These incredibly flavorful and easy raspberry cheesecake bars are comprised of a buttery graham cracker crust, smooth vanilla cheesecake filling, and a homemade raspberry preserve topping.
It’s really hard to top a good cheesecake, though perhaps a no fuss, no two hour bake time, in the oven and in your belly in just about an hour cheesecake would top that list! Now I have been creating quite the repertoire of cheesecakes on this site, but this is my first cheesecake bar recipe. Sometimes you need a finger food goodie that easy to grab and go, and this is just that. These raspberry cheesecake bars are delightfully filled with creamy vanilla cheesecake, topped with sweet + tart homemade raspberry preserves, and nestled inside a perfect graham cracker crust. This is a deceptively easy recipe that comes together in just about an hour, and will wow the cheesecake lovers in your life.
What you’ll need to make these raspberry cheesecake bars:
Raspberries
Granulated sugar
Cornstarch
Fresh lemon juice (or lemon extract)
Graham cracker crumbs
Salted butter
Cream cheese
Heavy cream
A large egg
Pure vanilla extract
The Crust
This Graham cracker crust is made of three ingredients: graham crackers, salted butter, and granulated sugar. Now I use these super handy Graham Cracker Crumbs, but you can make crumbs by crushing graham crackers in the food processor by blending until finely ground. You can also make the crumbs by using a large gallon ziplock bag and a roller. Place the graham crackers into the bag and seal it, removing as much air as possible. Roll the roller over the bag until the crumbs are crushed into finely ground crumbs.
The Filling
This creamy vanilla cheesecake filling is the same base filling that you’ll find in my Caramel Cheesecake Tart and my Lemon Curd Cheesecake Tart. It’s perfectly balanced with cream cheese, heavy cream, granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, and a large egg. It bakes up perfectly in any crust you choose, and might I also suggest the Oreo Crust (in this Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie recipe) if you’d like a spot of chocolate with your raspberry.
The Raspberry Preserves
This fresh fruit topping is made of four simply ingredient: raspberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. It cooks on the stovetop until just thickened, about 2-4 minutes depending on your heat output. The fruit mixture will begin to bubble, and you will lower the heat and allow it to simmer until thickened. It cools in the refrigerator (or the freezer if you need it cooled quicker!) and then is ready to spread on the room temperature cheesecake bars.
The Dietary Substitutes
I love providing gluten and dairy free substitutions so that those with alternate dietary needs can enjoy my recipes to their fullest! These are subs that I have either used and continue to stock in my own home, or that have come highly recommended from others. I want your baking experience to be the best it can be, and avoiding gluten or dairy shouldn’t hinder that process in the slightest.
As always, here is a list of tried and true dietary substitutes, so that you can enjoy this recipe without the additions of gluten or dairy,
Miyokos butter is a plant based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but it’s taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it as a 1:1 ratio sub, same as the flour, so the recipe measurements will not change.
Miyokos also makes a wonderful cream cheese that would be an excellent dairy free base in this recipe.
Silk Dairy Free Heavy Cream is a great option for the cheesecake base.
Pamela’s Honey Graham Crackers are gluten free and perfect for use in this crust if you want or need to avoid gluten.
As always, I appreciate every single one of you and your support of Heather’s Home Bakery! If you would be so kind as to leave a review on the recipes that you like, it would help others find my site and enjoy my creations as well! YOU ARE SO APPRECIATED, every single one of you!
XO,
Heather
Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
- FOR THE PRESERVES:
- 1 Cup Raspberries
- ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- FOR THE CRUST:
- 1 ½ Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- ¾ Cup Salted Butter
- FOR THE FILLING:
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened
- ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar
- ⅓ Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- To make the preserves: In a medium size sauce down over medium to high heat, add all of the ingredients for the blackberry preserves. Using a potato masher, mash the fruit until small chunks remain. Ensure that you are gently storing the entire time, to prevent burning. Preserves will thicken at about 3 to 5 minutes, at which time you will remove them from the stove and place them in a bowl to chill in the refrigerator.
- To make the crust: Place graham crackers shells in a food processor and blend until fine crumbs remain. Alternatively, if you do not have a food processor, a rolling pin and a heavy duty freezer ziplock back will do just fine! Seal bag with as much air removed as possible, and roll out until cookies are fine crumbs. You can also buy graham cracker crumbs and this is a nice little time saver.
- Melt butter in a small microwave safe bowl, about 30 seconds. Be careful as butter might be hot and you do not want any splatter to burn you.Combine crumbs, butter, and sugar in a bowl until a course sand-like mixture occurs. Press firmly into your parchment lined baking pan. Use a measuring cup to ensure sides and bottom of tart crust is as firmly packed as possible. Set aside.
- To make the filling: Place cream cheese in a bowl and blend {by hand or with a mixer} until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add remainder of ingredients, and mix until smooth and no lumps remain, about a minute. Pour mixture into prepared crust Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden and tart looks mostly set. It will be slightly jiggly in the center, but will firm up as it cools.
- Allow to cool for 20 minutes on the counter or in the refrigerator. Pour the raspberry preserves over the cheesecake and gently spoon the mixture evenly over the top. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. Enjoy!
Priscilla says
Haven’t tried this yet but my husband loves red raspberries, looks delicious. Thank you for fresh ingredient recipes
Heather Templeton says
Thank you Pricilla!