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Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Buttery graham cracker crust, with tart, sweet, refreshing lemon and raspberry flavors.
Texture: The crust is crisp while the cheesecake is creamy and luscious. Texture heaven!
Ease: So much quicker & easier than a traditional full cheesecake.
Why you’ll love this recipe: It’s absolutely beautiful but totally achievable in any kitchen, promise.
Raspberry Lemonade Cheesecake Bars are the edible embodiment of a summer day.
The buttery, crisp graham cracker crust is the perfect base for the bright, creamy lemon cheesecake that’s swirled with homemade sweet, tart raspberry puree.
These bars are as beautiful as they are delicious! In fact, I even made this photo my new phone background for the summer season:
I made this for Father’s Day and it was a hit all around. No water bath needed and it came out silky smooth. I also love the raspberry swirl look. It literally looks like something out an art book.
I have included lots of tips and tricks to ensure perfect cheesecake bars below, so you’ll be sure to nail this recipe.
Perfect for spring or summertime gatherings, these Raspberry Lemonade Cheesecake Bars will be the prettiest dessert on any table. I promise you’ll want to make these for every summer BBQ, potluck, and block party.
Sprinkle of Science
- Use blocks of full-fat, high-quality cream cheese.
- Do not use reduced-fat cream cheese, or your cheesecake bars may be watery or rubbery.
- Opt for the best brand possible, as some generic brands have a high water content.
- Don’t use whipped cream cheese or cream cheese meant for spreading on a bagel.
Use a light-colored 8 by 8-inch metal baking pan for these cheesecake bars, lined with parchment paper or foil, for best results. This is my favorite pan for any bar dessert recipe. If you only have a glass or ceramic pan, your cheesecake bars will likely take longer to bake.
Learn more about Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans here.
Tessa’s Tips for Smooth Cheesecake
- Be sure your cream cheese is COMPLETELY softened to room temperature.
- Make sure your eggs are also at room temperature.
- Beat the cream cheese very well, and beat well again once the sugar is added, ensuring no lumps remain.
- Once the eggs have been added, only beat until just combined to prevent your cheesecake bars from sinking or cracking.
- Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl and paddle attachment often to prevent lumps or unincorporated ingredients.
How to Puree Raspberries
I recommend using a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to puree your fresh raspberries. Take the time to push the puree through the fine mesh strainer very thoroughly, also scraping the underside of the strainer, for maximum raspberry flavor. If you lose too much of the raspberry puree, your bars won’t look as pretty and they won’t be as flavorful.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes! To make 32 cheesecake bars, double all ingredients and bake in a metal 9 by 13-inch baking pan, adding about 5-10 minutes to the bake time.
Storage & Make ahead
Fridge: Keep Raspberry Lemonade Cheesecake Bars inside an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days. The longer the bars sit, the softer the crust will become.
Freezer: Store the bars inside an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or on the counter for an hour or so before serving.
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Ingredients
For the crust:
- 9 whole (138 grams) graham crackers
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the raspberry swirl:
- 6 ounces (170 grams) raspberries, fresh or thawed frozen
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
For the cheesecake:
- 16 ounces (454 grams) full-fat cream cheese, completely softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, from about 2 large lemons
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch light-colored metal baking pan with foil or parchment, leaving an overhang.
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until finely ground. You should have about 1 cup crumbs.
- Add the melted butter and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and fragrant. Let cool.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Make the raspberry puree:
- In a food processor or blender, puree the raspberries until smooth. Use a spatula to press through a fine mesh strainer, discarding any seeds and pulp that remain. Scrape the underside of the strainer to get the maximum amount of puree. Stir in the sugar. Puree will have a thin consistency. Set aside.
Make the cheesecake:
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat the cream cheese until completely smooth and creamy, for at least 1 minute. Add in the sugar and beat until totally combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. On medium-low speed, beat in the lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs, and salt until just combined.
- Spread the mixture over the crust. Tap the cheesecake against the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Dollop the batter with spoonfuls of the raspberry puree. Use a knife or skewer to make swirls.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until just set at the edges but ever so slightly jiggly in the middle, before turning off the oven and cracking open the oven door for 10 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The cheesecake can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Before serving, use the foil or parchment to remove the cheesecake from the pan and onto a work surface. Cut into 16 squares. Serve chilled.
I ❤️ the way they look!
All the flavors blend so well together for a refreshing summery treat.🍋
Thanks for sharing!😊
This recipe was nothing short of amazing. The lemon to raspberry ratio was on point! Nothing like fresh lemon to taste the summer. Another keeper from Handle the Heat!
The combination of flavors is so good! The crunch of the graham cracker crust paired so well with the creaminess of the cheesecake filling. The recipe is easy to follow and came together quickly.
These bars are so creamy and delicious! I love the lemon and raspberry together and they are just so pretty, too. Perfect summer dessert!
This is a family favorite! I don’t think there is an event I attend that Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars are not requested. The combination of the raspberry and the cheesecake are perfect!
I’ve made these several times. I love the tartness of the raspberries and lemons!
Fantastic combination of flavors!
This recipe is so easy to make and the results are fabulous!!! The lemon zest and fresh juice along with the raspberry puree impart a refreshing taste perfect for any summer dining!!!! Will definitely bake this again. 🎉🎉🎉
So good!! I added 1/2 t of lemon extract to the cheesecake batter to give an extra burst of lemon. My only complaint would be that the bars didn’t stay flat–even though I banged the pan on the counter, the cheesecake kind of rose and feel around the raspberry swirl. But besides that they were gorgeous and delicious–perfect for a summer get-together!
You all are so kind to answer my question. About 14 seconds after I hit return to submit my “comment”, I found the NO SUBSTITUTIONS POLICY on your homepage – couldn’t have been clearer, totally reasonable, and I was so embarrassed! I tried to remove my question so as not to bother you but couldn’t figure out if there was a way to un-comment. But again, thank you all for your kindness and your helpful support. As I tap out this thank you note, Tessa’s formidably delicious Raspberry Lemonade Cheesecake bars on a graham cracker crust are well on their way to becoming Raspberry Lemon-and-Limeade with Candied Ginger Cheesecake bars on a Windmill Cookie Crust!
We appreciate your questions, it shows an excitement to learn more about the science behind baking! Cheesecake bars are a type of dessert where switching out the type of cookie used in the crust won’t affect the recipe so drastically as substituting the sugar or eggs in the filling, for example. Our team tests our recipes extensively before they’re published, and a lot of the times have tested a substitution. Read through the blog post first to see if it’s something we’ve mentioned, but always feel free to ask. If it’s something we haven’t tested, we’ll let you know! 🙂
Such a good summer treat! The raspberry perfectly complements the lemon, and the swirls are pretty and fun to make. Great option for any summer potluck!
I’ve made this recipe twice in 5 days and (my neighbors…) just can’t enough! Before Raspberry Lemonade Cheesecake Bar bake #3, I’d love to know if you baking geniuses think substituting the graham cracker crust with one made from Archway Windmill cookie crumbs would be good? And if so, would I use the same amount (138g) of crumbs?
Thank you for your kind help and your consistently superlative recipes.
That’s so great to hear, John! We haven’t tried using Archway Windmill Cookies, but I don’t see why they wouldn’t work! With cheesecake recipes, you can typically use the same amount of weight of digestive biscuits, vanilla wafers, Biscoff cookies, or any crunchy cookie you’d like! If the cookie is a little richer than graham crackers (which are drier), add just enough butter until it holds together when pressed. Hope that helps!