I should really call these Raspberry Cheesecake Bars with Copious Amounts of Fresh Raspberries Not to Mention a Shortbread Crust. (That’s not too long is it??) These bars are so rich and creamy and I would say you can only have one, but I’m pretty sure I ate half the pan while shooting, so…Originally published April 18, 2018.
Table of Contents
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Are you a white pants person? Like, check yes or no, do you own white pants right now:
√ yes
√ no
I just feel like it kinda says something about you (something like, “I’m female” or maybe “I’m self confident” or even just “I’m extra tan”). I’m firmly in the no-white-pants category. “It’s too impractical!” I can hear my mother saying. “What if you sat in something??”
But Stitch Fix sent me white pants. I use Stitch Fix because I finally decided to outsource my fashion choices. I’m always making poor ones, so why not get a stylist to do it?
BECAUSE THEY SEND YOU WHITE PANTS, THAT’S WHY. They came in the box and my first thought was NO. But then I convinced myself to have an open mind. Live a little! Try something new! It’s so trendy and all your friends will think you’re cool! (Looking back, this is not true, probably most of my friends would think, “Karen, it looks like you sat in something.”)
They came on a Saturday and we had friends over that evening for dinner. I wore them, tags still on, to get my friend’s opinion on whether or not I should keep them. And she said they were cute and it was a definite yes. Then I sat in guacamole.
I’M NOT KIDDING.
Literally 30 minutes in my foray in the realm of white pants, and I end up with a bright green stain. I hadn’t even taken the tags off yet. Everyone called me Guacamole Pants for the rest of the night, and I can’t even blame them.
I highly recommend changing into something less white when you eat these Raspberry Cheesecake Bars. That berry juice is NOT washing out.
These bars are the perfect dessert for when you want cheesecake but don’t want to wait a day and a half to eat it. Regular cheesecake takes forever to cool! I started making these bars at about 10am and was eating them by 1:30pm. Which, for cheesecake, is pretty impressive, considering you have to bake the crust, then bake the filling, then chill in the fridge. Or you can chill in the freezer, if you are ridiculously impatient like I am. (Rather, if you have to shoot them by 2pm in order to get the natural light you need for photographing.)
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars Ingredients
Here’s a quick list of what you’ll need for these cheesecake bars. Scroll down to the recipe card below for more details.
- Raspberries (fresh or frozen)
- White sugar
- Salted butter
- All purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Cream cheese (full fat)
- Eggs
- Almond extract
Raspberry Cheesecake Bar Tools
These are my favorite kitchen tools to use when I’m making Raspberry Cheesecake Bars. If you don’t have these, no big deal! (If you buy through these links, I make a small percentage at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting the business that supports my family!)
How to Make Raspberry Bars with Shortbread Crust
Here’s an overview of how to make these cheesecake bars. Scroll down to the bottom of the post to read complete instructions in the recipe card!
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with nonstick spray.
- Make the raspberry swirl: In a small saucepan, combine raspberries, water and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Reduce the heat to medium and then cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick. Set aside to cool completely.
- Make the crust: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides. Add the salt and flour and combine.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press down. Bake until the edges are just starting to turn golden. Remove and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, scraping the sides and bottom. Add sugar, egg, and almond extract and beat well.
- When the crust has had a few minutes to cool, pour the cheesecake mixture in and spread to the sides. Dollop the raspberry mixture on top of the cheesecake and use a knife to make swirls back and forth across the pan.
- Bake until the edges are just barely starting to turn golden.
- If you have time, turn the oven off and leave the door open for a half hour.
- Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled.
There is a pretty high crust-to-cheesecake ratio on these bars. I always wish there was more crust when I’m eating cheesecake, so this was great for me, but if you prefer a taller cheesecake bar, just double the cheesecake filling ingredients (I don’t think you need to double the raspberry mixture, although you could.)
Raspberry Cream Cheese Bars Variations
I love these raspberry cheesecake bars just the way they are, but here are a few ideas for switching things up. Give them a try!
- Double the filling. If you prefer a taller cheesecake layer, double the cheesecake filling ingredients (cream cheese, sugar, egg, extract) and leave everything else the same. Bake the crust the same amount, but increase the bake time for the cheesecake to about 50 minutes.
- Use your favorite berry. Try fresh or frozen blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries.
- Skip the berries altogether. Simple cheesecake is still awesome. You could also drizzle the top with chocolate or caramel sauce, yum.
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars Recipe Tips
Here are a few tips to make sure your raspberry cheesecake bars turn out perfectly!
- Make cutting the bars easier. Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water to slice the cheesecake (if you want clean lines). I usually use a washcloth to wipe off the knife in between slices.
- Leave room in between your raspberry dollops. Make sure to leave some white parts visible so that you have a chance to swirl.
- Add parchment or foil to the pan. This makes the bars easy to lift out and cut into even slices when you’re ready to serve them.
- Let your cheesecake bars rest in the oven. If you have time, turn the oven off and leave the door open for a half hour. This will help your cheesecake not to crack. (Rapid changes in temperature are a part of that.)
This would be great to make with the fresh raspberries that will be in stores soon! Or use frozen berries. Sometimes they taste even better than fresh ones because they are frozen immediately after being picked. That’s what I did!
P.S. The guacamole washed out of the pants just fine with spray and wash. Now they will make a great addition to the museum section of my closet, unless you all pinky-swear to me to be the one to tell me next time I sit in guacamole.
P.P.S. immediately after publishing this, I saw ads on my blog featuring a dude wearing white pants. No joke. Big Brother KNOWS, GUYS.
How to Store Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
Raspberry Cheesecake Bars can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen, well wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 months (if you can resist them that long).
Raspberry Cheesecake Bars FAQs
The crust for raspberry cheesecake bars should be baked for about 16-18 minutes. After the cheesecake filling and raspberry swirl have been added, they need to be baked for an additional 25-30 minutes. The edges should be just barely (barely!!) turning golden brown.
More amazing cheesecake goodness
Blackberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars << these are sooo good.
No-Bake Cheesecake Parfait Bar << this recipe gives you all the benefits of cheesecake and none of the work. I LOVE it for parties and showers.
Oreo Cheesecake Bars (And I Had a Baby) << for some reason the title on this always cracks me up. Click over to see baby Truman!
Crème Brûlée Cheesecake << this is one of the most-made recipes on my site. Many people have told me that it’s the best cheesecake they’ve ever had!
Cookie Monster Cheesecake from The Flavor Bender
Pina Colada Cheesecake from It’s A Mother Thing
No-Bake Mocha Cheesecake from Jane’s Patisserie
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Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the raspberry swirl
- 1 & 1/2 (6-oz) cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup white sugar
For the crust
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 & 1/4 cups all purpose flour
For the cheesecake
- 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with nonstick spray. (Or just spray the pan)
- Make the raspberry swirl: In a small saucepan, combine 6 ounces raspberries, 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, and boil for 3 minutes, stirring. Reduce the heat to medium and then cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5-8 minutes, until mixture is thick. (It will continue to thicken as it cools) Set aside to cool completely. I put mine in the fridge.
- Make the crust: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides.
- Add the salt and flour and combine. It should look like coarse crumbs. It won’t come together in a ball, but if you squeeze a bit in your hand it should stick together.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press down. I like to use the bottom of a glass for this step. Bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes, until the edges are just starting to turn golden. Remove and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, scraping the sides and bottom. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat. Add the egg and almond extract, and beat well.
- When the crust has had a few minutes to cool, pour the cheesecake mixture in and spread to the sides.
- Dollop the raspberry mixture on top of the cheesecake. Make sure to leave some white parts visible so that you have a chance to swirl.
- Use a knife to make swirls back and forth across the pan.
- Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are just barely starting to turn golden (just a little bit!!)
- If you have time, turn the oven off and leave the door open for a half hour. This will help your cheesecake not to crack. (Rapid changes in temperature are a part of that.)
- Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 2 hours in the fridge, or one hour in the freezer.
- Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water to slice the cheesecake (if you want clean lines). I use a washcloth to wipe off the knife in between slices.
What do you use to substitute for almond extract? We have a nut allergy in my house!
Hi Bonnie! You’ve got a couple options. First, if you can find imitation almond extract, it doesn’t actually contain nuts, so it should be safe for someone with a nut allergy. Second, you’re welcome to just substitute the same amount of vanilla extract. It will still be delicious. Enjoy!
These were a huge hit! I doubled the recipe and used a large casserole dish, and it turned out great.
Keep the pants, wear them around home if they are comfortable. Ignore anyone else opinion.
I just started a raspberry patch last fall and am harvesting now. This was the first recipe I used to make anything with my raspberries and I wasn’t disappointed. The bars turned out wonderful. I put a note on my recipe to push the crust up the sides about an inch as I didn’t understand that from the recipe but later saw it was that way in the photos. Yummy Yummy.
I’m so impressed with your raspberry-growing Jean! That’s awesome. I’m so glad you like the recipe, thanks for coming back to comment!
I just made this and it was delicious! The bottom was a little hard, maybe I will try cooking the crust less next time? I also am wondering if you think it would work with blackberries!
Hi Haley! Yes, bake the crust a tad less next time, and it would totally work with blackberries! Great idea!
Superb!! One of the best raspberry desserts ever. Rich and sweet and perfect to use those fresh raspberries when you have extras because it doesn’t use a whole lot. Will definitely make again.
Hooray, I’m so glad you loved the recipe Beverly! It’s so nice to have a great dessert to showcase some gorgeous fresh raspberries! Thanks so much for commenting!
These are delicious!! I have been searching for an easy recipe to use my own raspberries in and this was a perfect fit. I made them a few days ago.
All my family and friends love them.
Thanks!
I love these cheesecake bars but I feel like I would love them 10x more if I were making them with my own home grown raspberries! That is awesome Marina! You must have a green thumb. I’m so glad you like the recipe! Thanks for sharing your review!
Hi!
I just made these, they’re in the oven now!
The Raspberry sauce was extremely seedy. Is the sauce supposed to be strained or did I just find a seedy bunch of berries?
Either way, I did strain the seeds out, but just wondering if that was necessary and or reccomended.
Thanks!
Carrie
Hey Carrie! You can totally strain the seeds if you like, it’s just a personal preference!
Carrie I had the same question myself when I made them the first time, and figured since the recipe didn’t say to strain the seeds out I guess I should just leave them. I’ve left them in every time since because a surprising bulk of the sauce is seeds and they also gave a nice texture to the very creamy bars. Strain if you want, of course, but imo they turned out nicer with the seeds in than I expected.
These bars are incredible! I made them last night to take to Thanksgiving today, and made a small side batch to taste – it’s half gone already! The recipe is also well within my work-to-deliciousness threshold (it’s actually less work than I thought it would be). I saw someone else had concerns about the almond extract because of nut allergies; I used imitation almond flavor for that reason and it was perfect. Almond isn’t a strong flavour here but I think it is crucial to this heavenly treat.
You are so smart to make an extra side batch for tasting! Cheesecake is one of those things that you are trying for the first time along with your guests, and it can be a little nerve wracking, haha! I’m totally doing this next time I make a new cheesecake recipe! I’m so glad you liked it, thanks for commenting!
Aww, thanks! Because I was making a big batch, I doubled the crust and sauce and quadrupled the cheesecake for a 13×9 pan – they ended up with just the right proportions even after I took some of each for the little test pan (3×5, I think?). The only issue I had – which was entirely of my own doing – was that I packed the crust really, really hard which made it super difficult to cut through. Next time, because there will for sure be a next time, I’ll just use a softer hand for that part. Thank you for such a stupendous recipe!
Any adjustments needed if I want to use blueberries instead?
Instead of an apron, I have specified shirts (previously stained) for the kitchen. Especially if I’m doing anything with frying.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you!
Hey Bru! I like your specified shirts idea! As far as blueberries, I just don’t know, I haven’t tried that. I can’t guarantee results but I have a hunch it would work out fine as is!
OMG is this ever a fantastic treat!!We have a small raspberry patch.Always on the lookout for something new. The only thing I didn’t do was to use parchment paper. I let it cool in the fridge overnight. Ok,I admit it-I did try a small piece from the corner.Hard to stop with just one taste!
It would be easier to cut had I used the paper as I could set the whole pan on the cutting board.
This definitely a keeper.
Oh wow, I wish I had my own raspberry patch!! I would be making these every day :) I’m so glad you liked it! And yeah, I don’t always use the parchment paper, especially if we’re just eating it at home, but if I’m taking it out somewhere it does help with presentation. Thanks so much for coming back to comment Marilyn!!