Strawberry Cheesecake Bars Recipe

BY TIFFANY VALKOVA '25
Springtime is a time for new life and rebirth: greenery poking through the trees, spring cleaning, and a ton of fresh fruits finally coming back in season! I’ve always loved snacking on fruit and pairing fruits in desserts, and my guilty pleasure and favorite cake would have to be cheesecake, so these strawberry cheesecake bars are meant to be! They’re subtly sweet, light, and absolutely delicious. The strawberry cheesecake flavor is a classic, and even though it’s homemade, it tastes just like the real thing. And to make it even better, they’re smaller bars instead of a whole cheesecake, which makes the process so much easier, and an even quicker bake to the satisfaction of eating them.

​Major allergens would only include lactose. This recipe yields about 16 cheesecake bars, but the total can be easily altered to fit the right pan size that is available. In total, it takes about twenty minutes of prep time, thirty minutes to bake, and an hour to cool. It also involves a lot of ingredients that can often be found on a regular basis in the kitchen. I would definitely  recommend trying this recipe with one of your favorite fruits in a compote or a fresh topping, due to the excellent relationship they usually have with the airiness of cheesecake. This recipe involves a three-part process, but I promise it’s worth it in the end!

Ingredients:
  • Crust
    • 12 square-pieces of graham crackers, i.e. 1.6 oz/45 g of crackers (handy for s’mores in the summer too!)
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • ½ cup or one stick of butter melted
  • Cheesecake filling
    • 16 oz cream cheese or two packages of block cream cheese softened to room temperature
    • ¼ cup of Greek yogurt
    • 1 egg
    • 3 tablespoons of granulated or brown sugar
    • 1 ½ tablespoons of vanilla extract
  • Strawberry compote topping

    • 1 cup of strawberries (depending on the size, there should be about 8 strawberries)
    • 1 tablespoon of sugar
    • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice


Instructions:
  1. Line a 8x8 inch square pan (or something similar to those dimensions) with parchment paper.

Crust:
  1. Combine the graham crackers and sugar in a food processor and pulse until the mixture turns into crumbs. You could use a blender or just crush up the crackers by hand as well.
  2. Meanwhile, melt the butter.
  3. Combine melted butter with the graham cracker mixture until fully combined.
  4. Transfer into the pan and press down into an even layer to form the crust.
  5. Set aside.

Cheesecake filling:
  1. Combine the cream cheese, yogurt, egg, sugar, and vanilla into a medium bowl and mix with a hand or stand mixer until smooth.
  2. Set aside.

Strawberry compote topping:
  1. Wash and cut up the strawberries into small pieces.
  2. Combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over low to medium heat and continuously stir.
  3. After about five minutes once it is boiling, reduce the heat down to a simmer.
  4. Keep stirring and break up the strawberries into smaller pieces for another couple of minutes.
  5. Set aside to cool.

Assembly & baking:
  1. Add the cheesecake mixture on top of the graham cracker crust into a smooth, even layer.
  2. Add the strawberry compote on top of the cheesecake and swirl it around with a toothpick to create a unique design and spread the strawberry flavor around.
  3. Bake for about 25-30 minutes on 350℉, until the top and edges look dry and baked through. The middle should still be a little wobbly, so don’t worry—it’s not underdone!
  4. Once done baking, set aside for 15 minutes to cool on a wire rack, and then refrigerate for at least an hour.
  5. Slice and enjoy!

This is a super delicious and surprisingly easy recipe to make, so I’d definitely give it a try! The bars can be stored in the fridge up to about five days after making them, but make sure to separate them with wax paper to prevent them from sticking together. You could definitely alter this recipe, as well: to make it more decadent, and you can experiment with adding a caramel or chocolate topping, and also try it with different fruits you might prefer over strawberries; or you could use speculoos (e.g. Biscoff) cookies or even Oreos to replace graham crackers in the crust. If you love cheesecake, and you love berries, look no further—the perfect springtime dessert is here!