The absolute best classic Cheesecake Bars you'll ever eat! This recipe features an easy, buttery graham cracker crust with an ultra creamy and slightly tangy cheesecake filling. Top with chocolate ganache or salted caramel to take this dessert to a whole other level!
Yield:
18 bars
Prep Time:25minutes
Cook:55minutes
Tessa's Recipe Rundown...
Taste: Sweet yet tangy and rich! Texture: Each bite has the perfect contrast of the buttery crunchy crust with the luscious creamy filling. Ease: Much easier than a full-sized cheesecake! Pros: Quick, easy, and perfect for entertaining. These also travel easily, for a great potluck dessert. Cons: Absolutely none. Would I make this again? I make these all the time!
Thick and creamy cream cheese filling with the perfect amount of tang. Buttery, crunchy graham cracker crust. Toppings of your choosing.
As much as I love a big, impressive full-sized cheesecake, they are a pain to bake! You’re fighting cracks and sinking if you don’t take the steps to set up a water bath. Plus, it takes some experience to know when a full-size cheesecake is actually done baking.
They take a while to bake and even longer to cool down and chill before you even get a bite of cheesecake.
Delayed gratification like that is sometimes just too much to bear. This is where cheesecake BARS come onto the scene!
They’re faster and easier to prep, bake, and chill. They’re easier to slice and serve so they make the perfect treat for a potluck, party, or event. And because they’re so simple, you can get creative with fun topping ideas!
How to Make Classic Cheesecake Bars
How do I Make a Cheesecake Crust That Won’t Crumble?
Use a food processor to finely grind your graham crackers for best results.
Once combined, press the crust ingredients into the pan very firmly.
I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass, to ensure the crust is well-pressed into the pan.
What Can I Use Instead of Graham Crackers?
You can use the same amount by weight of digestive biscuits, vanilla wafers, Biscoff cookies, or any crunchy cookie you’d like! Please note that Biscoff cookies are a little richer than graham crackers (which are drier), so add just enough butter until it holds together when pressed.
What Kind of Cream Cheese Should I Use for Cheesecake Bars?
Be sure to use blocks of full-fat, high-quality cream cheese.
Do not use reduced fat or your cheesecake bars may be watery, rubbery, or otherwise lackluster.
Definitely don’t use whipped cream cheese or cream cheese for spreading on a bagel.
Opt for the best brand you can find as some generic brands have too much water content!
How to get Smooth and Creamy Cheesecake Bars
Be sure your cream cheese is COMPLETELY softened to room temperature.
Beat it very well with the sugar.
Once you add eggs, only beat until combined to prevent sinking or cracking (though the risk of that happening is far smaller with bars!).
Also, be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl as well as your mixer attachment often to prevent lumps.
How to Cut Cheesecake Bars for Clean Slices
Use the parchment overhang to lift the entire tray of cheesecake up and out of the pan and onto a cutting board.
A big sharp knife is the best tool
For ultraclean slices, run the knife under hot water and wipe off between cuts.
Cheesecake Bar Topping Ideas
Get creative here! You can serve the bars plain, but they’re so much more fun with toppings!
These bars can be made and refrigerated 2 days ahead of time or frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a couple of hours before serving.
The absolute best classic Cheesecake Bars you'll ever eat! This recipe features an easy, buttery graham cracker crust with an ultra creamy and slightly tangy cheesecake filling. Top with chocolate ganache or salted caramel to take this dessert to a whole other level!
Ingredients
For the crust:
18(270 grams) graham crackers
12tablespoons(170 grams) unsalted butter,melted and slightly cooled
For the filling:
32ouncescream cheese,completely softened to room temperature
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang.
In a food processor, pulse the crackers until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan using the bottom of a measuring cup or glass. Bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes (longer if using a glass dish). Place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Make the filling:
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, for at least 1 minute. Add the sour cream, then the eggs one at a time, blending after each addition until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in vanilla, lemon juice, and salt, and blend until just combined. Don’t over-mix.
Spread batter evenly over cooled crust. Tap against the counter a few times to release air bubbles. Bake at 325°F until just set in center and edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 40 to 45 minutes (longer if using a glass dish). Transfer to rack to let cool completely.
Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight before slicing into squares.
The cheesecake can be made and refrigerated 2 days ahead of time or frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)
About Tessa...
I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)
I was going to make Limoncello cheesecake square and saw this recipe. It is somewhat similar but 1/2 the size (16 oz cream cheese). It already has fresh lemon juice like your but an additional 1/2 cup of Limoncello. That sounds like it would make a big difference if added to your recipe. How much would you suggest? Or how can I incorporate Limoncello into your recipe.
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— November 22, 2023 at 8:44 am
Hi Gena! We haven’t tried that, but yes, adding 1/2 a cup of liquid would make a big change to the texture of any recipe. Feel free to experiment as you like, but to play it safe, I would recommend adding only a tablespoon or two at most, and add a limoncello-spiked lemon curd to the tops of the bars before serving. Let us know how it goes!
Do you know if these can be made without the crust? I’m looking for a cheesecake layer for between two chocolate cakes, but wondering if this would stick to the pan?
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— September 22, 2023 at 6:56 am
Hi Sarah! We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure – but you could certainly give it a try. Line your pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang so you can easily lift the cheesecake out. If you make sure your pan is fully lined with parchment/foil, you shouldn’t have to worry about it sticking to the pan. Run a knife or thin spatula around the edges of the cheesecake, where it meets the foil/parchment, once it’s out of the oven, to prevent cracks and make for easier removal from the foil/parchment. Alternatively, a no-bake cheesecake filling might be easier for filling a cake – it just depends what flavor you’d want. Check out Tessa’s No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake or No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars or No Bake Mini Key Lime Cheesecakes. There are lots more no-bake cheesecake recipes on our site, too! I hope this helps! Happy baking 🙂
I’ve never made cheesecake before. I made these especially for my son in law. He loved them. Theses are better than original cheesecake Easy to make and DELICIOUS
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— July 19, 2022 at 9:44 am
Hi Beverley! You can use the same grams measurement listed in the recipe – 270 grams of graham crackers or the same of graham cracker crumbs 🙂 Happy baking!
This cheesecake is amazing! Delicious. Easy to make. I brought it to a party and everyone loved it. I was careful to follow directions. Room temperature ingredients. Didn’t over mix. Pressed graham cracker mixture onto parchment paper in dish. The instructions say to bake crust until it’s fragrant- which was a great instruction. At 10 minutes it had no fragrance, but at 12 minutes it smelled wonderful! I was careful to press the graham cracker mixture firmly and evenly and it came out perfect. I used a glass dish and cooked the cheesecake for an extra 10 minutes. I made it about a week before I needed it, so I refrigerated it over night, then I froze it. I took it out the morning I was going to serve it and I cut it while frozen, which made perfect squares. Everyone asked for the recipe!
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— July 11, 2022 at 9:20 am
Hi Ellen! Such great feedback! I’m so excited you and your friends enjoyed these bars so much, and I’m glad Tessa’s instructions were so helpful! Thanks for the comment 🙂
I haven’t cut into this baby yet but I needed maybe 8 additional minutes past the 45. So much goodness! But I went by your instructions for slightly cracked outside and slightly loose inside so I think we’ve got a winner! I have a few bubbles. Maybe over mixing. Nothing a few cherries can’t take care of. No sinking or surface cracks!
Rather than trying to substitute for the eggs, look for an egg-less recipe; there are plenty online, and I’m sure you can find one that you like. Typically, cornstarch and/sweetened condensed milk is used to help the cheesecake set. Eggs do a lot of different things in different recipes, so finding an appropriate substitute is often a lot harder than finding a recipe that’s already been formulated and tested without using eggs.
So simple, yet absolutely delicous! The cheesecake is pure perfection. I will not be using any other recipe if I want to make cheesecake again because this is just bomb!
I’ve been trying out different cheesecake bar recipes lately & this one was so far above the rest. Seriously so delicious. It was a complete hit with the family.
I’ve made these three times so far, so it’s safe to say this is now my go-to recipe for cheesecake bars! Really easy to make and they turn out delicious every time. I prefer these to regular cheesecake, as they’re easier to store and look super cute!
Some alterations I’ve tried:
Yogurt instead of sour cream, which still turned out perfect.
Half this recipe in an 8×8 pan, which is great for smaller parties.
Mixing everything by hand instead of using a mixer (just make sure to let everything come to room temperature so it comes together smoothly, and also mix the cream cheese well with the sugar so it’s completely smooth before adding the other ingredients)
Wow, thanks for all your feedback! I know your response will help many other readers who ask those questions, so we appreciate it! So happy to hear how much you love this recipe, thanks so much for taking the time to comment 🙂
My 16-yo son made these as his first “solo bake” after baking with me for mos. It was for his dads bday, who is a HUGE cheesecake fan, He deemed it, not only GREAT, but the best cheesecake he’s had, “better than Cheesecake Factory!”
Hi Christine! We prefer a metal baking pan, though a glass pan will also work. You’ll just need to bake the crust as well as the filling longer. Let us know how it goes!
I’m dying to make this in a couple days. However, I live in a country where I can’t find blocks of cream cheese, only the spreadable ones. Do you think it will be okay? Should I modify anything like the liquids, or add anything?
Hi Jeanny! Please make sure to use full-fat, high-quality cream cheese. The spreadable type of cream cheese shouldn’t be used as it’s normally processed differently and is too aerated. I hope you can find something that will work well, I wish I could help more!
Oh no! How did it go, Liz? We definitely recommend using the parchment overhang to easily lift the entire tray of cheesecake up and out of the pan all at once, though you should have been able to at least slice in the pan and remove individually.
Hi Lis, the lemon’s acidity actually balances out the fatty and “cheesy” taste of the cream cheese, which results in the delicious thick and creamy texture you want in cheesecake. As lemon juice is an acidic ingredient, it helps hold the ingredients together to give you the thickness in a cheesecake that you want. I personally couldn’t taste the lemon juice at all, though I do love lemon! I felt that the lemon juice just enhanced the tanginess of the cheesecake. You are welcome to experiment with another acidic ingredient, but just know we haven’t tested them. I hope that helps!
Hi Tessa! I love your recipes and I am very grateful for the baking wisdom that you share with all
I have made this recipe but I placed it in cupcakes shape. This was my first time ever making homemade cheesecake and I think I might have over mixed it since it began to crack on top. I figured the baking time might have to be reduced but I’m still working on it. I did place them in cupcake wax papers and I’m also worried I made a big mess and mistake!!!
Do you have any advice for making cheesecake cupcakes in the future?
Hi Brenda! We haven’t tried making this recipe in a muffin tin, but you will definitely need to reduce the time. Cracked cheesecake primarily happens due to overmixing, opening the oven door too much, but also overbaking. I would suggest trying one of our mini cheesecake recipes next so you can get a feel for the timing, then experiment with other recipes on your own after 🙂 Search “mini cheesecake” on our site for a few recipes, including our Chocolate Strawberry Mini Cheesecakes and our Mini Turtle Cheesecakes. Included in the tips above each recipe is our favorite mini cheesecake pan, though using paper or foil liners in a standard muffin tin will work just fine 🙂 Hope that helps!
As a trained chef and cookbook author, I share trusted baking recipes your friends & family will love alongside insights into the science of sweets. I help take the luck out of baking so you *always* have delicious results! Learn more here.
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I was going to make Limoncello cheesecake square and saw this recipe. It is somewhat similar but 1/2 the size (16 oz cream cheese). It already has fresh lemon juice like your but an additional 1/2 cup of Limoncello. That sounds like it would make a big difference if added to your recipe. How much would you suggest? Or how can I incorporate Limoncello into your recipe.
Hi Gena! We haven’t tried that, but yes, adding 1/2 a cup of liquid would make a big change to the texture of any recipe. Feel free to experiment as you like, but to play it safe, I would recommend adding only a tablespoon or two at most, and add a limoncello-spiked lemon curd to the tops of the bars before serving. Let us know how it goes!
BEST MY SON IN LAW HAS EVER TASTED HE SAID
Do you know if these can be made without the crust? I’m looking for a cheesecake layer for between two chocolate cakes, but wondering if this would stick to the pan?
Hi Sarah! We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure – but you could certainly give it a try. Line your pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang so you can easily lift the cheesecake out. If you make sure your pan is fully lined with parchment/foil, you shouldn’t have to worry about it sticking to the pan. Run a knife or thin spatula around the edges of the cheesecake, where it meets the foil/parchment, once it’s out of the oven, to prevent cracks and make for easier removal from the foil/parchment. Alternatively, a no-bake cheesecake filling might be easier for filling a cake – it just depends what flavor you’d want. Check out Tessa’s No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake or No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars or No Bake Mini Key Lime Cheesecakes. There are lots more no-bake cheesecake recipes on our site, too! I hope this helps! Happy baking 🙂
I’ve never made cheesecake before. I made these especially for my son in law. He loved them. Theses are better than original cheesecake Easy to make and DELICIOUS
The cheesecake bars were fabulous! Everyone loved them. I’d love to know how to adjust to make as mini cheesecakes instead.
100% Everyone was asking for the recipe the day after Christmas Eve dinner! I say it was more than a hit!
There are literally no words for this recipe. Could not be more perfect.
absolutely delicious! Chopped up snickers bar to put on top, rave reviews from the company.
If I want to use boxed, pre-crushed graham crackers how many cups and grams should I use?
Hi Beverley! You can use the same grams measurement listed in the recipe – 270 grams of graham crackers or the same of graham cracker crumbs 🙂 Happy baking!
This cheesecake is amazing! Delicious. Easy to make. I brought it to a party and everyone loved it. I was careful to follow directions. Room temperature ingredients. Didn’t over mix. Pressed graham cracker mixture onto parchment paper in dish. The instructions say to bake crust until it’s fragrant- which was a great instruction. At 10 minutes it had no fragrance, but at 12 minutes it smelled wonderful! I was careful to press the graham cracker mixture firmly and evenly and it came out perfect. I used a glass dish and cooked the cheesecake for an extra 10 minutes. I made it about a week before I needed it, so I refrigerated it over night, then I froze it. I took it out the morning I was going to serve it and I cut it while frozen, which made perfect squares. Everyone asked for the recipe!
Hi Ellen! Such great feedback! I’m so excited you and your friends enjoyed these bars so much, and I’m glad Tessa’s instructions were so helpful! Thanks for the comment 🙂
I have made this recipe several times and it always turns out great! It’s a new family favorite.
So happy to hear that! Thanks for letting us know! 🙂
I haven’t cut into this baby yet but I needed maybe 8 additional minutes past the 45. So much goodness! But I went by your instructions for slightly cracked outside and slightly loose inside so I think we’ve got a winner! I have a few bubbles. Maybe over mixing. Nothing a few cherries can’t take care of. No sinking or surface cracks!
Yay! So happy to hear that 🙂 Can’t wait for you to enjoy, they’re a favorite of mine for sure!
These look lovely! What can be substituted for eggs to make an eggless version?
Hi Max! We don’t bake egg-free recipes, so I can’t say for sure!
Rather than trying to substitute for the eggs, look for an egg-less recipe; there are plenty online, and I’m sure you can find one that you like. Typically, cornstarch and/sweetened condensed milk is used to help the cheesecake set. Eggs do a lot of different things in different recipes, so finding an appropriate substitute is often a lot harder than finding a recipe that’s already been formulated and tested without using eggs.
So simple, yet absolutely delicous! The cheesecake is pure perfection. I will not be using any other recipe if I want to make cheesecake again because this is just bomb!
So happy you enjoyed them!
I’ve been trying out different cheesecake bar recipes lately & this one was so far above the rest. Seriously so delicious. It was a complete hit with the family.
So happy everyone enjoyed them! Thanks for the comment!
I’ve made these three times so far, so it’s safe to say this is now my go-to recipe for cheesecake bars! Really easy to make and they turn out delicious every time. I prefer these to regular cheesecake, as they’re easier to store and look super cute!
Some alterations I’ve tried:
Yogurt instead of sour cream, which still turned out perfect.
Half this recipe in an 8×8 pan, which is great for smaller parties.
Mixing everything by hand instead of using a mixer (just make sure to let everything come to room temperature so it comes together smoothly, and also mix the cream cheese well with the sugar so it’s completely smooth before adding the other ingredients)
Wow, thanks for all your feedback! I know your response will help many other readers who ask those questions, so we appreciate it! So happy to hear how much you love this recipe, thanks so much for taking the time to comment 🙂
when should i add the ganache topping ? do i have to wait the 6 hours or just until it’s cold ?!
Hi Sara! We recommend waiting at least 6 hours before topping so the cheesecake has time to cool and set. Enjoy your bars!
Has anyone made this recipe using less sugar?
My 16-yo son made these as his first “solo bake” after baking with me for mos. It was for his dads bday, who is a HUGE cheesecake fan, He deemed it, not only GREAT, but the best cheesecake he’s had, “better than Cheesecake Factory!”
Clearly, it was a huge hit!!
Wow! This is a huge compliment! Thanks so much for the kind words – so glad these cheesecake bars were a hit.
If I were to top this with apple crisp or streusel, would you recommend it bake it with the cheesecake?
Yes, I’d recommend baking with the cheesecake bars! Let us know how that turns out – that sounds delicious!
These were a HIT at my BFF’s birthday party last weekend! Absolutely delicious!!!
So happy to hear that!
Hi! The recipe says to use a 9×13 baking pan, is that a metal baking pan or does glass work as well?
Hi Christine! We prefer a metal baking pan, though a glass pan will also work. You’ll just need to bake the crust as well as the filling longer. Let us know how it goes!
I’m dying to make this in a couple days. However, I live in a country where I can’t find blocks of cream cheese, only the spreadable ones. Do you think it will be okay? Should I modify anything like the liquids, or add anything?
Hi Jeanny! Please make sure to use full-fat, high-quality cream cheese. The spreadable type of cream cheese shouldn’t be used as it’s normally processed differently and is too aerated. I hope you can find something that will work well, I wish I could help more!
I just put these in the oven and realized that I didn’t put parchment down inside. Will I ever be able to get them out?
Oh no! How did it go, Liz? We definitely recommend using the parchment overhang to easily lift the entire tray of cheesecake up and out of the pan all at once, though you should have been able to at least slice in the pan and remove individually.
Can I omit the lemon? I like simple plain cheesecake and worried you’ll be able to taste the lemon..? Thanks!
Hi Lis, the lemon’s acidity actually balances out the fatty and “cheesy” taste of the cream cheese, which results in the delicious thick and creamy texture you want in cheesecake. As lemon juice is an acidic ingredient, it helps hold the ingredients together to give you the thickness in a cheesecake that you want. I personally couldn’t taste the lemon juice at all, though I do love lemon! I felt that the lemon juice just enhanced the tanginess of the cheesecake. You are welcome to experiment with another acidic ingredient, but just know we haven’t tested them. I hope that helps!
Hi Tessa! I love your recipes and I am very grateful for the baking wisdom that you share with all
I have made this recipe but I placed it in cupcakes shape. This was my first time ever making homemade cheesecake and I think I might have over mixed it since it began to crack on top. I figured the baking time might have to be reduced but I’m still working on it. I did place them in cupcake wax papers and I’m also worried I made a big mess and mistake!!!
Do you have any advice for making cheesecake cupcakes in the future?
Hi Brenda! We haven’t tried making this recipe in a muffin tin, but you will definitely need to reduce the time. Cracked cheesecake primarily happens due to overmixing, opening the oven door too much, but also overbaking. I would suggest trying one of our mini cheesecake recipes next so you can get a feel for the timing, then experiment with other recipes on your own after 🙂 Search “mini cheesecake” on our site for a few recipes, including our Chocolate Strawberry Mini Cheesecakes and our Mini Turtle Cheesecakes. Included in the tips above each recipe is our favorite mini cheesecake pan, though using paper or foil liners in a standard muffin tin will work just fine 🙂 Hope that helps!
The feedback I got was it’s PERFECT 🙂
Best feedback you can get! So glad to hear that, Desiree!
Fantastiche e dolcissime, anche se ho cambiato qualche ingrediente, per mancanza di reperibilità
So happy to hear that, Marco! What ingredients did you have to substitute?
Can this recipe be halved and baked in a 8×8 inch pan?
Hi Chandra! That should work fine 🙂 Please let us know what you think!