Strawberry Cheesecake Bars: Easy Recipe for Beginners
Cheesecake you can eat out of hand is the whole idea here, with a crisp graham base underneath and a crunchy crumble on top.
The graham crust gets a short bake on its own first, which helps it stay crisp under the filling. Press it in hard, because a loose crust crumbles when you cut. For the filling, the cream cheese and eggs should both be at room temperature, and the eggs go in one at a time on low speed, just until combined. Beating in extra air is what makes cheesecake puff and crack.
Pat the diced strawberries dry before scattering them over, so they do not water down the filling. The crumble is flour, brown sugar and salt stirred with melted butter until it forms clumps, and those clumps become the crunchy top.
Before slicing, the bars cool at room temperature and then go into the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so the filling firms up. Lifting the whole slab out by the parchment makes neat squares easy.
For something in the same register, look through my easy dessert collection.
PrintStrawberry Cheesecake Bars: The Perfect Dessert for Beginners
Cheesecake bars with a graham cracker crust, a creamy vanilla filling, diced fresh strawberries and a brown sugar crumble on top. Cool and chill before slicing.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (126 g) graham cracker crumbs (about 10 - 12 crushed graham cracker sheets)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups (332 g) freshly diced strawberries
- ¾ cup (94 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on two sides. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, 6 tablespoons melted butter and 1/4 cup granulated sugar, then press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes and let it cool slightly.
- Make the cheesecake filling: Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar, the vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt and beat until combined. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing just until each one disappears. Pour the filling over the crust and spread it evenly.
- Add the strawberries: Pat the diced strawberries dry with a paper towel and scatter them evenly over the filling.
- Prepare the crumble topping: In a small bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 5 tablespoons melted butter and stir until the mixture forms clumps. Sprinkle it over the strawberries.
- Bake and cool: Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles only slightly. Cool in the pan at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Serve: Lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment and cut into squares with a sharp knife, wiping it clean between cuts. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
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