New to the Beyond the Butter recipe box are these Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars! They are exceptionally thick and creamy with the best blueberry sauce swirled throughout, and it's all baked on top of a buttery graham cracker crust! This cheesecake bars recipe is an easy one to make, but does require a little bit of patience as it bakes and then chills for a few hours to set. But I promise you dear friends, the wait is most certainly worth it!
what ingredients do I need to make blueberry cheesecake bars?
To make these blueberry swirl cheesecake bars, you'll need the following ingredients:
blueberry swirl sauce
- Fresh Blueberries. You can use fresh or frozen (unthawed).
- Cornstarch
- Lemon Juice. You can use juice from a lemon or from a bottle!
- Vanilla Extract
- Granulated Sugar
graham cracker crust
- Graham Crackers. You'll use 1 1/2 sleeves or 14 graham crackers
- Unsalted Butter
cream cheese filling
- Cream Cheese. You'll need 2, 16 ounce packages and make sure they're brought to room temperature
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs. You'll use 2 Large Eggs and 1 Large Egg White. They should be at room temperature as well.
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour. Not mandatory, but it is helpful to sift the flour to avoid any possible clumps.
recommended tools and suggested tips for making blueberry swirl cheesecake bars
- I used this 8" x 8" USA pan to make these easy blueberry cheesecake bars. It's my favorite pan to use for the majority of my bars and brownie recipes!
- Lining the pan with parchment paper isn't required, but is recommended if you find cutting them outside of the pan is easier.
- In addition to the parchment paper, I recommend spraying the pan with a little baking spray before and after adding the paper.
- The recommended baking times for this blueberry swirl cheesecake recipe are 8-10 minutes for the crust and 45-50 minutes for the cheesecake bars and crust. It's totally okay for the center to have a little jiggle to it when you remove it from the oven.
- If you don't want to use fresh, you can use frozen, unthawed blueberries.
- Make sure you allow the cheesecake bars to cool completely before you place them in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 2 hours or—my preference—overnight.
have you tried these other Beyond the Butter cheesecake recipes?
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake (a Pinterest favorite!)
- S'mores Cheesecake
- Triple Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake
- Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake
Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes (does not include time for cooling or chilling in the refrigerator)
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Yield: Approx. 16 small squares
- Category: Cheesecake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
These Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars are exceptionally thick and creamy with the best blueberry sauce swirled throughout, all baked on top of a buttery graham cracker crust! Make them for your next work party or get together with friends!
Ingredients
blueberry swirl sauce ingredients
- 2 cups Fresh Blueberries, rinsed (or frozen, unthawed Blueberries)
- 2 teaspoons Cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice, store-bought or from lemon
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
graham cracker crust ingredients
- 1 1/2 sleeves (14 graham crackers), processed into fine crumbs
- 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
cream cheese filling ingredients
- 16 ounces (2 packages) Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs + 1 Large Egg White, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 3 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour, sifted
Instructions
blueberry swirl sauce
- Using a medium-size sauce pan over medium-high heat, bring the blueberries, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar to a boil, stirring consistently.
- While you continue to stir the mixture, reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. The blueberries will break down into juices as the rest of the mixture thickens.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before adding to the top of the cream cheese filling.
graham cracker crust
- Spray the bottom and sides of an 8" x 8" cake pan with a flour-based baking spray, then (optional) place a sheet of parchment paper cut down to fit. Spray the sides and bottom of the parchment paper with the baking spray. Set aside.
- Adjust the oven rack to the 2nd level mark and preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Add in the melted butter and pulse until the mixture is combined. The texture of the graham cracker crust will be like a wet sand.
- Spoon the graham cracker crust mixture into the prepared 8” x 8” pan, pressing down to level the crust using the bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup.
- Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes at 325ºF. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly while you make the cream cheese filling part.
cream cheese filling
- Using a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the room temperature cream cheese for 4-5 minutes on medium-high speed until it's smooth and creamy in texture. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and beat the cream cheese a little more.
- Add in the eggs, egg white, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, and sifted all-purpose flour, and beat together until just combined.
- Pour the cream cheese filling over top of the slightly cooled graham cracker crust, then level and smooth with a spatula.
- Spoon the cooled, thickened blueberry swirl sauce over top of different areas of the cream cheese filling. Then, with a toothpick or butter knife, swirl around to create a marbled look.
- Place in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes at 325ºF. it's okay to remove the cheesecake bars from the oven if they still have a little jiggle to the center.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake bars to cool completely before moving them to the refrigerator to chill and set for a minimum of 2 hours or—the best option—overnight.
Notes
I used this 8" x 8" pan to make the blueberry swirl cheesecake bars. It's my favorite pan to use for the majority of my bars and brownie recipes!
Lining the pan with parchment paper isn't required, but is recommended if you find cutting them outside of the pan is easier.
In addition to the parchment paper, I recommend spraying the pan with a little baking spray before and after adding the paper.
The recommended baking times for this blueberry swirl cheesecake recipe are 8-10 minutes for the crust and 45-50 minutes for the cheesecake bars and crust. It's totally okay for the center to have a little jiggle to it when you remove it from the oven.
If you don't want to use fresh blueberries, you can use frozen. Just make sure to defrost them 30-45 minutes head of time.
Make sure you allow the cheesecake bars to cool completely before you place them in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 2 hours or—my preference—overnight.
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