Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

5 from 7 votes

These sweet, creamy and tangy lemon blueberry cheesecake bars have a graham cracker-pecan crust and a light-as-air cream cheese filling for an easy make-ahead dessert.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Dessert

Keyword: bars, blueberry, cheesecake, dessert, easy, lemon, spring, summer, sweets

Servings: servings

Calories: 299kcal

Author: Shanika

Ingredients

GRAHAM CRACKER-PECAN CRUST:

2 cups Graham crackers, chopped (About 12-14 Graham Crackers)
1 cup halved toasted pecans (Add more if desired; just reduce Graham Crackers amount; See Notes!)
3 Tbsps organic brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4-5 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted

LEMON BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE:

16 ozs. organic cream cheese, softened at room temp.
1 cup organic cane sugar
4 Tbsps organic all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon finely-ground sea salt
2 large organic eggs, at room temp.
3 Tbsps Greek yogurt (See Notes!)
2 tsps freshly-squeezed lemon juice (You can also sub w/ lemon extract)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups fresh blueberries

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

TO MAKE THE CRUST:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a standard 8-inch square cake pan pan by lightly greasing it with butter and lining it with parchment paper, leaving a bit hanging at the sides.
Grind the pecans and graham crackers, until almost finely ground (it’s OK to leave a few medium chunks, if your’e a lover a little crunch!). Combine the Pecan-Graham cracker mixture, cinnamon, brown sugar and melted butter in a small bowl and mix with a spatula until well incorporated.
Add the mixture into the prepared pan and press down into the bottom with your fingers (focusing on the middle) to ensure that it’s perfectly covering the bottom evenly.
Bake the crust for about 5 minutes and then remove from oven and allow it to cool until you’re ready to use.

TO MAKE THE CHEESECAKE FILLING:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together on low speed: the cream cheese, sugar, salt, and flour until combined. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl if needed.
Next, add the lemon juice and the first egg and beat slowly until mostly combined. Then add the remaining egg and mix until well combined, still mixing everything on low speed. Now, add the yogurt, and lemon zest, and continue mixing.
Change mixer attachment to a whisk and beat on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes or so until completely smooth and lump-free. NOTE: DO NOT OVER-MIX. Be sure to stop once the batter becomes smooth. Fold in the blueberries.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, evenly spreading out the batter.
Bake the cheesecake for 20-25 minutes or until the centers come out clean once tested.

CHILL CHEESECAKE:

Once done, remove the cheesecake bars from the oven and allow it to cool completely before putting it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
When cheesecake bars have fully chilled, remove from pan, cut into medium-sized squares, top with blueberry compote, if desired and enjoy.
Bon Appetit!

Notes

STORAGE: Leftover Cheesecake bars can be stored (tightly wrapped) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For best results, keep cheesecake in the freezer until the night before you’re ready to serve. Defrost by refrigerating overnight.
BLUEBERRY COMPOTE: To see the recipe for the blueberry compote, check out my DF Blueberry French Toast recipe.
CHEESECAKE BITES: If you turn this recipe into cheesecake bites, you’ll make about 2 dozen bites.
PECANS: You can choose to leave out the pecans and make an entirely Graham Cracker crust.
TOASTED PECANS: Add pecans to a baking sheet and toast them in the oven (400 degrees Fahrenheit) for 10-15 minutes, tossing them halfway to ensure that browning is even on both sides.

Nutrition