Cheesecake Bars
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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.
- Butter: Binds the crumbs together.
- Brown Sugar: 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.
- Large Eggs: Bind the filling together and provide structure, resulting in a dense and creamy consistency.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a subtle warmth to the bars.
- Lemon Zest And Lemon Juice: Infuse the filling with a very subtle hint of lemon flavor.
- 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.
Meanwhile, make the batter. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the room temperature cream cheese, granulated sugar, and flour together until just smooth.
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). Cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until cold, at least 6 hours or 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. Serve and enjoy!
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.
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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 oz (two 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 (190°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line an 8-in (20-cm) 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 in (2.5 cm) 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 (165°C).
- 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 (165°C), 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° to 190°F/82 to 88°C.) 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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.
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Hi! Can i make this in an 8inch round metal pan? Would I have to alter the recipe or baking time for that?
I wouldn’t recommend it. The pan will be too small to hold all the batter (and would be difficult to serve from). Sorry!
Hi, I have to say I made these one numerous times along with your NY cheesecake recipe. Always a big hit!!
Would this bar recipe work for miniature cheesecakes? I would love to use it for my daughter’s bridal shower.
Hi Michele, glad you like these! Mini versions of this will work in a mini tart or muffin pan. (Just keep in mind that they may be a bit challenging to remove from a muffin tin.) You’ll need to reduce the baking time by a lot; I’d start checking around 25 minutes. I’d love to know how they turn out!
This recipe is perfect. I followed it to the letter and it came out as pictured. I plan on trying it in a spring form pan next.
Hi Jenn! I love this recipe and have been making it for years- it’s one of my favourite cheesecakes and pairs so well with fresh berries! I was wondering if you have any recommendations for doubling this recipe? Could I use a 9×13 pan? Also, should I adjust the oven temperature/baking time if I use a glass pan instead of metal for this recipe? Thank you 🙂
Hi Kay, So glad you like these! Sure, you can double it and use a 9 x 13-inch pan. The bake time may be slightly different so keep a close eye on it. And glass will work — just keep an eye on it and reduce the heat by 25°F if it looks like it’s starting to brown around the edges. 🙂
Hi. Can I add chocolate chips to the mixture?
Yes, but I’d use mini chocolate chips. Enjoy!
Hi made this last night following the recipe to a T. It was delicious, and very easy to make. It looked perfectly fine when it came out of the oven, but after letting it cool completely and then refrigerating it, it cracked (HUGE crack!). It wasn’t a big deal b/c I was putting sauce on it, but the crack was so deep I had to do some creative slicing. I will make this again and maybe add a little water bath to the oven for the baking time.
Hi. I’m planning to make this recipe very soon. I would like to add something on top of this cheesecake (before or after cutting it). What would you
suggest? Strawberry sauce? Melted chocolate?
Thank you for so many great recipes!
Hi Jo, This berry sauce would work nicely. Hope you enjoy!
So easy and SO delicious! There are just two of us oldsters so I freeze at least half of the squares, and they are just as delicious when defrosted at a later date. Have made several times with consistent results. Love the lemon – and love the dependability of OUAC recipes! Thank you.
made this for Easter dinner this year.. It was a HUGE hit!! Question for you – am I able to double the recipe so I don’t run out when I make for Mother’s Day brunch??
So glad these were a hit (and yes, you can definitely double it)!
I’m excited to try this recipe this week! Curious to know what the flour in the recipe does? Especially since it’s not in the crust. Thanks!
Hi Rebecca, Good question — the little starch that the flour provides helps prevent the cheesecake from cracking and also makes the filling just a bit lighter. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks Jenn! Excited to make these this weekend!
This was so easy to make and tasted so delicious. I don’t know why I waited so long to try this recipe but I will be making this again! Even when my lemon didn’t zest, I added a bit more lemon juice and still so good.
Jenn,
I’m not the biggest cheesecake fan, but my wife, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law are so I gave it a whirl. So delicious 😋 and easy to make. I had originally looked at making your NY cheesecake but that looked like such a pain in the (fill in blank) that I opted for the bars. Again, so delicious and easy to make.
Thanks Jenn
Jim
Ha! Glad everyone enjoyed!
Have made this many times as a go to mini bar dessert. Everyone loves the hint of lemon zest. I don’t change a thing. TQ OUAC
Made these for superbowl Sunday and they turned out perfectly! So easy to make.