These blueberry cheesecake bars are outrageously delicious! Our recipe has a graham cracker crust, lemon cheesecake filling, blueberries, and a crumbly brown sugar topping. It’s the best!
We shared these easy cheesecake bars years ago, and they became so popular that Betty Crocker asked to share them as well! The bars are super delicious, with fresh lemon and blueberries! If you love cheesecake, these bars are for you!
For more dessert recipes with that blueberry lemon combination, see our lemon blueberry cake, this easy blueberry crumble, and our lemon blueberry muffins!
Key Ingredients
- Blueberries: I love fresh blueberries (when they are in season), but you can substitute frozen berries if that’s what you have. Other berries like raspberries or blackberries are great, too.
- Lemon: I use lemon zest and juice in this recipe! For finely grated lemon zest, use a microplane zester.
- Graham Crackers: I love cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, which I use in this recipe. Non-US bakers can substitute digestive biscuits.
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat block cream cheese for cheesecake. Make sure it is at room temperature.
- Eggs: Two eggs help firm up the cream cheese in our cheesecake filling, making it more creamy and rich.
- Sugar: You’ll use granulated sugar for the crust and cheesecake, then brown sugar for the delicious streusel topping.
- Butter: I use butter two ways. First, it helps bind the crust, and second, I add it to my topping.
How to Make Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
These blueberry cheesecake bars come together quickly, especially when using a food processor. It makes quick work of the crust. You’ll combine graham crackers, sugar, lemon zest, and melted butter in the food processor and pulse until fine crumbs. Then, press the crust into your baking pan and bake for 10 minutes.
You can also use a food processor to make the lemon cheesecake filling. Combine cream cheese, eggs, more lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar and pulse until smooth.
Then, top the baked crust with the cheesecake filling and scatter blueberries over it. Finish with the brown sugar crumble topping and bake until golden brown.
If you don’t have a food processor, no problem. You can put the graham crackers in a plastic bag, bash them into crumbs with something heavy, and then stir in the remaining ingredients with a spoon. Then, use a stand or handheld mixer to make the cheesecake filling.
Easy Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
These blueberry cheesecake bars are a dream! They combine the tangy flavor of lemon cheesecake with sweet blueberries and a crumbly brown sugar topping. If you can’t find fresh blueberries, feel free to use frozen ones or try other berries like raspberries or blackberries. Make sure you chill the baked cheesecake thoroughly before cutting them into bars.
You Will Need
Graham Cracker Crust9 whole graham crackers, 1 ¼ cups (125g) graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons (25g) sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
4 tablespoons (56g) butter, melted
Cheesecake Layer16 ounces (450g) full-fat block cream cheese, at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1 ½ cups (225g) fresh or frozen blueberries, 8 ounces
Crumble Topping1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup (98g) all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons (85g) cold unsalted butter
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C). Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2Make the crust. Add graham crackers, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to a food processor bowl. Pulse until fine crumbs. Add the melted butter, cover, and process until moistened.
3Press the graham cracker crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes before adding the cheesecake layer.
4Meanwhile, make the cheesecake bar filling. Wipe the food processor mostly clean with a paper towel, then add the cream cheese, eggs, 2 tablespoons of lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Process until smooth and creamy.
5Spoon the cheesecake filling over the crust, then top with blueberries.
6Make the streusel topping. Add the brown sugar and flour to a medium bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and add them to the bowl. Work the butter into the flour and sugar until crumbly using your fingers or a hand-held pastry cutter. Scatter the topping over the blueberries.
7Bake the cheesecake bars until the topping is lightly browned and the center is almost set (the center should jiggle only slightly when moved), 35 to 40 minutes.
8Cool for 1 hour at room temperature, then refrigerate for 2 hours or until chilled. Cut into 9 bars.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Cheesecake bars can last up to a week in the fridge! I store them in a container or wrap them in foil to prevent them from picking up fridge odors.
- No food processor: Make the crust by crushing the graham crackers in a plastic bag with something heavy, like a rolling pin. Add the crumbs to a bowl along with 2 tablespoons of sugar, lemon zest, and melted butter. Stir until blended. Then for the cheesecake filling, use a hand blender to blend cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Nutrition facts are estimates.
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I made this for a party and it was fabulous! That one goes into the stable of favorites. I could have sworn I saw a variation with cranberries but now I can’t find it. Any help?
Hi Kate, I am so happy you enjoyed them! We do not have one with cranberries, although, it would be amazing! Maybe we should add a recipe to the site. I’d do fresh cranberries instead of blueberries and use orange instead of lemon in the cheesecake.
I made these today and they were absolutely amazing! I didn’t have fresh blueberries so I used frozen raspberries and blue berries from a bag. I let them thaw and left behind the liquid it didn’t hurt the recipe at all! Next time though I will plan ahead. The topping was wonderful and we loved the lemon in the crust. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes! I did make your banana bread and it was fantastic as well. Thank you!
I made these cheesecake bars for Easter and they were a hit! I’m not big on lemon desserts but this recipe is NOT overpowering with lemon taste. Very much on the sweet side so you could cut back to 3/4 cup brown sugar for the crumble to help. But regardless they are very delicious!!
I’ve made these for a friends birthday. They were a hit. What we didn’t eat she wrapped individually and froze them. These lemon blueberry bars freeze well. Great recipe.
I have made these several times and they are PERFECT just as the recipe is. I wouldn’t change anything. Everyone who has ever tasted them is blown away by how amazing they are!
Dear Joanne, Thanks for the simple yet delicious recipes! I cannot take sugar, can it be substituted by stevia? How is the measurement? Thanks, Grace
Hi Grace, You are welcome and thanks for being so kind. Unfortunately, we have not had any experience baking with stevia so it is hard for us to say. That said, since this isn’t a cake or complicated baking recipe, you can probably get away with it. I’d check the container and see if there are any suggestions for substituting sugar for a guide.
I made these for a dessert social for new parishioners at my church last night. I mistakenly baked the crust before I realized the one teaspoon of lemon zest I had set aside for it was still on my counter. I thought there was too much crumb topping so I refrigerated half of it so I can use it when I make these again very soon. Also, after reading some of the comments that the cheesecake layer is too lemony, I tasted it and I thought it needed to be tempered with a half-teaspoon of vanilla. I had to bake it almost twice as long as the directions state, but that’s typical of my oven. When I shook the dish and the center was only SLIGHTLY jiggly, I knew it was perfectly baked. These squares are creamy and delicious! I will definitely make them again and I have the extra graham cracker crumbs to motivate me to do it! Thank you for a great recipe!
Made it with blueberry jam ( high quality)
It looks fantastic I like the swirls