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.
is there any substitute for eggs in the recipe?
Hey surbhi! I’ve never made this without the egg. You could try using an egg substitute. I know people use flaxseed to replace eggs sometimes, but I’ve never tried it. Let me know if you make it!
I’m making a dessert for about 40/50 !  Crazy I know. That Raspberry cheesecake slice looks about as difficult as I can go .. I might make 2 batches.. my question is this, do you have an easyish chocolate brownie (flourless would be great) or gluten free … gooey, I could make a tray of that as well? Thanks from AustraliaÂ
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Hey Pixie! I don’t have a flourless brownie recipe, but here are my two favorites:
https://thefoodcharlatan.com/nanas-famous-fudge-brownies-recipe/ (a little more complicated; has frosting)
https://thefoodcharlatan.com/browned-butter-brownies/ (this is a very classic brownie recipe that is SO fudgy.)
they both use a pretty minimal amount of flour. I have NOT tried it so can’t guarantee results, but I bet if you swapped in a cup-for-cup gluten free blend, either recipe would work out just fine. Let me know what you try out!
If I double the recipe to bake in a 9×13 pan, would you suggest the same cook time?
Yes Nicole, start checking at the same time! It might take a couple minutes longer but not too much. Enjoy!
Can I replace the raspberries with Strawberries without changing anything else in the recipe?
I hope you enjoy it as much as we did Tadej!
Sounds so yummy. Â Can I use Strawberries instead of raspberries? Â Would that require any special changes in recipe?
Hey Elaine! Yes I think using strawberries would change the recipe. Strawberries are a little more finicky when baking. I would look up a recipe for strawberry cheesecake bars!
Raspberry – cheesecake = bliss
What a hilarious story!!! Thanks for making my day brighter! I definitely can’t be trusted with white pants. Or white anything, really . . .
I’m making these for my Book Club. They will think I’m a Goddess! You are the BEST, Always making me look so good!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
I agree, white pants are a very bad idea, but these raspberry cheesecake bars? Inspired!
ha!! you are smarter than me, Sue ;)
hahahahahhaha!!!!! You’re post cracked me up! All hail big brother!? 😂Also, these cheesecake bars are so delish! Need these in my life! And also, no white pants for me! I’m just as clumsy and they won’t last an hour on me hhaahaha!
Hahaha! You’re right, I never wear white pants- disaster always awaits when I do!
You taught me well, Mom. Clearly I’ve strayed too far from the marked path.
So, you know how like color pants are all the rage too? So, for MY first foray outside of black or denim, I went with a really neutral pink. Turns out… my skin color is basically light pink. I have caught myself in the mirror and freaked out for JUST a split second that I wasn’t wearing pants. SUPER AWKWARD!! They’ve been up on the shelf all winter since they’re capris… not sure if I’ll be busting them out this year.
And seriously so funny you posted this because literally this morning I was trying a shirt on and decided it only works with lighter color pants. Internal conversation:
“But then I’d have to get white pants!”
“Oh, that sounds scary. I don’t think I can do white pants.”
“Hmm. You’re right.”
“But I like that shirt.”
“Got it. Gray denim! Like the ones Gabe and Miriam both have!”
“You’re a genius.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
I’m really hoping you have internal conversations like I do. Also, what does it say when my fashion goals are to have pants like my 6 and 3 year olds?
Hahahaha!! I remember having the same realization years ago. Tan, pink, any of those “neutral” colors that look gorgeous on anyone tan or ethnic, just looks like we’re not wearing pants. So sad, hahaha!! Also just want it on the record that I have definitely gotten fashion ideas from my children before, usually clothes that other people bought them. Obviously.
My son has a nut allergy so I’ll have to skip the almond extract. Can vanilla extract be substituted?
Can’t wait to try these!
Thanks for your reply.
Mary
Hey Mary! Yes vanilla will be the perfect substitute. The almond flavor it pretty subtle anyway.
Try imitation almond next time! It was fine for my nut-alleryic husband and the almond flavour is so nice with raspberry :)
I’ve got to make these very soon! They look amazing! And I never wear white pants. I would stain them the first day for sure. Between my own natural clumsiness and having small children climbing on me, they’d have no chance.
I’m in the same boat Laura! You are wiser than I. You just never know when some small child is going to squirt something on you! Just the other day I was trying to squeeze petroleum out of a tube for miss Valentine, and it wasn’t coming out so I was squeezing harder and harder and then I looked down and there was petroleum all over my pants, because the tube had leaked out the back. You can’t make this stuff up!!! haha!
I made these and they were awesome! Except I think I pressed down the crust a bit too vigorously because it was almost too crunchy to bite. I’m going to double the recipe for a potluck this weekend and be more gentle!
Also, this is an appropriate place for a whìte pants update, yes? Literally a few days after this post I bought white shorts!! They were on sale at Costco. Enough said. I figured I would just break out the stain stick every time I wore them, and I have, and so far they are still white. But now I also have the shorts issue. I thought, they’re just below knee length so I only have to shave up to my knees, right? And then I wore them to a parade and sat down on a blanket and realized that the shorts were now above my knees. And boy were they hairy knees. I had to sit with my arms crossed over my knees the whole time. Fun times.
Hope you don’t mind my hairy knees story. We’ve shared the love of cheesecake bars so we’re now friends forever, lol.
That story is hilarious Karen. It could only happen to you! Save those white pants and I’ll send you some outfit ideas. You’ll be okay I Promise. Just don’t wear them when you’re cooking . . .
These bars look amazing. I think I’ll see if there are raspberries next time I go to the store.
I’m not the only one Kris! Look I’ve got other moms backing me up here in the comments!! I’m not the only Guacamole Sitter out there!! ;) But yes please send me your outfit ideas because I can’t send them back now!!
I’m the one who has grease spots on all my tee shirts from forgetting to wear an apron when I’m cooking, aarrrgggh! I do have a pair of white crop jeans that I love, but I am always rubbing up against the Jeep, which is usually covered in our last muddy adventure, and I have to remember to treat the jeans before I do my textile management ;) Good looking raspberry treats, one of my favorite fruits!
Ah! Mary I’m the worst at wearing an apron! You would think I would learn! Adventures in your Jeep sounds fun. You sound outdoorsy and probably have a great tan, so people can actually tell when the pants start and your skin stops, unlike when I wear them. haha! ;) Work those white pants, girl. Hope you enjoy the cheesecake bars!!