Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Tart, sweet and creamy, these lemon blueberry cheesecake bars are a refreshing dessert, perfect to welcome in the beginning of spring! These cheesecake bars have a bright lemony flavor combined with juicy blueberries to create a lovely flavor combo that both kids and adults will enjoy!
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 12 graham crackers (full size)
- 3 tbsp white sugar
- 5 tbsp salted butter, melted or unsalted butter with a pinch of salt added to crust
Cheesecake Batter
- 16 oz full-fat cream cheese
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice about two large lemons
- 1 tbsp lemon zest about one large lemon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F and line an 8x8 inch glass baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, pulverize graham crackers and sugar together until they resemble fine crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse a few more times to create a mixture that resembles wet sand. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer along the bottom of the pan using your hands or the back of a measuring cup. Bake the crust for 10 min and then set aside to cool.
- While the crust is baking, make the cheesecake batter. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a bowl using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar for 1-2 minutes. Beat in the egg until smooth before adding the lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract. The batter will be fairly runny. Very gently fold in the blueberries using a spatula until just combined.
- Pour the batter over the slightly cooled crust and spread into an even layer. Place into the oven on the middle rack, and then add some water to a loaf pan and place the pan with water on the bottom rack. Bake the cheesecake for 45-50 minutes or until the edges are set but the middle is still jiggly. The loaf pan with water creates steam in the oven which helps keep the cheesecake from cracking.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool about 2 hours at room temperature before covering and refrigerating for 10-12 hours or overnight. Chilling the cheesecake this amount of time ensures that it is completely set so that it will cut easily into 9 equal squares. Serve cold and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.