Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars

These Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars are the most perfect combination of sweet, creamy, tangy, and fresh. The buttery graham cracker crust adds a nice crust, the smooth lemon cheesecake filling adds a nice tangy flavor, swirled with fresh juicy blueberries in every bite. Topped with my favorite brown sugar streusel topping and its a match made in heaven.

It’s like summer in dessert form – with no fancy tools, no water bath, only a few ingredients that come together into layers of flavor magic.

If you love the bright fresh flavor of lemon, paired with sweet blueberries, you are going to be as obsessed with these bars as I am. Don’t forget to try this Blueberry Lemon Pie, and these Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls.

These bars are everything you love about a creamy cheesecake, but in simple to make, easy to serve bar form! Perfect for summer parties, Easter dessert tables, or anytime you need a treat to brighten your day.

Why you’ll love these

• Amazing Flavor Combo: The combination of the buttery crust, tangy lemon cheesecake, juicy blueberries, and brown sugar crumb topping. It’s like summer in a part
• Thick and Creamy: The thick cheesecake filling is so rich, and creamy. Paired with the crunchy brown sugar topping, it has the best texture!
• Easier than a Full Cheesecake: No water bath needed, and this bakes and chills faster than a classic cheesecake. And there is less risk of them cracking! Plus you can add a dollop of whipped cream and a fresh blueberry on top if there are some small cracks.
• Eat with your Hands: Or a fork. You pick!

Ingredients Needed

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

• Graham crackers or graham cracker crumbs – you’ll blend these into a crumb to make the crust
• Unsalted butter – binds the crumbs of the crust, and streusel topping together
• Cream cheese – two blocks of full fat cream cheese, softened. Not a tub of spreadable cream cheese
• Eggs – Helps bind the bars and all the ingredients together.
• Granulated Sugar – Sweetens the cheesecake
• Sour Cream – You can use light or full fat sour cream, it will add tang and balance the sweetness of the cheesecake.
• Lemons – you’ll use lemon juice and lemon zest
• Vanilla Extract – Adds a little flavor to the cheesecake filling
• Salt – Balances our the sweet flavors
• Blueberries – Use fresh blueberries for the best texture, frozen berries will make the filling to liquidy
• All purpose flour – For the crumb topping
• Brown sugar – To sweeten the crumb topping and give it a nice crunchy texture.

How to make Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Step 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.

Step 2: Bake the Crust. Press the crumbs into the bottom of a lined 9×9 baking pan and bake for about 10 minutes until the crust is fragrant. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.

Step 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, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt, and mix on low speed until just combined. Gently fold in most of the blueberries.

Step 4: Make the Crumb Topping. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Stir in the butter until you have a crumbly dough.

Step 5: Assemble the Bars. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the top of the graham cracker crust. Scatter the remaining blueberries over the top. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top of the bars.

Step 6: Bake the Cheesecake Bars. Bake the cheesecake until the filling is mostly set (a little jiggly in the middle is okay) and the crumb topping is golden brown. 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.

Tips and Tricks

• Line Pan with Parchment Paper – Cut parchment paper to the width of the pan so you can line it, with 2 opposite sides hanging over the edges. This will help you remove the cheesecake bars easily, so they are easier to slice, and it will be easier to clean your pan, too.
• Different Berries – Instead of blueberries try blackberries, or raspberries, or a combination of mixed berries.
• Don’t Over Mix – Once you add the eggs you want to gently stir the batter just until combined. This will help avoid cracks in your cheesecake bars. (Luckily even with a couple cracks, they still taste delicious, and the crumb hides some of it, AND you can always add whipped cream on top if needed to hide them)

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. You can also freeze the bars for up to 3 months if needed. The crust and crumb topping will be a little softer after freezing.

These cheesecake bars are some of the best I’ve ever had. The graham cracker crust and streusel crumb topping add a nice crunch and extra sweetness to the bars.

More Cheesecake Recipes

• White Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
• Blueberry Cheesecake
• Cherry Cheesecake Squares
• Cheesecake Brownies
• Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
• Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars
• Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
• Banana Cheesecake
• Original Cheesecake Recipe