These summer berry cheesecake bars will be the hit at your next summer picnic! Quick to make buttery crust, topped with luscious cheesecake layer and piled high with fresh berries.
We all know that summer is the best time to get all your berry fix in
, and if you’re like me, you love to go a little crazy.
I’m pretty sure my family has made one or two comments that they think they skin are going to turn red or pink from all this berry intake.
But hey, the 4th of July already knocks on the door, which means everything red, white and blue. Since I’ve been craving cheesecake for a while now, with some left over fresh strawberries and blueberries on my kitchen counter, I decided to make a summer berry cheesecake bars.
WHY MAKE CHEESECAKE BARS?
Cheesecake bars are made the same way as cheesecake and baked in a square or rectangular baking dish.
They bake even easier than cheesecake and made a delicious cheesecake dessert.
I love the taste of homemade shortbread crust (not what I dislike graham cracker crust) and wanted to combine a thicker crust with a layer of cheesecake.
SHORTBREAD CRUST FOR CHEESECAKE
Besides Oreo cookies or graham crackers, you can also made a different cheesecake crust – shortbread crust.
It is buttery and soft, thick and tastes amazing.
This crust is almost as thick as the cheesecake layer, so if this is something you don’t like,
simply reduce the ingredients and you’ll end up with a thinner base for your cheesecake.
(Baking time should be reduced to around 10-12 minutes, as well.)
You can enjoy these cheesecake bars at room temperature or chilled.
HOW TO CUT SUMMER BERRY CHEESECAKE BARS?
I cut them into 3×3 inch squares, but if cut into 1×1 inch squares, they’ll make an awesome party dessert. Clean the knife after each cut and you’ll be able to achieve perfectly cut cheesecake bars.
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted
- 1- 1½ cups chopped strawberries
- ½ cups blueberries
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in vanilla. Add the flour to wet mixture and mix just until combined.
- Spread on a greased, foil lined baking sheet (I use a 11 x 7 x 1.5 inch pan/cookie sheet).
- * The dough will be just like cookie dough - heavy and sticky- so it's best to spray your hands with a little nonstick spray and use them to help mold the dough into the pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the bars cool completely.
- Beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, then fold in the melted white chocolate and mix on medium speed until smooth and incorporated evenly.
- Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled sugar cookie bars.
- Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to let the cream layer set up.
- * I learned that these look the best if you put the berries on right before serving, otherwise the juice from the berries can tint your cream layer pink.
- Decorate with fresh berries, cut into squares, and serve.
- * You can use a spoon to drizzle white chocolate over the tops of the berries if you like.
- * Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
