Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
These Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars have a rich, velvety cream cheese texture with bright, zesty lemon and sweet blueberries with a bit of crunch from the graham cracker crust. The perfect make-ahead dessert for picnics and potlucks.
When it comes to sweet treats, I don't mess around. I'm all about indulging your sweet tooth and these Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars seriously satisfy your sweet tooth. Whether it's fresh homemade No-Churn Caramel Cone Ice Cream or adorable Vegan Funfetti Pancakes (Quick + Easy) for breakfast, you can count me in for anything sweet.
And cheesecake happens to be one of my all-time favorite desserts. It's tangy, creamy, airy and so satisfying. Plus, you can make nearly any flavor cheesecake you like, from Sweet Potato Caramel Cheesecake to Cranberry Cheesecake + Gingersnap Crust.
But when summer rolls around and blueberries are in season, you know I'm not going to pass up an opportunity to add them to my desserts. That's why this lemon blueberry cheesecake bar recipe is going to be on repeat all summer long. Once you try it for yourself, you'll know what I mean.
How to Make Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
There are two components to these tangy blueberry cheesecake bites: a crunchy graham cracker-pecan crust and the lemon blueberry cheesecake filling.
Pecan-Graham Cracker Crust
To make the crust, you'll need graham crackers, toasted pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter to bind everything together.
If you prefer more nuts in your crust for a richer pecan flavor, you can simply substitute some of the graham cracker crumbs for chopped pecans. Or, if you're nut-free or want to omit the pecans, simply replace them with more graham crackers.
You can also easily make this crust gluten-free by using gluten-free graham crackers or another cookie.
Once your crust is mixed, you'll need to pre-bake it for about 5 minutes. This helps keep the crust together and prevents it from getting soggy when you add the cheesecake layer on top.
Lemon-Blueberry Cheesecake Filling
While your graham cracker crust cools, you can whip up the simple blueberry lemon cheesecake layer.
It's easiest to do this with an electric mixer, but you can do it by hand with a whisk if you'd lie. To make the cheesecake layer, you'll need:
- Cream cheese. Make sure it's softened to room temperature for the best texture and easiest blending.
- Organic sugar
- Organic all-purpose flour. I like Bob's Red Mill flour.
- Eggs. These too should be at room temperature, otherwise, you risk curdling the cream cheese if they're too cold.
- Lemon juice. Make sure you're using freshly squeezed juice for the best flavor. Otherwise, you can use lemon extract.
- Fresh blueberries. Frozen berries will also work, but let them thaw to room temperature before adding them to the cheesecake mixture.
To assemble the cheesecake bars, fill the cooked and cooled crust with your cream cheese mixture. Then bake until the center is just st. Finally, cool the cheesecake in the fridge for at least an hour, until cool all the way through. If you skip this step, your bars might e runny, rather than firm. You can chill the cheesecake for a full day if you like, which means this is a great make-ahead dessert for a party.
Then, just before serving, I like to drizzle the cheesecake with blueberry compote, slice into squares, and serve!
To make your own blueberry compote, check out the recipe in my Easy Dairy-Free Blueberry French Toast.
Storing Cheesecake Bars
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fried for up to 5 days. They'll also stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months. The day before serving, place the bars in the fridge to thaw overnight.
Making Cheesecake Bites
For a bite-sized cheesecake treat, you can use this same recipe to make 24 bites. Bake the cheesecakes in a mini muffin tin.
More Cheesecake Recipes to Try
- Spiced Chai Cheesecake + Gingersnap Crust
- Not So Classic New York-Style Cheesecake
- Chocolate Chip Cheesecake with Lucky Charms
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Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
GRAHAM CRACKER-PECAN CRUST:
- 2 cups Graham crackers, chopped (About 12-14 Graham Crackers)
- 1 cup halved toasted pecans (Add more if desired; just reduce Graham Crackers amount; See Notes!)
- 3 Tbsps organic brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4-5 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted
LEMON BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE:
- 16 ozs. organic cream cheese, softened at room temp.
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- 4 Tbsps organic all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon finely-ground sea salt
- 2 large organic eggs, at room temp.
- 3 Tbsps Greek yogurt (See Notes!)
- 2 tsps freshly-squeezed lemon juice (You can also sub w/ lemon extract)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
Instructions
TO MAKE THE CRUST:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a standard 8-inch square cake pan pan by lightly greasing it with butter and lining it with parchment paper, leaving a bit hanging at the sides.
- Grind the pecans and graham crackers, until almost finely ground (it’s OK to leave a few medium chunks, if your’e a lover a little crunch!). Combine the Pecan-Graham cracker mixture, cinnamon, brown sugar and melted butter in a small bowl and mix with a spatula until well incorporated.
- Add the mixture into the prepared pan and press down into the bottom with your fingers (focusing on the middle) to ensure that it’s perfectly covering the bottom evenly.
- Bake the crust for about 5 minutes and then remove from oven and allow it to cool until you’re ready to use.
TO MAKE THE CHEESECAKE FILLING:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together on low speed: the cream cheese, sugar, salt, and flour until combined. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl if needed.
- Next, add the lemon juice and the first egg and beat slowly until mostly combined. Then add the remaining egg and mix until well combined, still mixing everything on low speed. Now, add the yogurt, and lemon zest, and continue mixing.
- Change mixer attachment to a whisk and beat on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes or so until completely smooth and lump-free. NOTE: DO NOT OVER-MIX. Be sure to stop once the batter becomes smooth. Fold in the blueberries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, evenly spreading out the batter.
- Bake the cheesecake for 20-25 minutes or until the centers come out clean once tested.
CHILL CHEESECAKE:
- Bon Appetit!
Tips & Tricks
- STORAGE: Leftover Cheesecake bars can be stored (tightly wrapped) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For best results, keep cheesecake in the freezer until the night before you’re ready to serve. Defrost by refrigerating overnight.
- BLUEBERRY COMPOTE: To see the recipe for the blueberry compote, check out my DF Blueberry French Toast recipe.
- CHEESECAKE BITES: If you turn this recipe into cheesecake bites, you’ll make about 2 dozen bites.
- PECANS: You can choose to leave out the pecans and make an entirely Graham Cracker crust.
- TOASTED PECANS: Add pecans to a baking sheet and toast them in the oven (400 degrees Fahrenheit) for 10-15 minutes, tossing them halfway to ensure that browning is even on both sides.
Nutrition
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Gorgeous! Can't wait to make these as they look and sound incredible! Thank you for sharing!!
Hi Emily! Thanks so much! I can't wait to hear what you think! 🙂
This recipe looks delicious! I’d love to try, I do t see the baking time listed for the cheesecake
filling just the crust!
Hi Cindy! I do apologize for the error! I've updated this! They should bake for 20-25 minutes or until the centers come out clean! 🙂
Yum, these mini cheesecakes look delicious. I love that you can have a little one and not feel as if you have over done it. Yummo and great work!! Cheers
Yes, I so agree Adrianne! It definitely kills the guilt while you indulge! Haha.
Cheese my all time favorite and cheese cake combination with Blue Berry and Lemons amazing. I am drooling for it already.
Haha! Thanks so much, Veena! Yes, I love Cheesecakes also!
Such a classic and wonderful flavour combination! I've got cheesecake on my to do list this week and these sound like they would fit the gap perfectly.
Yes, it really is a great combo, Brian! I do hope that you enjoy these as much as I did!
What perfect bites! These will be a hit for people trying not to eat too many sweets ... or really bad because they won't be able to stop. 🙂
I so agree, Jori!
Lemon and blueberry is just the best combination, and with that graham cracker crust? A little bite of heaven to be sure!
Haha! Yes, indeed! A little bite in heaven! Thanks so much, Monica!