Raspberry Cheesecake Bars #SpringSweetsWeek

These Raspberry Cheesecake Bars are a favorite dessert in bar form. Creamy cheesecake is swirled with fresh raspberry sauce for a sweet spring or summer cookie perfect for sharing.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

side view of Raspberry Cheesecake Bars on a blue pedestal cake stand

Happy Monday and welcome to #SpringSweetsWeek, hosted by Heather of Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks and Christie of A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. This week, my blogging friends have over 100 new springtime recipes that they’ll be sharing, including 3 from me. Plus, there’s a giveaway with 6 prizes you could win.

So to make the most of this week, here’s what you’ve got to do. 

  1. Read through the recipe and then scroll down for today’s recipes as well as the list of prizes. At the very bottom is the Rafflecopter – you have a ton of chances to enter, so carve out 15 minutes and toss your name in the hat. I’d LOVE a Books n’ Cooks reader to win one!
  2. Secondly, follow #SpringSweetsWeek on Pinterest, so that you can drool over all the new recipes going up this week. Not on Pinterest? The hashtag will be used on all social media platforms, so follow any way you wish.

side view of Raspberry Cheesecake BarsThe first recipe I am sharing with you this week is Raspberry Cheesecake Bars. While we enjoyed all of the recipes I’ll be sharing this week, I think this one was our favorite. I know Mr. Nutterbutter loved it – he has asked me 6 times in the past few weeks to make it again! 

These Raspberry Cheesecake Bars take a little time to make but it’s worth the effort. There are 3 steps to making these – making the raspberry sauce, making the crust, and then assembling and baking the finished cheesecake bars – before the cookies need to cool and be refrigerated for several hours. But it’s worth it. Creamy vanilla cheesecake is swirled with a sweet raspberry sauce (with the perfect graham cracker to cheesecake ratio!) for a cookie that was a total hit in our house!

overhead view of a pan of raspberry cheesecake bars with sugar and vanilla paste

Recipe Notes for Raspberry Cheesecake Bars:

  • For best results, you’ll want to make this the day before serving, so that the cookies have time to sit overnight. 
  • If desired, strain the raspberry sauce to remove seeds. I didn’t because I wanted as much of the fresh fruit as possible. The seeds weren’t noticeable for us.
  • I used two products from our sponsors in this recipe – Dixie Crystals Granulated Sugar and Taylor & Colledge vanilla paste in this recipe. If you can’t find vanilla paste, you can use 3 tsp. vanilla extract instead.

side view of a single raspberry cheesecake bar on a white plate

Make this recipe? Leave me a comment and let me know what you thought! 

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side view of a single raspberry cheesecake bar on a white plate

Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

These Raspberry Cheesecake Bars are a favorite dessert in bar form. Creamy cheesecake is swirled with fresh raspberry sauce for a sweet spring or summer cookie perfect for sharing.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Chill Time 6 hours
Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes
Servings 20
Author Liz

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Raspberry Swirl:

  • 1 1/2 c. fresh raspberries (about 8 oz.)
  • 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. room temperature water divided
  • 1 tsp. cornstarch

Ingredients for the Graham Cracker Crust:

  • 2 c. graham cracker crumbs (from 2 sleeves of graham crackers)
  • 1/3 c. granulated sugar
  • 6 Tbs. unsalted butter melted

Ingredients for the Cheesecake:

  • 24 oz. full-fat cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1 c. full-fat sour cream at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla paste
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 c. heavy cream

Instructions

Make the Raspberry Sauce:

  1. In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, add raspberries, sugar, and 1 tsp. water. Stir frequently, breaking up raspberries. While raspberries cook, mix remaining 1 tsp. of water with cornstarch in a small bowl. set aside.

  2. When raspberries are simmering, add cornstarch mixture, stirring to combine. Continue cooking and stirring at a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. If not using immediately, may refrigerate for up to a week.

Make the Graham Cracker Crust.

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with foil and set aside.

  2. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Pour into prepared pan. Use clean hands to press graham cracker mixture along bottom and just slightly up the sides of the pan.

  3. Bake for 10 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the stovetop until needed.

Assemble and Bake the Cheesecake Bar:

  1. When crust is removed from oven, reduce heat to 325F.

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sour cream on medium speed until completely smooth. Reduce speed slightly and beat in sugar and vanilla paste, scraping down sides of the bowl as necessary. Return mixer to medium-low speed. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time. Scrape down sides of the bowl and with mixer on low, add flour and salt.

  3. Remove bowl from mixer and with a rubber spatula, fold in heavy cream until just incorporated.

  4. Pour half of cheesecake mixture on top of baked crust. Drizzle half of raspberry sauce over cheesecake. Top with remaining cheesecake. Drizzle remaining raspberry sauce over top. Use the tip of a butter knife to swirl raspberry sauce into cheesecake.

  5. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until edges are set and middle is just barely jiggly. Remove from oven and cool completely. Gently wrap pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

  6. When ready to serve, use foil to remove bars from pan. Use a large warm knife, slice into squares, cleaning the knife after each slice. Serve immediately

  7. Bars will kept in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Recipe Notes

Substitutions: If you don't have vanilla paste, use 3 tsp. vanilla extract instead.

The raspberry sauce was adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction. The cheesecake bars were adapted from Baker by Nature.

These Raspberry Cheesecake Bars are a favorite dessert in bar form. Creamy cheesecake is swirled with fresh raspberry sauce for a sweet spring or summer cookie perfect for sharing.

Monday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes

Don’t forget to follow #SpringSweetsWeek on Pinterest to see all the delicious recipes shared this week.

Check out the amazing prizes you can win in our #SpringSweetsWeek Giveaway!

Door County Coffee & Tea Co. is giving away one $50 gift certificate to doorcountycoffee.com so that one lucky reader can try any of their amazing coffees and teas.

Door County Coffee & Tea Co. was founded in 1993 in Door County, Wisconsin. It is a small, family-owned business, roasting coffee the old-fashioned way – in small batches to exacting specifications. The mission has always been to produce some of the best-tasting and highest quality coffee. They have over 100 types of coffee, all of which are roasted right on site. Visit https://www.doorcountycoffee.com/ to see their selection of coffees and teas as well as to find some fabulous recipes.

Dixie Crystals is giving away one propane kitchen torch which is ideal for caramelizing creme brulee or roasting peppers in a snap!

Since 1917, Dixie Crystals® has been the South’s choice for high-quality sugar and sweeteners. Our pure cane sugar products are all natural, non-GMO and provide consistently delicious results. Visit https://www.dixiecrystals.com/ for hundreds of recipes, holiday ideas, and plenty of baking videos.

Melissa’s Produce is giving one reader a Fabulous Fruit Fare Basket.  Forget your basic apples and bananas and try faraway tropical fruits such as Mango, Papaya, Gold Pineapple, and Coconut, and exotic treasures like Asian Pear, Kiwi, Pepino Melon, Baby Bananas, Seasonal Tangerines, and Kumquats. 

Joe and Sharon Hernandez founded Melissa’s Produce with a decade of produce industry experience in a small, rented produce warehouse lunchroom. The Melissa’s brand is named after Joe and Sharon’s daughter, who takes an active role in the company.  The company’s Food Service Division has become a full-service operation that supplies culinary professionals with staples, exotics and Melissa’s full line of organic produce.  Visit https://www.melissas.com to find the very best fruits, vegetables, gifts, and to get tasty recipes!

Circulon is giving one reader a 5 piece baking set including two 9-inch cake pans, a 9 x 13 baking pan, a 9 x 5 loaf pan, and 10 x 15 cookie pan!   It’s everything you need to get baking in the kitchen.

Circulon’s commitment to detail and design for nonstick cookware makes your time in the kitchen more enjoyable due to their 4 “Must Haves” of everyday cooking.   The first is nonstick performance.  The Circulon TOTAL® Nonstick System of raised circles and triple-layer premium nonstick reduces surface abrasion from cooking utensils to enhance nonstick durability.  Then there’s durability.  Hard-anodized, stainless steel, and aluminum construction is backed by a hassle-free lifetime warranty for built-to-last cookware you can count on.  The last two are even heat distribution and easy clean up.  No matter what piece you buy it is sure to meet your expectations and help you enjoy your time in the kitchen.  To see all the Circulon products visit https://circulon.com/ .

Taylor & Colledge is giving one lucky winner a trio of extract pastes.   One winner will receive Almond Extract Paste, Lemon Extract Paste, and Lavender Extract Paste to help you do your own spring baking!

Taylor & Colledge was founded in 1897 in Australia and has been making extracts ever since!  Their products can be used in two different ways when you baking. Whether you use the products as the fragrant, hero ingredient in your baking, or whether it’s a supporting sidekick, you can be assured that with Taylor & Colledge, it will be a pure, rich, full-flavored ingredient in your baking every time.  Visit https://www.taylorandcolledge.com/ to learn more about their extracts.

Nairn’s Oatcakes is giving away six of their awesome products to one winner.   The winner will receive Nairn’s Gluten Free Original Oat Grahams, Nairn’s Gluten Free Stem Ginger Oat Grahams, Nairn’s Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Oat Grahams, Nairn’s Gluten Free Caramelized Onion Flatbreads, Nairn’s Gluten Free Rosemary & Sea Salt Flatbreads, and Nairn’s Organic Oat Crackers.  

Nairn’s knows a thing or two about oats, they’ve been baking with them since 1896 when John and Sarah Nairn first opened their bakery in Strathaven, Lanarkshire. Since then their team has grown and they have two Edinburgh bakeries.  They have a devoted team at each working on their recipes, mixing techniques, and ever-growing range.  Check out their products and blog at https://www.nairns-oatcakes.com/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Thank you #SpringSweetsWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Door County Coffee & Tea Co., Circulon,  Melissa’s Produce, Taylor and Colledge, and Nairn’s for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The #SpringSweetsWeek giveaway is open to residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older.  All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Six (6)  winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #SpringSweetsWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #SpringSweetsWeek posts or entry.

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