Lemon & Blueberry Cheesecake Bars Recipes

These Lemon & Blueberry Cheesecake Bars Recipes are extra creamy and sit on a classic graham cracker crust. They’re loaded with fresh lemon flavor, a silky-smooth cheesecake layer, and plenty of juicy blueberries on a crisp, buttery base.

These Lemon & Blueberry Cheesecake Bars Recipes I first shared this recipe back in 2014, and I’ve updated it with new photos, a video tutorial, and a few extra tips to make sure it turns out perfect every time!

These Lemon & Blueberry Cheesecake Bars Recipes like most dessert fans, I love baking a classic cheesecake. It’s tall, impressive, and always a crowd-pleaser with endless toppings like strawberry sauce or salted caramel.

Lemon & Blueberry Cheesecake Bars Recipes but let’s be real—cheesecake can be tricky! Don’t overdo the sugar, don’t over-bake, remember the water bath, and fingers crossed your springform doesn’t leak. It’s usually worth it (I’m obsessed with my go-to cheesecake recipe), but when I want something faster and low-stress, I go for a cheesecake pie or, like today, easy cheesecake bars.

Here’s Why You’ll Love Lemon & Blueberry Cheesecake Bars Recipes

• All the rich, creamy texture of classic Lemon & Blueberry Cheesecake Bars Recipes but way faster and simpler
• Ultra-thick, super creamy
• Tangy-sweet flavor loaded with fresh blueberries
• Like your favorite lemon blueberry cake, but in cheesecake form
• Perfect for on-the-go—no fork required!

Graham Cracker Crust Success Tips

Check out my go-to graham cracker crust recipe below! It fits like a glove in a 9-inch square baking pan, and you can also use it in 8-inch and 10-inch pans. This crust is the real deal—super crunchy, buttery, thick, and not too sweet like some other crumb crusts out there. We whip this up for all kinds of treats, like blueberry cream cheese pie, banoffee pie, and these awesome mini key lime pies and key lime pie bars.

Here are some handy tips:

• Get the right balance of 3 ingredients: graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.
• Use a food processor or blender to crush up 12 full sheets of graham crackers into crumbs.
• Mix the graham cracker crumbs and sugar together before you stir in the butter.
• Press that mixture into your lined pan just enough so it’s not crumbly anymore—don’t pack it down too tight!

Grab These Ingredients for the Filling

1. Bricks of Cream Cheese: Make sure you grab those full-fat cream cheese bricks, not the spreadable stuff in a tub that you’d put on bagels. Same goes for when you’re making cream cheese frosting or strawberry cream cheese pie.
2. Sugar: Don’t go overboard with the sugar, or you’ll miss out on the awesome lemon and blueberry flavors. The sweet spot is 6 tablespoons—just a hair over 1/3 cup but not quite hitting 1/2 cup!
3. Lemon: You’ll need 1 big lemon or 2 medium ones for these cheesecake bars. Aim for 3 tablespoons of juice and 1 teaspoon of zest, which gives you that perfect lemon kick without making you pucker up too much!
4. Vanilla Extract: A splash of this adds rich flavor and makes everything taste even better.
5. Egg: Can’t forget the egg; it keeps those cheesecake bars from falling apart!
6. Blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. If you go with frozen, just know your batter will have that cool blue/purple swirl going on.

The filling for these lemon blueberry cheesecake bars is kinda like what we use in that cheesecake pie. We swap out sour cream for lemon juice, and since these bars aren’t as thick, we can get by with just 1 egg.

Get ready for a thick filling! Make sure to spread it over the crust while it’s still warm. Why? Because that helps the filling stick to the crust way better

Here’s how I line up my square baking pans. Super simple! Lining the pan makes it a breeze to pull the bars out before you slice ’em up and serve. I do the same thing when I whip up rice krispie treats and M&M cookie bars, too

How to Cut Neat Squares

Let those baked bars chill at room temp for about an hour, then toss ’em in the fridge for 2 hours or until the bottom of the pan feels nice and cold. If you try to cut ’em too soon, they’ll just crumble on you. If I’m bringing these to a party or something, I usually whip ’em up the night before so I’m sure they cool and chill long enough for perfect squares.

Use a sharp knife to slice ’em up and give it a wipe between cuts to keep it clean

I wouldn’t change a single thing about this recipe! Everyone on the team was all about how light and tasty these bars are, plus that buttery graham cracker crust pairs perfectly with the lemon cheesecake filling. It can be tough to nail that sweet-and-tart vibe in lemon desserts, but these bars totally crush it

More Lemon Desserts You’ll Love

• Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Citrus Delight Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes or Muffins
• Creamy Lemon Pie
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Zesty Blueberry Galette

Print

Tangy Lemon & Blueberry Cheesecake Bars – Bursting with Flavor

Course: Newest Recipes

Yield

16

Bars

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Super creamy lemon cheesecake bars packed with blueberries and swirled just right. They’re made on my easy-peasy graham cracker crust, and trust me, they’ll be your new go-to dessert

Ingredients

• 12 full sheets of graham crackers (makes about 1 ½ cups of crumbs)

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

Instructions

• Get that oven ready: Crank it up to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, making sure there’s enough overhang on the sides so you can lift those chilled bars out like a boss. Set it aside.
• Whip up the crust: If you’re starting with whole graham crackers, toss ‘em in a food processor or blender and grind ‘em into fine crumbs. No processor? No problem! Just throw ‘em in a zip-top bag and smash ‘em up with a rolling pin—get that arm workout in! In a medium bowl, mix those graham cracker crumbs with the sugar, then stir in the melted butter. It’s gonna be thick and crumbly, so break up any big chunks. Press that goodness into the bottom of your lined pan.
• Pre-bake the crust: Pop that crust in the oven for about 8 minutes. Let it cool for a few while you whip up the filling.
• Make the filling: Grab a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment and beat the cream cheese for a minute on medium speed until it’s all smooth. Then, mix in the egg, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract on medium speed until it’s creamy and dreamy—about 3 minutes. Gently fold in the blueberries. Pour that filling evenly over the warm crust.
• Bake it up: Toss it in the oven for 30–35 minutes, or until it’s set and the edges are lightly golden. The bars will puff up a bit but will settle down as they cool. When it’s done, let ‘em cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack, then chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
• Slice and serve: Lift those bars out using the parchment paper and cut ‘em into squares. They’ll stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

Notes

• Freezing Tips: You can stash those bars in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just thaw ‘em overnight in the fridge before you dig in.