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Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

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Blueberry Cheesecake Bars are packed with flavor and SO EASY to make! You’ll wonder why you bothered with a full cheesecake when you could have this instead!

 

Main image for Pinterest of Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

 

I could gush about the deliciousness of these blueberry cheesecake bars. 

Cream Cheese… Sugar… cream… blueberries… I could go on but I think you get it. They are SOOO yummy.

And you can get all that yummy goodness with no water bath!

That’s right. Fresh blueberry cheesecake bars require NO finicky steps. Just some simple straightforward baking.

I love making these for parties. Because you can cut them to just the right individual serving size.

Plus these cheesecake bars are rich! Which means they’re filling and my kids aren’t still begging for more!

I’ve been making this recipe for years and haven’t received a complaint yet! So let’s get to it!

 

Crust in a lined casserole dish

 

What Ingredients are in Blueberry Cheesecake Bars?

For the Crust:

  • Flour: You’ll need all purpose flour to create the crust base.
  • Sugar: Sugar is a must in both the crust and the bars
  • Nuts: I prefer using hazelnuts or pecans but you could use another nut as well.
  • Salt: Salt is necessary, even in desserts, for flavoring.
  • Butter: Keep the butter cold for best results.

For the Bars:

  • Cream Cheese: Pull the cream cheese out early to give it time to get to room temperature.
  • Sugar: For a sweetness! You could try substituting with sugar substitutes but would need to adjust accordingly.
  • Flour: All purpose flour again will work best here.
  • Eggs: Pull the eggs out at the same time as the cream cheese to warm to room temperature.
  • Heavy Cream: This is what gives that sweet creamy texture of the bars.
  • Vanilla and Almond Extract: Adding both vanilla and almond will give a lot of extra oomph to your flavor.
  • Blueberries: For a sweet and delightful inner layer!

 

Blueberries mixed into cheesecake

 

Can I Use Other Fruit in Blueberry Cheesecake Bars?

Feel free to substitute the blueberry in the cheesecake bars for another favorite berry.

I know I’ve got family members who turn up their nose at blueberries but love raspberries.

Here are some good substitutions:

  • Fresh Raspberries or Frozen Raspberries
  • Frozen Cranberries or Fresh Cranberries
  • Fresh Strawberries or Frozen Strawberries
  • Fresh Blackberries or Frozen Blackberries

So if berries are out of season, just pick up a bag of frozen berries!

 

cheesecake mix poured over the crust in a casserole dish.

 

How to Make Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Here’s some simple steps to make these cheesecake bars.

  • Crust:
    • I highly recommend using a food processor to pulse as it’ll cut down your work significantly.
    • Combine all ingredients until peas and then press into the pan.
  • Bars:
    • Add each ingredient one at a time, being sure to blend well between each addition.
    • Fold the berries in gently or you’ll smash them.
    • The bars are done cooking when the center is set if you jiggle the pan.

Pro Tips:

  • DO NOT forget to line the pan. Lining the pan will allow you to easily lift the bars out once done.
  • If you’re using frozen berries, do not thaw them but add them straight into the recipe.
  • These bars are best served cold so refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  • Do not cut the bars until they are cold or it’ll completely wreck them.

 

baked cheesecake fresh out of the oven.

 

How Long Do Blueberry Cheesecake Bars Last?

Plan on your blueberry bars staying good for about 3 days after they’ve been cooked.

After that it may begin to go bad so be on the lookout. Always keep them in the fridge to help prolong their life.

Can I Make Blueberry Cheesecake Bars in Advance?

Yes!  Of course you can! I highly recommend making blueberry cheesecake bars before you want them!

First, they should chill for a long time. Overnight would be a perfect amount!

Second, these cheesecake bars taste even better the day after they’re cooked than the same day.

Just remember they are best within the first three days.  So keep that in mind when making ahead.

 

cheesecake bars out of pan and sliced

 

How to Store Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

I’ve already told you these blueberry bars should be stored in the fridge. But there is another important step.

The bars will quickly dry out in the fridge if left uncovered.  This can lead to cracking and unpleasantness in your dessert bars.

To prevent this, wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap. It should be tight enough to prevent any extra air from entering the pan.

 

cheesecake bars laid out with one on it's side to show blueberry filling.

 

What to Make with Leftover Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Don’t want to just keep eating the same blueberry cheesecake bars? Here’s some ideas.

  • Add some fresh fruit on top! A nice Homemade Strawberry Sauce would quickly liven them up!
  • Drizzle on some Milk Chocolate Hot Fudge! Yes please!
  • Sprinkle on some chocolate chips or chopped up nuts.
  • Spread on some jam or marmalade.

 

cheesecake bars laid out with a bowl of blueberries. A fork full next to them and ready to eat.

 

Can You Freeze Blueberry Cheesecake Bars?

Another option to eating up all the blueberry cheesecake bars is to freeze some!

Wrap each piece tightly and place them in the freezer. This will allow you to pull out one piece whenever you want and never have too many out at once.

Frozen blueberry cheesecake bars should last for up to three months in the freezer.

Pro Tip: Write “Blueberry Cheesecake Bars” And the expiration date so you eat them up before they go bad.

Blueberry Cheesecake Bars Crust Variations

If you’ve got a nut allergy or just want to switch up the crust, here’s what you can do.

  • Graham Cracker Crust
  • Vanilla Wafer Crust
  • Oreo Crust

 

close up of cheesecake bars laid out

 

How to Cut Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Once the bars have cooled for at least 3 hours, it’s time to cut them.

First, lift the bars out of the pan using the non-stick foil or parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, slice them into 16 equal squares.

The squares will be small but the food is super rich so don’t worry about the small portions. Then arrange on a platter and serve those delicious morsels!

 

3 cheesecake bars stacked on top of each other.

 

More Blueberry Recipes You’ll Love…

More Cheesecake Recipes You’ll Love…

These Cheesecake Bars are creamy, sweet little bites that everyone is going to love. 

If you’re intimidated by regular cheesecake, have no fear. Blueberry Cheesecake Bars are here to save the day.

 

Yield: 16 Servings

Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

3 cheesecake bars stacked on top of each other.

Blueberry Cheesecake Bars are packed with flavor and SO EASY to make! You'll wonder why you bothered with a full cheesecake when you could have this instead!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Inactive Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • CRUST:
  • -----------------------
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cups nuts, chopped. Hazelnuts or pecans work great!
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup cold butter cut into 1 Tablespoon pieces
  • -----------------------
  • FILLING:
  • -----------------------
  • 16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions

  1. CRUST:
  2. Preheat oven to 325*F
  3. Line a 9x9 glass dish with non stick foil or parchment paper, making sure to cover sides as well as bottom of pan.
  4. In food processor or by hand, combine the flour, sugar, nuts and salt. Pulse 2 or 3 times to mix. If by hand, stir to combine.
  5. Add the butter and pulse 8-10 times until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs the size of small peas. If doing by hand, use a pastry blender to mix all ingredients until large pea sized crumbs form.
  6. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of lined dish.
  7. Bake for15-20 minutes until golden golden.
  8. FILLING:
  9. In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.
  10. Add flour and mix until incorporated.
  11. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until the batter is smooth.
  12. Stir in the cream, vanilla and almond extracts.
  13. Gently fold in the fresh or frozen blueberries. Do not thaw frozen blueberries.
  14. Pour the batter onto the prepared crust.
  15. Bake 30-35 minutes, until the center is set when you give the pan a gentle jiggle.
  16. Remove from the oven and, using a butter knife gently loosen the warm cheesecake square from the sides of pan.
  17. Let pan cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.
  18. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.
  19. Using a sharp knife, cut into 16 squares. Serve cold.
  20. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

Fresh or Frozen raspberries or blackberries can be substituted for blueberries. If using frozen, add frozen berries into batter. Do not thaw.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 361Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 182mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 17gProtein: 7g
Recipe Adapted from Williams Sonoma Essentials of Baking Cookbook

Original Photos & Text: December 3, 2013

Updated Photos & Text: August 9, 2017

Photo & Text Updated: March 23, 2022

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Ryan

Thursday 7th of December 2017

This recipe sounds amazing! One question though... can I skip the hazelnuts/pecans or what can I substitute in place of nuts? Thank you in advance!!

Janelle

Monday 11th of December 2017

Ryan, you can skip the nuts. As far as a substitute, maybe try graham cracker crumbs or maybe even quick oats (though that might make the crust crumbly as the oatmeal will soak up the butter). Or skip the crust recipe completely and do a traditional graham cracker crust. Let me know if you try one of these and how it turns out!

Patty

Monday 4th of September 2017

I tried to leave a note on this to say how wonderful they are, but I couldn't find a way to do that. Anyway, I did want to say that I used the metal pan and it worked great but took longer to cook that your glass pan. Tell your fans that the jiggle test is so wicked important to do because if they take them out too soon They won't be done. Thanks for your help.

Patty

Saturday 2nd of September 2017

I am making it today and didn't want to mess it up. Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly. I cannot wait to try it!

Patty

Friday 1st of September 2017

I don't have a glass baking dish, is metal ok or should i go to 9x13 glass dish? Thanks

Janelle

Friday 1st of September 2017

Hi Patty! Metal will be just fine! No matter what pan you use, I cannot recommend higher to line the pan with Non-Stick foil. It will make your life soooo much easier when it comes time to get them out of the pan! :)

Beatrice

Tuesday 1st of September 2015

I'm not a baker at all but I thought I'd try this recipe a try since I had the ingredients and was craving something sweet. Turned out amazing and the instructions made it super easy! Will definitely be making it again.

Janelle

Friday 11th of September 2015

Beatrice, thank you so much for leaving such a wonderful review! I'm so glad that you had success with this! I hope you'll try some of our other recipes too!

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