Red White and Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
These easy red, white and BLUEBERRY cheesecake bars are the best patriotic dessert for Memorial Day of 4th of July. So easy!
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 4 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 16 bars
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 full graham cracker sheets)
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the Cheesecake:
- 2 packages reduced fat cream cheese (8 ounce packages, do not use fat free), at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt at room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2/3 cup blueberry pie filling (store-bought or homemade)
- Sliced fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing some of the foil to hang over the sides. Set aside.
- To prepare the crust, break the graham cracker sheets into a food processor or blender. Process until the crackers are fine crumbs, then add the powdered sugar and pulse once more to combine. Drizzle in the melted butter, then pulse until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Press the crumbs into the bottom of the foil-lined pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool as you prepare the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
- For the filling, beat the softened cream cheese for one full minute, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl. Then, beat in the sugar for 3 additional minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add the yogurt, then the eggs, one at a time, fully combining between each and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix in the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Once the crust has cooled, pour half of the cheesecake filling over the crust and smooth. Dollop the pie filling over the crust and swirl lightly with a knife (the cheesecake base will not be completely covered). Top with the remaining cheesecake batter.
- Bake the bars in a 325 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling is mostly set but still soft and barely jiggles in the center when the pan is wiggled. Remove the bars from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until completely cooled, at least 3 hours.
- Just before serving, lift the cheesecake out of the pan using the foil. Top with sliced strawberries. Cut into squares and enjoy.
Notes
- TO STORE: Leftover blueberry cheesecake bars will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- TO FREEZE: Place cheesecake bars on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Then, store them in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 16)Calories: 168kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 58mgPotassium: 118mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 297IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg
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