Cheesecake Bars
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Dense and creamy with a hint of lemon and a crisp graham cracker crust, these cheesecake bars are an easy and delicious alternative to NY cheesecake.
Cheesecake is one of the most crowd-pleasing desserts you can make, but baking one at home can be a project. Traditional cheesecakes need to be baked in a water bath to prevent curdling and cracking, and it can be tricky to tell when they’re done. This cheesecake bar recipe, however, is a whole different story. Dense and creamy with crisp and buttery graham cracker crust, the bars are not only a cinch to make (with a prep time of only 20 minutes!), but they also rival the very best New York cheesecake out there. They also have a high crust-to-cheesecake ratio so if you’re a crust-fan like me, you’ll love them.
“Just made these and oh. my. god. Perfect if you don’t want to make a whole cheesecake.”
What You’ll Need To Make Cheesecake Bars
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: Form the base of the crust, providing a sweet and slightly crunchy texture.
- Butter: Binds the crumbs together and, when melted, performs like glue creating a cohesive crust.
- Brown Sugar: Provides sweetness and adds a rich, caramel-like flavor to the crust.
- Cream Cheese: Forms the creamy and dense texture of the cheesecake bars, providing richness and flavor. I recommend Philadelphia brand (and make sure to use full-fat cream cheese).
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the filling, balancing out the tanginess of the cream cheese.
- All-Purpose Flour: Helps to stabilize the filling and prevent cracking while baking. It also makes the filling a bit lighter and fluffier.
- Sour Cream: Adds tanginess and creaminess to the filling and contributes to its smooth texture.
- Large Eggs: Bind the filling together and provide structure, resulting in a dense and creamy consistency.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the filling with its warm and aromatic notes.
- Lemon Zest And Lemon Juice: Infuse the filling with a very subtle hint of lemon flavor, adding brightness and freshness to the cheesecake bars.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by making the graham cracker crust. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, salt, and melted butter.
Stir, using your fingertips if necessary, until well combined with no lumps of brown sugar remaining.
Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes, until set. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the batter. In the bowl of an electric mixer (either a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer with beaters), beat the room temperature cream cheese, granulated sugar, and flour together until just smooth, about 1 minute.
Add the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt.
Beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as you mix. Do not over-mix.
Pour the batter into the warm crust.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until the filling is set but still a little jiggly in the center (it will continue to cook as it cools). An instant-read thermometer, inserted into the filling about 1″ in from the edge, should read 180°F-190°F. Remove the bars from the oven, and cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cold, at least 6 hours but preferably overnight.
Before serving, use the foil overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into squares, wiping the knife clean with a damp cloth between slices. Serve cold and enjoy!
Make-Ahead, Freezing & Storage Instructions
Cheesecake bars keep nicely in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the cooled cheesecake (cut or uncut) on a plate and freeze, uncovered, until firm. Remove the cheesecake bars from the freezer, wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil, and place in a freezer bag. Seal and return to freezer for up to 3 months. Remove the foil before thawing.
The lemon flavor is subtle, but if you don’t want to include it, it’s perfectly fine to omit it (it doesn’t have any impact on the texture of the cheesecake).
Although cheesecake bars are much less finicky than standard cheesecake, I don’t recommend adding anything to the batter.
You May Also Like
Cheesecake Bars
Dense and creamy with a hint of lemon and a crisp graham cracker crust, these cheesecake bars are an easy and delicious alternative to NY cheesecake.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs, from 10 whole crackers
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the Filling
- 16 ounces (2 8-oz. packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 3 large eggs
- 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon packed freshly grated lemon zest, from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line an 8-inch baking dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil (so that there is an overhang on at least 2 sides) and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. Stir until well combined, using your fingertips if necessary to be sure no lumps of brown sugar remain. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until set. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- Make the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with beaters or the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and flour together on medium speed until just smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt; beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Do not over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the slightly cooled crust. Check to make sure your oven has cooled to 325°F, then bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the filling is set but still a little jiggly in the center. (An instant-read thermometer, inserted into the filling about 1" in from the edge, should read between 180°-190°F.) The cheesecake will continue to cook as it cools. Remove the bars from the oven, and cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cold, at least 6 hours but preferably overnight.
- Use the foil overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into squares, wiping the knife clean with a damp cloth between slices. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Note: The cheesecake bars can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cheesecake bars can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the cooled cheesecake (cut or uncut) on a plate and freeze, uncovered, until firm. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it in heavy-duty aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag. Seal and return to freezer for up to 3 months. Remove the foil before defrosting.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (16 servings)
- Serving size: 1 square
- Calories: 248
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Sugar: 20 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 166 mg
- Cholesterol: 77 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
These are delicious! And very easy to make. I do make cheesecakes in a water bath for very special occasions, but I needed something quick with fewer servings. (so I’m not tempted to polish off the leftovers!) These cheesecake bars were the perfect solution. I loved the brown sugar element in the crust – that was a new twist. The lemon makes them, I think, but they would be great without too, if you’re not a fan. They baked up perfectly, absolutely no cracking. I put them in the fridge overnight and they lifted out of the pan, no problem. Slice and serve! Really, really good. A keeper, as are most of Jenn’s recipes!
I recently made these cheesecake bars for my son who was in the hospital. He told me he normally doesn’t eat cheesecake, but he glommed them up and asked for more.
Very easy to make,they freeze well.I put some fruit syrup on top.Great.
I made this recipe tonight and I love it. It was so easy to make and is sinfully delicious. I topped it with a little homemade fruit syrup. I saved the recipe and will definitely make it again.
Wow, wow, wow! These cheesecake bars are so delicious and incredibly easy to make! I have Celiac Disease so I subbed in Kinnikinnick GF Graham Style Crumbs and gf Jules All Purpose Flour. The only way that my friends knew it was gluten free was by watching me eat it. I paired with the berry sauce. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you for yet another hit, Jenn!
I’ve made these many times and they are always a big hit! With fall upon us, I would love to be able to make pumpkin cheesecake bars. Any suggestions on how to go about doing that? Thank you!
Hi Marianne, glad you like these! I’d actually use this recipe if you want to go the pumpkin route. You’ll need to cut the recipe in half (and I’d still use a water bath to minimize the chance of cracking). I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try them!
WOW! Really terrific cheesecake. We made the crust with chocolate cookie crumbs and added mini chips to the batter. So so good! We would like to try adding strawberry purée swirl – do you think that would work, and if so, how do you do it? Maybe purée fresh strawberries and swirl into the batter? Your expertise is always spot on! Thanks again for sharing your wonderful recipe!
Hi Kathy, so glad you enjoyed these! Because cheesecake can be a bit finicky, I’d avoid changing the balance of the recipe by adding pureed strawberries, Instead, I’d suggest spreading it on top of the bars. Hope that helps!
These are very tasty. More flavor after sitting overnight. Will make again. Thanks for the temp for testing for doneness. Prevents overbaking. Will make again!
Texas Baker
Could I double this for a 9×13 pan?
Yes, Alexandra, that will work — the baking time may be a little different so just keep an eye on them. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jen!
Would it still turn out without the lemon? I just don’t care for lemon flavor. I made your boy bait and it got good reviews however all I tasted was lemon. It’s just me, I know but wondering if anything will be sacrificed if I leave it out? Thanks
By the way…loooove your cookbook.
Totally fine to leave it out, Julie — and so glad you like the book! 😊