreading. Thanks for catching my error. If you don’t have sour cream on hand, 2 T milk can be substituted.
I love anything with strawberries, and anything with cheesecake! So the perfect combination!
Your cheesecake is so pretty, Liz! It’s the perfect thing to bring to a shower! Thank you so much for participating. I know what a busy summer you’ve had. I wish this was a real party and I could’ve chowed down on this delicious dessert 🙂
You guys are just the best! This was such a lovely, wonderful surprise. I only wish I could be enjoying these bars with you in person. How did you know I LOVE strawberry cheesecake??
Love cheesecake! All by itself it’s great, but even better when combined with fruit. Strawberries are the best, IMO. This is perfect! Thanks so much.
Those plump and juicy looking strawberries make a lively cheesecake! Mouthwatering!!
Julie & Alesah
Gourmet Getaways xx
Love strawberries, and we’ve been getting some really good ones this year. And who doesn’t like cheesecake? Love the combo of the two — this looks wonderful. Thanks!
I’m a huge fan of cheesecake and yours looks picture perfect. I’m sure Courtney would love this – too bad it’s a virtual party. At least now she’ll have lots of great recipes to share with all those that come by to see her beautiful little boy.
This is so cute! I love the layer of sliced strawberries on top. Perfect for the summer!
Cheesecake and strawberries! Beautiful and delicious!
This is really beautiful and summery! I would love a slice for my afternoon snack.
Very pretty! I like the thinner layer of cheesecake, wish I had one or two for breakfast:@)