These easy cream cheese bars are dreamy. With an extra smooth filling, a simple graham cracker crust and bursting juicy blueberries, every bite is amazing. They can be made ahead and are crowd-pleasers for potlucks, barbecues and other informal gatherings.
If you're a fan of classic cheesecake and crave the burst of fresh blueberries, this easy recipe might become one of your favorite desserts.
They are easier to make than baking a full cheesecake and are more forgiving, so it's easier to achieve a creamy consistency and a surface without cracks.
So you can enjoy a mouthwatering dessert without much hassle.
I keep them frozen regularly for a last-minute dessert that I thaw at room temperature if unexpected guests arrive or a craving hits.
These blueberry cream cheese bars bake faster and are convenient and portable, making them great for potlucks, barbecues and parties. They're an alternative to the more laborious blueberry pie.
Ingredients
For the cookie base:
- Ground graham crackers.
- Unsalted butter.
For the cream cheese blueberry filling:
- Blueberries: fresh or frozen.
- Cream cheese: the regular type, full-fat cream cheese is needed for consistency and creaminess. I always use Philadelphia original cream cheese, but other premium brands work fine.
- Sour cream: use the regular type, full-fat sour cream.
- White granulated sugar.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper.
- Lemon zest
See the recipe card towards the end of this post for quantities.
Variations & substitutions
- Crumb bars: make half of this crumble topping recipe and sprinkle over the filling before baking.
- Berries: use another one (blackberries or raspberries) or a mix.
- Blueberry sauce: substitute the fresh or frozen berries for a homemade blueberry topping, or use one from the grocery store.
- Orange: substitute orange zest for lemon. The flavor will be mellower as the sharpness of the lemon will be missing.
- Crust: use a shortbread crust or different cookies for the crumb crust, like vanilla wafers, plain chocolate cookies, lemon cookies or almond cookies.
- Nuts: substitute ½ cup graham cracker crumbs for ground nuts like almonds or pecans.
- Lemon blueberry cheesecake bars: the recipe has lemon zest. But if you want a more pronounced lemon flavor, also add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the cheesecake batter.
How to make blueberry cheesecake squares
It has two layers: the crust and the cheese filling. Both are simple and quick to put together.
Buttery graham cracker crust
Preparing the pan: you can line it with a strip of parchment paper, covering the pan's bottom and two sides. The other two sides will remain unlined but greased. This will help you remove the bars from the pan.
The mix of crumbs and melted butter should look like wet sand. It will only cover the bottom of the pan, not the sides.
Press the mixture until it's compacted. Use your hand, it's the easiest way. Some people use a measuring cup but I find it doesn't completely reach the angles.
Creamy cheesecake filling
Use a whisk to mix and incorporate the ingredients. No need to beat.
Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust and smooth the top if needed.
Storage
Cheesecake bars need to be kept chilled. Don't store them at room temperature.
- Refrigerating: this recipe keeps well for a week in the fridge, in an airtight container or in the pan well wrapped in plastic to avoid dryness.
- Freezing: use a freezer-safe airtight container or wrap the leftover squares in plastic wrap and foil. They keep for a month. Defrost uncovered at room temperature.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Thick graham cracker crust: if you like a larger ratio of crust to filling, use 1 ½ cups of crumbs and 6 tablespoon of butter.
- Clean cut cheesecake dessert bars: chill the baked cheesecake in the pan for several hours and cut them cold. It's the easiest way to get clean squares. Wipe the knife in between cuts so you have a clean knife each time.
- Blueberry topping: you can serve these bars with a homemade blueberry sauce for an extra dose of berries.
Troubleshooting common issues
- Lumpy cheesecake filling: to avoid this, make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature and mix it until it is completely smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Crumbly crust that falls apart: make sure you have added enough melted butter to hold the fine crumbs together. If the crust still crumbles, you can try pressing it more firmly into the baking dish or increasing the butter in the recipe.
- Soggy crust: happens when too much moisture from the filling seeps into the crust. Make sure you bake it for 10 minutes first before adding the filling. It helps create a barrier and crisp up the crust, reducing the chances of it becoming soggy. If using frozen blueberries, drain them first to avoid adding extra liquid to the filling. Using fresh berries will avoid this.
Related recipes you might like:
Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
You might also consider subscribing to our FREE email series 'Baking the Best' and our regular newsletter. Or connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my disclosure policy.
Easy Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Click the stars to Rate this Recipe!
Ingredients
For the cookie base:
- 1 cup ground graham crackers
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
For the blueberry cheesecake filling:
- 16 oz regular cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
Instructions
For the cookie crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Spray or butter an 8-inch square pan. If you want to line the pan, use a piece of parchment paper covering the bottom and two sides. You will have two sides without paper. It makes it easier to remove the cheesecake when it's cold; you lift the paper and take out the block of cheesecake.
- Grind cookies in the food processor, add the melted butter, and mix until the mixture looks like wet sand. Or mix already crushed cookies in a bowl with the melted butter and mix with a spoon.
- Dump this mixture into the prepared baking pan and press firmly onto the bottom.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack while making the filling.
- Lower the oven to 325°F (170°C).
For the blueberry cream cheese filling:
- Mix the softened cream cheese in a large bowl until very smooth. You can use a handheld mixer or wire whisk. Mixing the cheese by hand should not be a problem if the cheese is at room temperature. If using an electric mixer, use it only for this part and at the lowest temperature. We don't want to incorporate air into the batter.
- Gradually add sugar and beat until sugar is very well incorporated.
- Add eggs all together, mixing until incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Don't be tempted to beat.
- Add vanilla, lemon zest and sour cream stirring to incorporate.
- Add the blueberries to the cream cheese mixture and stir with a spatula. Don't crush the berries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cheesecake for 30-35 minutes, until the center jiggles slightly and the sides are a little puffed. The time can vary depending on your oven.
- Remove from the oven and carefully run a smooth-bladed knife around the sides of the pan to loosen up any batter that might've stuck. If it's too tender, let it cool more before doing this. It will help with not developing cracks as it shrinks.
- Cool completely to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack, cover in plastic wrap (still in the pan), and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. I chill it for 1 or 2 days for the creamiest consistency before removing from the pan and eating it.
Rate and review this recipe