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!
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Meet your new favorite cheesecake bars recipe!
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!
- Chocolate ganache (use 1:1 ratio)
- Salted caramel
- Butterscotch sauce
- Prepared dulce de leche
- Fruit preserves
- Whipped cream
- Fresh fruit
How to Store Cheesecake Bars
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.
More Cheesecake Bar Recipes You’ll Love:
- Nutella Cheesecake Bars
- Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars
- No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
- Bailey’s Cheesecake Bars
- Brownie Bottom Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 18 (270 grams) graham crackers
- 12 tablespoons (170 grams) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
For the filling:
- 32 ounces cream cheese, completely softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (114 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Topping options:
Chocolate ganache (use 1:1 ratio) Salted caramel sauce Butterscotch sauce - Fruit preserves
- Whipped cream
- Fresh fruit
Instructions
Make the crust:
- 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.
Delicious! I will make again and again! I topped with cherry pie filling and whipped topping, which is the family favorite. Everyone loved it.
these are so yummy and feed a crowd. We don’t even make a crest anymore. We just lay graham cracker planks in the bottom of our pan and nobody seems to even notice. Makes it go a lot faster.
These are PERFECT!!! No toppings needed! Naked and DELICIOUS! Everyone raved about them! Follow the instructions and you’ll have a perfectly perfect tray of cheesecake bars to die for!!!
These cheesecake bars are the quickest way to make a fancy looking dessert with zero fuss. This recipe doesn’t require a water bath and you don’t have to worry about sinking! Pictured is my plain square, but my favorite thing about this recipe besides the ease is how versatile it is with different toppings, even from the same pan!
That’s one perfect-looking cheesecake bar, Kate! So glad you enjoy this recipe 🙂
I made this for a birthday celebration. It was a hit and the best cheesecake I’ve ever made. So thankful I came across this recipe!
This recipe is always a hit!
Wondering… could I cut the recipe in half and use a 8×8 pan?
Hi Rashida! Yes, feel free to cut the recipe in half and bake in an 8×8-inch pan. You may need to bake for a little less time, but we haven’t tested this ourselves, so I can’t say exactly how long to bake. Let us know how it goes 🙂
My new go to cheesecake recipe!!! Easy to make and a real crowd pleaser. My father in law said they were the best he has ever had.
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 🙂