Blackberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
So I’m going to a BlogHer conference this afternoon. I’ve never been to a blog conference, and if you told me 6 months ago I’d be going, I would have laughed at you.
I’m not nervous at all or anything. Just ask Eric. He hasn’t had to listen to me freak out about the fashion bloggers, not once.
Blackberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Makes 1 8x8 pan, serves 9 adjust servingsIngredients
For the blackberry puree
- 6 ounces fresh or frozen blackberries
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/4 cup water
For the crust
- 12 full sheets of graham crackers (2 cups crumbs)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
For the cheesecake
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, or more
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- fresh blackberries and lemons, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Set your cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs on the counter.
- Start with the blackberry puree. In a small saucepan, combine blackberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and water. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, then lower the heat to medium. Continue to stir every now and then for 5-8 minutes. Break up the blackberries with the back of your spoon. The syrup should be thickened. Set aside to cool, or throw it in the fridge.
- Meanwhile, make the graham crackers crust. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor (or smash them with a rolling pin) until they are very fine crumbs. Add the sugar and melted butter to the food processor (or mix it in a bowl) and pulse until it looks thoroughly moistened, like wet sand.
- Line an 8x8 inch pan with foil or parchment paper, if you want. (you don't have to, it's just easier to cut if you can lift it out.) Use the bottom of a glass to press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan (not up the sides). Bake at 350 F for about 9 minutes. Set aside to cool. Lower the oven temperature to 325 F.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Beat on high for 3 or 4 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom at least twice. You want the cream cheese to get high and fluffy.
- Add the sour cream and beat. Add the eggs in one at a time, beating in between. Add the fresh lemon juice and beat until smooth.
- Once your graham cracker crust is not too hot to touch, pour the cream cheese mixture into the pan. Smooth it out with a spatula.
- Use a spoon to dollop the blackberry puree all over the cheesecake. Use a sharp knife to swirl it together. Remember, less is more. You want to be able to see the white cheesecake on top, not just blackberry.
- Bake at 325 F for 55-60 minutes. Keep a close eye on it toward the end. When you shake the pan, the center should not be jiggling any more than the outside edges. (The cheesecake will definitely jiggle, it's not completely set yet. Just make sure it's not sloshy in the middle.) If the cheesecake starts to brown on top, definitely take it out.
- Let cool for at least an hour before putting it in the fridge. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, covered. Garnish with lemons and blackberries.
by The Food Charlatan
Source: barely changed from Broma Bakery
Here’s how I cut my lemon to get that twisty thing goin on. Thin slice, then slice it halfway through and twist.
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I’ve made these bars 3 times now. They are my favorite blackberry recipe!! Thank you Karen
I’m so happy to hear that Carrie! Blackberries are just the best right :) Thanks for commenting!
Oh my lanta! I realize this recipe is a really old post but I hope you still see comments on it.
I recently got some fresh blackberries from my yard and did a google search for blackberry recipes. This one caught my eye because I also LOVE lemon. Many recipes involving lemon are not usually lemony enough for me. This one was AMAZING! Perfectly tart and sweet at the same time. This recipe is a major keeper. I cannot rave about it enough!
Hi Brigette, yes I totally see the comments on my old posts! I’m happy you are loving the cheesecake bars! You are so lucky to have blackberries in your yard. I grew up with a vine out back and have only come to realize as an adult just how spoiled I was. Thank you so much for coming back to review!
I just made these today for my Birthday Cake. Wow, they were amazing! Even my husband, who doesn’t really like cheesecake, gobbled it up. And all of my kids thought they were delicious! I grew up with a huge blackberry bush and lemon trees in my yard so this flavor combo had me thinking about home. Thanks for the recipe, it made my birthday extra special.
Happy birthday Mauri! I’m so glad you got to have such a nostalgic treat for your birthday :) I grew up with blackberries in the yard too, it is the best! So glad you all loved the recipe! Thanks for the note!
The best thing I’ve ever baked! I discovered a huge blackberry bush at my bf’s house and had to make a cobbler! There were so many left over so I went searching for another unique way to use the fresh berries . WOW I can not recommend this enough, put in the time and it’s soooo worth it.
Okay first of all, I’m moving in on your boyfriend because I want that bush in the backyard. So watch out. ;) And second, yaaaay so glad you liked the cheesecake! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!
Hi, I have made this recipe before and LOVED it! I’m craving these bars but I only have blueberries in the house, no blackberries. Do you think they would be an okay substitute? And if so, should I cut the sugar anywhere? Thank you so much :)
Hey Stephanie! Yeah you could totally substitute blueberries! I wouldn’t change anything at all. Enjoy!
Perfect lemon cheesecake slice, I wanted a plain lemon cheesecake slice so I left out the blackberries and this turned into the perfect lemon cheesecake slice. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe, it’s an absolute winner. I made it for a new years party along with a chocolate mouse cake slice and everyone loved the cheesecake slice. I’m sure the blackberry version would be delicious too.
These look so awesome! I’m trying to make some for Thanksgiving. There are going to be a lot of people there so I decided to double the recipe. I am fairly certain I got everything right but the consistency of my cheesecake looks too loose and when I put the blackberry puree on top most of it sank into the cheesecake. I just put it in the oven and I’m hoping it will still be alright. Even if all the blackberries are inside I’m sure it will still taste great!
Hey Bre! I’m so sorry your blackberries sunk! Let me know how it turns out. I’m not sure if they will rise , I doubt it since the fruit is heavier than the cheesecake. I’m not sure what to tell you, doubling the recipe shouldn’t have made any difference! I hope they taste great!
These were amazing. I made them for dessert and it made our night! Such a treat. They were not too sweet, just right. Loved them. Will definitely be making these again, and soon. yummy!
That is awesome Jessica! I love a success story like that! Hard to beat cheesecake. Thanks for the comment!
Gorgeous! And how delicious were they?! :)
These looked amazing so I actually made them. However,they are still in the oven 2 hours later, trying to set in the middle! Followed the recipe perfectly, have no idea what I did wrong. Sort of disappointed…
I’m so sorry they didn’t work out for you Jill! They are not supposed to be completely set when you take them out of the oven, the whole cheesecake should wiggle a little bit when you shake it. I’ve changed the recipe, hopefully it makes it more clear.
I hope you had a great time!! I can be all full of nerves too when it comes to things like that. I think I actually started to feel a little panic attack coming on, on your behalf as I was reading this. ; ) But then I came back down when you started talking about the bars, which sound amazing!!
I hope you had a great time at the conference Karen! I’m sure everyone loved you and that you looked beautiful! These blackberry lemon cheesecake bars look amazing! So creamy and those beautiful berries in them are the perfect touch!
These look amazing! Love your site – your prosciutto chicken is a new fave! Following for sure!
Thank you Stephanie! Gosh wouldn’t that be a perfect meal? That prosciutto chicken followed up with these beauties? Sounds like a perfect meal for company. Thanks for stopping by Stephanie!
Karen, please stuff one of these in my mouth. Right. Now. :)
These are beautiful…your photography is beautiful…you are beautiful! So wonderful to get a glimpse into your home where all this food magic happens!
DANG girl!! These bars look absolutely amazing!!!! I hope you had a blast at BlogHer! I went to BHF but wasn’t able to get away to this one. Can’t wait to make these bars, pinned! xo!
Karen, can’t wait to her about BlogHer! And these bars are beautiful!
Oh man, Karen, I’m sitting here with a grumbly tummy now. I wish you shoved cheesecake in my face! Also – I love that we both have straight across bangs for the same reason – definitely made sure my eyebrows were cleaned up for BlogHer:) So great meet you – can’t wait to cook some of your recipes!
GIRL! These look soooo good! I love this flavor combo. Pinned!! I hope you’re having a great time at BlogHer! I’m so jealous. I hope to be there next year(!) and be able to meet all you wonderful ladies!
These cheesecake bars look wonderful! Love the blackberry swirl and how you did those lemon slices on top. I’ve never been to a BlogHer conference, but they always look so fun! :)
Hey Karen!
those look absolutely delicious! this will be the next cheesecake recipe I’ll try, that’s for sure!
you’ll be fine at the conference, just be yourself and show those fashion bloggers how much you rock food blogging :)
take care
Hi Karen have fun at your conference. This cheesecake will make you very popular indeed!
Have fun at the conference, Karen! Bloggers aren’t that scary. And if those fashion bloggers are mean to you, that just means they don’t get any of your cheesecake, which is a devastating loss for them. As for the face – I used to get up early and do my makeup. Now, I sleep until the last possible minute, change into whatever clothes don’t smell, and slap on some eyeliner and a bright red lip. Takes two minutes. Done. And I totally use the I-have-bangs-therefore-you-cannot-see-my-sasquatch-level-eyebrows trick. It doesn’t help with the mustache above my lip but small steps. Back to this cheesecake – damn, girl, this looks heavenly. I’m all about the crust so I’m ecstatic over the perfect thickness of yours. And these photos are gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! Don’t forget to tell us all about your conference experience!
These look pretty. And since I’m literally up to my eyeballs in blackberries I can use all the recipes I can get! :) Good luck, can’t wait to hear all about it!
Hope you have SO much fun at the conference Karen! Sorry I couldn’t make it with you. Would have been so fun being roomies! And you have GOT to get on the eyebrow bandwagon. I have light hair like you, and I use Omega eyeshadow by Mac, and an angled brush, and just lightly fill them in. Makes such a difference! You’re eyes really pop, and it looks great in photos.
You must report back with all the great stuff you learned in the conference! I’ll live it vicariously thru you.
Oh, and these cheesecake bars? Delicious! If you bring them, you’ll be the most popular blogger there. Duh!
Oh blackberries – thanks for posting a recipe that I won’t be able to stop thinking about ;). These look so gorgeous, deliciously amazing, and might I add perfectly swirly! Just eat one or two of these as a confidence builder and you will rock it at the conference!! Have a great time!
I need a new set of patient pants, mine have gotten too small. (I blame you. And your browned butter blondies.)
You are going to be awesome at BlogHer. Seriously. Everyone wants to hang out with the food bloggers. They smell good and have mysterious knowledge about whisking and blanching and sauteing. Plus, everyone knows that food bloggers have actual skills that would be good to have in case of a zombie apocalypse. Fashion bloggers? They’d be the first to be eaten.
These look great. Great color. Enjoy the conference.
I would love to go to a blogger conference! Haven’t had the chance to yet. You’ll be fine, show the fashionistas that these cheesecake bars brings as much joy to the world as Jimmy Choos ;)
Looks delicious! Making your slow-cooker chicken chili you recently posted for potluck on Sunday. Maybe these will go with it. Good luck and have fun Karen! I can’t wait to read your post-blog conference blogs. I’m getting ready to laugh. Out loud.
Oh my gosh. These would be amazing with the fish tacos you posted…I’d love to do a blackberry lime version too…would that be good or do lime and cream cheese have problems together?
Lime would be awesommmmmmme do it do it