If you love fruity dessert bars that come together quickly, you’ve got to try my Healthy Raspberry Oat Bars! They have a delicious streusel topping and tangy raspberry flavor. You might also enjoy these Cranberry Lemon Bars. The cranberry flavor is a perfect companion to bright, cheery lemon. Try these the next time you have people over!
What are Raspberry Cheesecake Bars?
This delicious recipe is everything you love about raspberry cheesecake but in bar form! This makes them delightful finger food, perfect for serving at parties or events.
There are three layers to this recipe:
- Oreo cookie crust
- Creamy cheesecake layer
- Fresh raspberry swirl made from homemade jam
Sweet, tangy, creamy, and chocolatey – these raspberry cream cheese bars hit all the right notes in every bite!
Although most raspberry bars use a crushed graham cracker crust, I love how that bright raspberry flavor tastes with Oreo cookies. You’ll want to swap out Oreo crusts for even your regular cheesecake recipes now! Or try it with Golden Oreos for a lighter flavor with no chocolate!
Raspberry Cheesecake Bars Ingredients
Here’s exactly what you need to make these raspberry swirl cheesecake bars! Check out the recipe card at the end for the specifics.
Raspberry Jam Ingredients
- Cornstarch: A little cornstarch is all you need to thicken your raspberries!
- Water: Gets mixed with the cornstarch to make a slurry.
- Raspberries: Use fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries (no need to thaw) for these raspberry bars.
- White Sugar: This will be used to sweeten both the raspberry mixture and the cheesecake layer.
- Lemon: Just a little bit of lemon juice is added.
Crust Ingredients
- Oreo Cookies: Swap graham crackers or golden Oreos for this Oreo cookie crust.
- Butter: Melted butter will help hold the fine crumbs of Oreo cookies together.
Cheesecake Filling Ingredients
- Cream cheese: Look for unflavored cream cheese. This will balance the sweetness of the Oreos really well. It will need to be at room temperature, so make sure to pull it out at least an hour before starting the recipe.
- Sugar: Add a little sweetness to cut the tanginess of cream cheese.
- Vanilla extract: A little vanilla will help to round out the cheesecake flavor.
- Egg: Egg will hold your cheesecake together and give it some lift.
How to Make Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Here are the basic instructions to make the dessert bars. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions.
- Pre-heat the oven. Line a 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Butter or lightly oil the parchment to prevent sticking.
- Mix the cornstarch with the water in a small bowl with a fork. In a small saucepan, combine raspberries, sugar, lemon, and the cornstarch mixture. Smash and stir raspberries with a wooden spoon.
- Bring up to a boil over medium-high heat and keep boiling for 3 minutes. Make sure to stir periodically so that it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before using. Put it in the fridge once it has cooled down.
- Crush the Oreos into crumbs using a blender, food processor, or gallon ziplock bag with a rolling pin.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the finely crushed cookie crumbs to the butter and combine well. Pour into the prepared pan and press mixture down with a measuring cup or your hands. Cook the crust. Take out of the oven and set to the side. Keep the oven on.
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer, add in cream cheese and beat until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed. Add sugar, egg, and vanilla, and mix until smooth.
- Once the Oreo crust has cooled, pour in the cheesecake batter and spread it out with a spatula.
- Drop spoonfuls of the raspberry sauce over the cream cheese mixture. To make swirls, draw a knife back and forth through the cheesecake and the raspberry topping.
- Bake cheesecake bars until the edges are just turning golden brown.
- To prevent the cheesecake from cracking, leave it in the oven with the heat turned off and the door open.
- Cover the cooked cheesecake with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Cut into small squares or rectangular bars and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Line the baking pan – This makes removing each piece of the raspberry cheesecake bars easy.
- Slowly cool the bars – Cheesecake is known for cracking if it’s cooled too quickly. Leave the bars in the oven with the heat off and the door open until the bars reach room temperature. Then, store them in the fridge.
- Thinner bars – Cut the cream cheese layer ingredients in half (leave all of the crust and raspberry jam ingredients the same) to have a thinner cheesecake layer. They will bake for 25-30 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Use raspberry jam – If running low on time, reach for a jar of raspberry jam in your pantry. It can replace all of the ingredients for the jam, and you’ll want to drop tablespoon-sized dollops on the cheesecake mixture. Swirl in as usual.
- Substitute graham cracker crumbs – Although I love an Oreo cookie crust and think it adds to this recipe, you can absolutely make a graham cracker crust. You will need 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs to replace the Oreos.
- Use your favorite berries – Technically, you could make this recipe with strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries, too! They are all sweeter than raspberries, so try cutting the sugar in half (1.5 tablespoons).
- Use almond extract – I LOVE these bars made with almond extract. Try it if you are a fan of that flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this recipe gluten-free? Since Oreos are made with flour, this recipe is not gluten-free. I haven’t tried making it with gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies, but it should work!
Is this recipe dairy-free? This raspberry cheesecake bar recipe is not dairy-free, as it has cream cheese and butter. You could try to use vegan cream cheese or coconut oil, but I have not tried these substitutions.
Is this recipe vegan? Since this recipe contains both dairy and egg, it is not vegan.
How to Store Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
How to refrigerate? Let the cheesecake bars cool to room temperature in the oven, cut them into bars, and then store them in the fridge in an airtight container. To avoid drying, cover the bars with a layer of plastic wrap or foil. They should last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
How to keep it at room temperature? Since this recipe includes fresh cream cheese, the bars need to be stored in the fridge to avoid growing harmful bacteria.
Can I Freeze Raspberry Cheesecake Bars?
How to freeze raspberry swirl bars? Once the bars are fully chilled in the fridge, add them to freezer bags or vacuum seal them to avoid freezer burn. Store for 3-5 months.
How to thaw creamy cheesecake bars? To thaw, place the package in the fridge for a few hours or overnight and enjoy!
Try these other berry recipes!
- Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
- Triple Berry Crisp
- Bakery Style Strawberry Muffins
- Cranberry Orange Bread
- Blackberry Iced Tea
If you’ve tried this raspberry cheesecake bar recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes!
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Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Raspberry Jam Swirl
- 6 ounces raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Oreo Crust
- 22 oreo cookies, not double stuffed
- 5 tablespoons butter, unsalted
Cream Cheese Layer
- 2 8 ounce cream cheese packages, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350° F. Line a 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Butter or lightly oil the parchment to prevent sticking.
- Mix the cornstarch with the water in a small bowl with a fork. In a small saucepan, combine raspberries, 3 tablespoons of sugar, lemon juice, and the cornstarch mixture. Smash and stir raspberries with a wooden spoon.
- Bring up to a boil over medium-high heat and keep boiling for 3 minutes. Make sure to stir periodically so that it doesn't burn. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before using. After it has cooled for about 20 minutes, put it in the fridge to get cold.
- Crush the Oreos into crumbs using a blender, food processor, or gallon ziplock bag with a rolling pin.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the finely crushed cookie crumbs to the melted butter and combine well. Pour into the prepared pan and press mixture down with a measuring cup or your hands.
- Cook the crust for 8 minutes. Take out of the oven and set to the side. Keep the oven on.
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer, add in cream cheese and beat until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed. Add sugar, egg, and vanilla, and mix until smooth.
- Once the Oreo crust has cooled some, pour in the cheesecake batter and spread it out with a spatula.
- Drop spoonfuls of the raspberry sauce over the cream cheese mixture. To make swirls, draw a knife back and forth through the cheesecake and the raspberry topping.
- Bake cheesecake bars for 35-40 minutes until the edges are just turning golden brown.To prevent the cheesecake from cracking, leave it in the oven with the heat turned off and the door open.
- Cover the cooked cheesecake with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cut into small squares or rectangular bars and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Use raspberry jam – If running low on time, reach for a jar of raspberry jam in your pantry. It can replace all of the ingredients for the jam, and you’ll want to drop tablespoon-sized dollops on the cheesecake mixture. Swirl in as usual.
- Substitute graham cracker crumbs – Although I love an Oreo cookie crust and think it adds to this recipe, you can absolutely make a graham cracker crust. You will need 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs to replace the Oreos.
- Use your favorite berries – Technically, you could make this recipe with strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries, too! They are all sweeter than raspberries, so try cutting the sugar in half (1.5 tablespoons).
- Use almond extract – I LOVE these bars made with almond extract. Try it if you are a fan of that flavor.
- The bars will last in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information
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