strawberry cheesecake bars

these strawberry cheesecake bars are a slice of sunshine on a plate. layers of buttery biscuits, creamy baked cheesecake and sweet strawberry syrup are topped with a golden, crisp crumble, whisking you away to lazy, sun-drenched afternoons with every bite.

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these strawberry cheesecake bars are like a sweet, sun-drenched daydream come to life. a buttery, crumbly biscuit crust forms the base for a silky smooth, creamy cheesecake layer, baked to perfection. top with a generous drizzle of homemade strawberry syrup, bursting with the flavour of sun-ripened berries, and finish with a golden, crisp streusel for a delicate crunch.

why you will love this easy strawberry cheesecake bars recipe:

• textures!! – these cheesecake bars with strawberry topping have so many different textures in one bite. the contrast of the crumbly crust, silky smooth cheesecake, juicy strawberries and crunchy streusel is just perfect. for me, this is an ideal dessert – the perfect mix of creamy, butter, crunchy and refreshing.

• impressive but easy – these delicious strawberry cheesecake bars look impressive with all of their layers but they’re not as complicated as they seem to make! they do have a fair amount of steps, but all the steps are pretty straightforward and they’re quite hard to mess up.

• perfect for making ahead – these strawberry cheesecake bars are perfect for when you need to bring something to a picnic or when you’re having guests over. it’s actually ideal to leave these in the fridge overnight, so this recipe is great for those who like to plan ahead.

learn how to make these homemade strawberry cheesecake bars:

these homemade strawberry cheesecake bars are perfect for summer! we’re going to start off by mixing together melted butter with crushed biscuits or graham crackers. add this to a lined baking pan for the base of our strawberry cheesecake bars. for our creamy cheesecake filling, we’ll mix together cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, sugar, cornstarch, heavy cream and a little bit of salt, then add this on top of the base and bake for a while. then we’ll remove the cheesecake bars from the oven, top with fresh strawberries and strawberry syrup, as well as a crumble made out of flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter. bake until the crumble is golden and crisp and we’re done!

strawberry cheesecake bars ingredients:

• biscuits or graham crackers – this will be the base for our layered strawberry cheesecake bars. if you like a graham cracker crust, feel free to use graham crackers, but you can really use any kind of biscuit or cookie for your base, just something slightly sweet would work best. we’re going to crush them and mix with butter for the base.

• butter – this strawberry cheesecake bars recipe uses salted butter for the base and then unsalted butter for the crumble topping at the end. i like to use a bit of salted butter so that there’s a nice balance between salty and sweet. feel free to also use all unsalted butter if you’d prefer that.

• cream cheese – we’re going to need quite a lot of cream cheese for our creamy cheesecake filling. i like to use the thick blocks of cream cheese over the spreadable kind as i find that it tends to be creamier and richer. but spreadable cream cheese is also perfectly fine to use if that’s all that you have on hand!

• granulated sugar – this recipe uses granulated sugar for the cheesecake filling and the strawberry topping.

• eggs – in this recipe for strawberry cheesecake bars, i use 2 large eggs. leave them out at room temperature, so that they incorporate easier with the rest of the ingredients.

• vanilla extract – optional, but a small amount will add a nice, subtle vanilla flavour.

• cornstarch – TO KEEP THESE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS EASY TO MAKE, i use a small amount of cornstARCH. THIS WILL HELP THEM SET BETTER AND WILL ALSO MAKE THE FILLING SMOOTHER. IF YOU’D PREFER NOT TO USE CORNSTARCH, YOU CAN ALSO USE PLAIN FLOUR OR ALL PURPOSE FLOUR IN PLACE OF THIS.

• salt – just a small amount of salt mixed in the CHEESECAKE MIXTURE BALANCES OUT THE SWEETNESS.

• HEAVY CREAM – I LIKE TO ADD A SMALL AMOUNT OF HEAVY CREAM TO THE CHEESECAKE MIXTURE FOR EXTRA RICHNESS AND CREAMINESS.

• STRAWBERRIES – I LIKE TO MAKE THESE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS WITH FRESH STRAWBERRIES, BUT YOU CAN ALSO USE FROZEN STRawberries if that’s all that you have on hand. i actually used a mix of both frozen and fresh – frozen strawberries to make the strawberry syrup and then let this cool down and add fresh strawberries to it for some texture.

• flour – i use plain flour or all purpose flour for the crumble topping on these strawberry cheesecake crumb bars.

• brown sugar – for the crumble, i like to use brown sugar – this light muscovado sugar is one of my favourites. this just gives it some extra flavour and colour. you can also just use granulated sugar as well if you prefer.

tools:

• a pot for making the strawberry syrup over the stove

• small mixing bowl – we’ll need a small mixing bowl for the crumb topping for these strawberry cheesecake crumble bars.

• 2 medium or large mixing bowls – we’ll be adding all of the cheesecake ingredients to one bowl so you’ll need a fairly big bowl to fit all of them in so that it’s easier to mix. you’ll also need a bowl for the biscuits/graham crackers and butter mixture.

• parchment paper or baking paper – lining your baking pan with parchment paper will make it easier to lift the cheesecake bars out once they’re done.

• 8×8 inch baking pan – i like to use an 8×8 inch pan for this strawberry cheesecake bars recipe, as baking them in an 8×8 inch pan makes them extra thick.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: preheat your oven and and grease and line a baking pan for your strawberry cheesecake bars. let some of the paper hang over the edges so that it’s easier to lift them out once they’re done.

step two: in a medium or large mixing bowl, add all of your biscuits or graham crackers. use something like a rolling pin to crush them until fine. feel free to use a food processor or to just put them in a bag and crush them that way – whatever works for you.

step three: melt butter, then add it to the crushed biscuits/graham crackers and mix it in.

step four: add the biscuit/graham cracker mixture to your lined baking pan. use a glass or cup to press it down until the surface of the pan is covered, and the mixture is smooth. then, place the pan in the fridge while you make the rest of the filling.

step five: in a pot, add frozen or fresh strawberries and sugar. feel free to add some water if needed, but the strawberries will release water anyway. keep mixing this and cook over medium heat until the strawberries start to release liquid. let the strawberries simmer in the syrup until it starts to thicken up. once it has thickened to your desired consistency, remove the pot from the heat, and let it cool. keep in mind that the syrup will thicken up a bit more as it cools.

step six: in a bowl, add room temperature cream cheese. mix this until it becomes soft and creamy. then, add granulated sugar and mix it into the cream cheese until the sugar dissolves and you can no longer feel sugar granules between your fingers.

step seven: add vanilla to the cheesecake filling and mix it in. crack 2 eggs and mix them in one by one until incorporated into the mixture.

step eight: sift cornstarch into the cheesecake filling, and then add a small amount of salt. gently fold these into the mixture.

step nine: pour heavy cream into the mixture, then gently mix this in until the mixture looks smooth and thick.

step ten: pour the creamy cheesecake filling on top of your biscuit/graham cracker crust, then bake this for about 40 minutes.

step eleven: while the cheesecake bars are in the oven, start making the crumble. in a small bowl, add all purpose flour or plain flour, then add light brown sugar. mix this together.

step twelve: add softened butter to the bowl, and use your hands to rub the butter into the flour mixture. keep doing this until you create a mix of small and large crumbles.

step thirteen: add some fresh strawberries to your cooled strawberry syrup and mix them in.

step fourteen: remove the cheesecake bars from the oven – they should be soft on the top, and quite wobbly when you shake the pan.

step fifteen: gently add the cool strawberry mixture on top until the cheesecake layer is completely covered.

step sixteen: add a layer of the crumble mixture on top, then bake this for another 20 minutes – the crumble should look golden brown.

step seventeen: let your fresh strawberry cheesecake bars cool slightly at room temperature, then place them in the fridge. let them set in the fridge overnight.

step eighteen: remove them from the fridge the next morning, lift them out of the pan, then use a sharp knife to slice them into even squares.

step nineteen: let’s eat!

tips and notes

• use room temperature ingredients. leave your cream cheese, eggs, heavy cream and butter out at least 30 minutes before you start making these strawberry cream cheese crumble bars. this will make it easier for you to get a smooth and creamy cheesecake filling. cold ingredients will just be a little more difficult to combine together.

• crush the graham crackers or biscuits finely for your crust. we want to make sure the base layer is even, so make sure you crush them into fine crumbs. i just put them in a bowl, then used a rolling pin to crush them. to make it easier, you might want to use a food processor or put them in a sealed plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

• when pressing the graham cracker or biscuit crumbs into your baking dish, use a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup to press them together and make an even and firm layer.

• try not to over mix the cheesecake batter. once you add the eggs in, mix the cheesecake batter gently, and only mix until the ingredients are just combined and smooth.

• when making the crumble, use cold or softened butter. cold butter helps create a more textured crumble, but i personally find it easier to make a crumble with softened butter so i usually do this.

• make sure you preheat the oven so that it’s already hot by the time you place your cheesecake bars in the oven. this will ensure that the cheesecake bakes evenly and that it won’t take longer to bake.

• adjust baking time as needed. every oven is different, so i recommend keeping an eye on your cheesecake bars. don’t just bang them in the oven and leave until the designated time is up. we’re going to be taking them out after a certain amount of time to add the strawberry topping and the crumble. you want to make sure that the cheesecake is baked enough to hold the topping, and not sink under it, but you also don’t want it to be over baked as we will be putting it back in the oven. for me, this took about 40 minutes – the cheesecake was still quite wobbly, and soft on the top, but still firm enough to hold the topping.

• once you add the strawberry topping and the crumble, bake again until the crumble becomes a light golden colour for the perfect texture and flavour.

• once your strawberry cheesecake bars are out of the oven, they will be too soft to pick up or slice. let them cool at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, then place the baking dish in the fridge and let this set for at least a few hours, but preferably overnight.

• use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. while i add both metric and cup measurements for this recipe, i always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients for most accurate results.

• if using frozen strawberries, thaw them completely, and drain any excess liquid before using.

• when making the strawberry syrup, feel free to adjust the sugar depending on the level of sweetness that you like.

• when slicing your chilled strawberry cheesecake bars, use a sharp knife for clean, even slices.

• store any leftover cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

frequently asked questions

1. can i use a different type of cookie for the base?

   – yes, you can absolutely use any kind of cookie or biscuit you like for the base of these strawberry cheesecake bars. in fact, you could even make strawberry cheesecake cookie bars and use a cookie dough for the base!

2. can i make these strawberry cheesecake bars without cornstarch?

   – i use a small amount of cornstarch in this strawberry cheesecake bars recipe just to help thicken and stabilise the cheesecake filling. you can make these cheesecake bars without the cornstarch, but they may be a little softer and more difficult to set. alternatively, you can use an equal amount of plain flour or all purpose flour to help thicken it.

3. can i make these strawberry cheesecake bars without heavy cream?

   – the heavy cream in this strawberry cheesecake bars recipe helps make the cheesecake layer more rich and creamy. if you don’t have any heavy cream or would prefer not to use it, you can substitute it with sour cream or greek yoghurt. the cheesecake may have a bit of a sour hint to it, and will be slightly different in texture, but it will still provide that richness that heavy cream does.

4. do i have to use vanilla to make these strawberry cheesecake bars?

   – the vanilla in this recipe is optional. i like the subtle vanilla flavour it gives to the cheesecake bars, but if you would prefer not to use it or don’t have it, that’s also completely fine.

5. can i make the crumble topping without brown sugar?

   – brown sugar adds moisture and flavour to the crumb topping, but you can absolutely just substitute it for the same amount of granulated sugar. there will be some differences in taste and texture, but otherwise it’ll be fine.

6. can i use a different type of fruit instead of strawberries?

   – yes, you can use a different type of fruit, such as raspberries, blueberries or even peaches. any of these would work great with the cheesecake and crumble. just bear in mind that the sweetness of fruits usually varies so you might need to adjust the amount of sugar you use in the syrup depending upon what fruit you use.

7. can i make these bars without the crumble topping?

   – the crumble topping provides a lovely crunchy and some texture that i think goes great with these cheesecake bars! but if you want to keep these strawberry cheesecake bars easy, you can definitely make them without the crumble topping or even experiment with other toppings.

8. can i make these strawberry cheesecake bars in advance?

   – yes, you can make them in advance. in fact, i recommend chilling them in the fridge overnight so that they have time to set before slicing, so making them ahead of time would actually be ideal!

9. can i bake these strawberry cheesecake bars in a 9×13 pan?

   – yes. i baked these strawberry cheesecake bars in an 8×8 inch pan for extra thick bars, so i would recommend doubling the recipe if you want to make these in a 9×13 pan. the baking time will also need to be adjusted for a larger pan, so keep an eye on that.

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