These easy Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars are the perfect spring dessert! These bars are filled with lots of tangy flavor from the lemon and cream cheese and topped with swirls of homemade raspberry sauce! They’re baked on top of a simple, buttery graham cracker crust!
I am so excited about these Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars flavor and beauty raspberry sauce could add to lemon cheesecake bars! I was right! Biting into a creamy, tangy lemon cheesecake bar and getting a burst of fresh raspberry sauce is like nothing I’ve ever tasted!
For another incredibly good treat with homemade raspberry sauce, try my White Chocolate Raspberry Loaf Cake! Raspberry fans will also love these Mango Raspberry Popsicles, this No Churn Raspberry Oreo Ice Cream and this fruity No Churn Raspberry and Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream!
THESE RASPBERRY LEMON CHEESECAKE BARS ARE:
- DELICIOUS: Flavored with lemon zest and lemon juice, creamy cream cheese and from scratch raspberry sauce!
- INDULGENT: You’ll want to savor every bite of the buttery graham cracker crust and ultra creamy cheesecake!
- FROM SCRATCH: I know you can buy a cheesecake or crust at the store, but the homemade versions are so much more satisfying and flavorful!
- BEAUTIFUL: These are the cheesecake bars you’ll want to serve for dessert! The swirled in raspberry sauce is stunning!
HOMEMADE RASPBERRY SAUCE
This raspberry sauce is simple and delicious. You’ll want to make it before the cream cheese mixture. Making it first gives it a chance to cool off and thicken up.
MAKING RASPBERRY SAUCE
- Combine the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and raspberries in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer five minutes. Allow to cool slightly then puree the mixture in a blender or food processor.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl and discard the seeds.
- Pour the mixture to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cornstarch and whisk to combine and boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.
EASY GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
These bars have a simple graham cracker crust. You’ll love both how easy and delicious it is!
HOW TO MAKE THE CRUST
- Place 9 sheets of graham crackers (a whole packet) along with some granulated sugar in a food processor. Pulse until it’s the consistency of bread crumbs.
- With the mixer running, pour in the melted butter and pulse til combined.
- Press the mixture into an 8×8″ square parchment paper lined pan.
- Bake the crust at 325 F for 12 minutes then remove to let cool.
PREPARING THE FILLING
As with preparing the crust, the food processor does all the work mixing together the filling. To make the filling, simply mix your room temperature cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest and juice, and sugar in a food processor until smooth.
Pour the mixture over the cooled prepared graham cracker crust then top the filling with dollops of the cooled raspberry sauce. Next comes the funnest part! Use a toothpick to gently swirl the sauce into the filling.
Bake the bars in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are set. You’ll want to pull it out while the middle is still pretty jiggly. The middle will firm up as it cools.
Let the bars cool in the pan at room temperature for at least an hour then put them in the fridge to finish cooling. Leave them to cool in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
HOW TO CUT THESE CHEESECAKE BARS
When you’re ready to enjoy these yummy raspberry lemon cheesecake bars, lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper. You may need to run a knife down the edges of the pan to loosen them before lifting them out.
Next, run a large, sharp knife under hot water and wipe it dry. Slice the bars into the sizes you want and make sure to wipe the knife clean in between slices. To make sure the bars are cleanly cut, I like to dip my knife in hot water and wipe it clean in between each cut.
There is really nothing like biting into these creamy, lemony bars and tasting the incredibly delicious homemade raspberry sauce! They are completely homemade and completely delicious! Enjoy and happy spring!
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Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 9-12 bars
- Category: Desserts, Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These creamy raspberry lemon cheesecake bars are perfectly tart and sweet! Filled with fresh lemon and tangy cream cheese on top of an easy, crumbly graham cracker crust, these bars have with homemade raspberry sauce swirled into each bite! They make the most beautiful, delicious dessert for spring and summer!
Ingredients
FOR THE RASPBERRY SAUCE
- 1 1/2 cups raspberries
- 1/4 plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon corn starch
- pinch of salt
FOR THE CRUST
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 lemons, juiced
- zest of one lemon
- 2 eggs
Instructions
FOR THE RASPBERRY SAUCE
- Combine the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and raspberries in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer five minutes. Allow to cool slightly then puree mixture in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Discard seeds and add mixture to a medium saucepan with the cornstarch over medium heat. Whisk to combine and boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.
FOR THE CRUST
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly butter then line an 8×8″ pan with parchment paper. Leave some excess parchment paper hanging over two sides to make it easier to remove the bars once baked and cooled.
- Add the graham crackers and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until mixture resembles the size of bread crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse until combined.
- Use your fingers to press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
FOR THE FILLING
- Combine the cream cheese, eggs, lemon juice and zest, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth. Pour the mixture over the cooled graham cracker base.
- Spoon dollops of the cooled raspberry sauce over top. Use a toothpick to gently swirl the curd into the batter.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges are set but the middle’s still a bit jiggly. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature for an hour then place in the fridge to cool for at least 3 hours.
Keywords: cheesecake, bars, lemon, lemon zest, fruit, raspberry, raspberry curd, graham cracker crust, graham crackers
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