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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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
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- 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.
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Let me join the 5-star reviewer ranks here because these were so perfect! We wanted to make a whole cheesecake but then realized we were one block short on cream cheese so a search for bars instead led me to your recipe–it did not dissapoint! I actually found it easier to make and eat, and it was plenty satisfying. Next time I may increase the crust amount by 1/4 and make these in a 9×13 pan to stretch them and make us feel better about eating two square servings instead of one, lol!
This is my go-to cheesecake recipe. I usually double it and make it in a 9×13. Turns out perfect every time!
Hi Jenn, my name is Renee I make a lot of your recipes and love them. I cooked my cheesecake bars and followed the recipe, but after they cooled and set, when I cut them into squares the very middle was pudding-like, so I had to cut the middle out. The rest of the squares were delicious. Any thoughts on what I did wrong. Thank you
Hi Renee, I’m so glad you like the recipes, but sorry you had a problem with this one. It sounds like the cheesecake bars were a little underbaked. If you make these again, I’d give them a few extra minutes in the oven.
This will now be one of my go-to party desserts. Easy to make and serve and have great flavor. Using my quick-read thermometer helped ensure they weren’t over baked. I also love that they can be cut into small portions and look attractive on a platter. I served mine with raspberries on top but the possibilities are endless. They were the first dessert gone at an engagement party I helped host.
Absolutely incredible! Better than famous cheesecake makers. Even better fresh from the freezer.
Only used a little bit of lemon juice and they turned out fantastic.
Will only use this recipe from now on.
Delicious! Thank you for sharing
What size of pan is called for? I don’t see instructions on preparing the pan either.
Hi Wendy, You must’ve just overlooked the first paragraph – I’ve pasted it here: 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. Hope you enjoy the bars!
Hi,
Just curious why you use foil in the baking pan? To make it easier to remove the bars later?
Yes, it makes for a very easy way to remove them from the pan after baking.
Could you use parchment paper? Or is foil better, and why?
Hi Kathy, You can use parchment instead of foil, but I think it’s easier to use the foil as it’s probably easier to “mold” and fold it up and around the edges of the pan.
Just made these and oh. my. god. Perfect if you don’t want to make a whole cheesecake(or are a broke med student like me and don’t have a springform pan). I’d go so far as to argue that these are better than cheesecake. The crust-to-filling ratio is better and this crust is ever so slightly salty, making it the perfect yin/yang situation. Plus the extra lemon zest and juice: beautiful. Bonus points for being super easy to portion control. Definitely going in the arsenal. Ah-ma-zing. I found this site randomly and made these plus the shrimp and grits(also a 10/10) for some much-needed comfort food. Needless to say I have the website bookmarked now. (Note if you’re impatient like me: I let them cool 1 hour on the counter and then put a few single servings in the freezer for 10-20 minutes. Then popped them in the fridge until it was time for dessert!)
Will it be good if I eliminate using lemon? Thank you and Happy New Year!
Hi Loren, it’s fine to omit the lemon. Enjoy!
HI
Thank you for sharing this recipe. IT turns out perfect every time and is just as good
plain as with a topping. My husband and I love it. A keeper for us. Thank you.
I doubled the recipe and put it in a 9 by 13 cake pan. Turned out perfect ❤️