Cherry Cheesecake Bars

These cherry cheesecake bars are a delicious creamy cheesecake bar, with a graham cracker crust, and topped with cherry pie filling.

These cherry cheesecake bars are so cute, easy, and a perfect dessert option. They’re great for an elegant Valentine’s Day dessert, at a spring potluck, or summer BBQ, or honestly any day of the week. They are a definitely crowd pleaser. 

All my fellow cherry lovers will also love these cherries in the snow for another super easy dessert option! Or this cherry cobbler recipe with cake mix.

Cheesecake bars are a delicious dessert, and I love that they are a little easier to make than a traditional cheesecake. You don’t need to use a water bath for these cheesecakes, and there is less risk of them cracking too. (Plus the cherries on top help hide any if you get some small cracks).

These cherry cheesecake bars are like your favorite cheesecake in bar form. They have a sweet buttery graham cracker crust, creamy filling, and are topped with sweet cherry pie filling. They are a great easy recipe that will quickly be come a new favorite dessert for you and your family.

Ingredients Needed:

This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Cherry Cheesecake Bars Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.

• graham crackers or graham cracker crumbs
• unsalted butter
• cream cheese
• eggs
• granulated sugar
• sour cream
• flour
• salt
• vanilla extract
• can of cherry pie filling – you can grab a can from the store, or make your own.

How to make Cherry Cheesecake Bars?

1. Make the homemade graham cracker crust. You will need graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and a little sugar. You can make your own crumbs, by pulsing up some graham cracker cookies in a food processor or blender, or hammering them in a bag, or you can actually buy some from the grocery store. Mix them together in a medium bowl.
2. Then press them into the bottom of a lined square 9-inch baking pan and bake until the crust is fragrant. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. 
3. Make the cheesecake filling. Mix the cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk works great) until it is smooth. Then add in the sugar, sour cream, and mix for a couple of minutes on medium speed. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and salt, and mix on low speed until just combined.
4. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the pan over the prepared crust. Bake cherry cheesecake bars until the sides are set and the center is slightly jiggly. 
5. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool on the counter for a couple hours, then place it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, up to 3 days.
6. Serve. Cut the cheesecake into squares and serve each slice with cherry pie filling over the top of the cheesecake layer. Top the bars with whipped cream or cool whip if desired. 

Tips and Tricks:

• These cheesecake bars will be slightly jiggly in the center when they are done baking, they will keep cooking in the pan after they are removed from the oven. If the cheesecake is loose or jiggles a lot then the bars are not done. 
• Try a different fresh fruit topping, or pie filling instead of cherry. You could use blueberry, apple, or peach pie filling, or a homemade strawberry sauce, lemon curd, fresh cherries, etc.
• Try an Oreo crust instead of the graham cracker crust for a yummy chocolate addition.
• Line your pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil to make the bars easy to remove, and easier to cut into nice even slices.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions:

These cheesecake bars will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The crust will start to soften the longer they stay in the fridge. 

The bars can also be frozen, by covering the pan with a lid or plastic wrap and then foil, or a ziplock bag. They should be frozen without the cherry topping, and can be frozen for up to 3 months.

If you want to make the bars ahead of time, the best way is storing them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Slice them when you’re ready to serve them and top them with cherries when you are serving them up.

These cherry cheesecake bars are a delicious, creamy, tangy cheesecake, and a delicious bar dessert. They’re a perfect dessert for serving after dinner, at a potluck, backyard bbq, baby shower, or bridal shower.

Looking for more cheesecake desserts?

• Blueberry Cheesecake
• No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
• Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
• Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecakes

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These cherry cheesecake bars were first posted on February 15, 2015. The photos, text, and recipe were first posted on April 5, 2023.