Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

These Strawberry Cheesecake Bars are a delicious way to use those fresh summer strawberries! The bars have a crisp graham cracker crust topped with creamy vanilla cheesecake and a sweet, flavorful strawberry sauce swirled throughout.

How to Make the Best Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Strawberry Sauce

First, make the strawberry sauce. This sauce adds a beautiful swirl of color and delicious flavor to these cheesecake bars. Start with a pound of fresh strawberries. Wash and quarter the berries before adding them to a sauce pan with a quarter cup of sugar and a quarter cup of water. Allow the mixture to come to a boil before reducing to a simmer. Simmer until the berries are soft and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing cornstarch with the remaining water before adding the slurry to the sauce. This will thicken the strawberry sauce to the perfect consistency. I strained my sauce by passing it through a sieve to remove all larger pieces of strawberry, but you could also just mash larger pieces with a fork if you like a chunkier sauce. Set aside to cool while you make the crust and cheesecake filling.

Graham Cracker Crust

This graham cracker crust is my go-to because it’s simple, delicious, and only has two ingredients. Before you begin, preheat the oven to 350°F and prep an 8×8 baking dish by lining with parchment paper. To make the crust stir together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter -that’s it! Press the crust mixture firmly into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Set aside until the bars are ready to be assembled.

Cheesecake Filling

This cheesecake filling is a classic vanilla cheesecake – slightly tangy, sweet, and creamy. Before making the filling, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. When making cheesecake, start with all ingredients at room temperature. This will ensure that they mix evenly and will help prevent any lumps of cream cheese from remaining in the batter. Whip together the cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream in a large mixing bowl for 2-3 minutes, or ingredients are evenly combined and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt. Continue to mix until no lumps remain in the batter.

Assembling the Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

To assemble the cheesecake bars, spread the cheesecake filling evenly over the graham cracker crust. Pour the strawberry sauce on top of the cheesecake filling and swirl into the batter with a butter knife.

Baking the Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Bake the cheesecake bars at 325°F for 45-50 minutes, or until the edges of the bars are lightly browned and the center only wobble slightly when the pan is moved. Remove from the oven and let cool fully. The cheesecake will continue to cook and set as it cools. Once fully cooled, chill in the refrigerator for perfect tasted and texture.

Serving and Storage

The Strawberry Cheesecake Bars are best served cold. To slice, remove from the pan by lifting the parchment paper. If you have difficulty lifting the bars from the pan, leave at room temperature for 10-15 minutes until the butter in the crust softens enough to release the bars. Slice carefully. To get even slices, wipe the knife off between cuts.

Store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To store for longer, freeze the cheesecake bars. I prefer to wrap each bar individually before freezing to preserve freshness and prevent freezer burn. Let frozen bars rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before eating for to achieve a creamy texture. Frozen bars will stay fresh for approximately two months.

If you like cheesecake, you need to try this recipe! These Strawberry Cheesecake Bars are sweet, tart, and packed with bright strawberry flavor. For an extra special treat, top with more sliced strawberries. If you make them, I’d love to hear what you thought. Leave a review in the comments below!

To check out recipes for other delicious Sugar Dusted Sweets cheesecakes and bars, tap on the photos below!