Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
A few weeks ago, I was craving a dessert sans chocolate. Something fruity, lighter, but still delicious. Of course, Sally’s Baking Addiction never disappoints. I simply typed in “lemon blueberry” into her search bar, and boom! Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars. Well, I don’t mind if I do! This recipe was just delicious, bright, and not at all fussy, with the hardest part being patiently waiting for the bars to set up in the fridge. Pro tip: either make these in the morning, if you intend to devour them by dinner, or make them the night before, so they’re ready to go the next day!
Ingredients
Crust
10 Full Graham Cracker Sheets (or 1.5 cups crumbled)
6 TB Unsalted Butter, Melted
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
Filling
16 oz. Cream Cheese, Softened
1 Large Egg
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
Zest of two medium Lemons
Juice of 1 medium Lemon
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed Blueberries
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily lift the chilled bars out as a whole. Set aside.
Prepare the Crust: Using a food processor or blender, pulverize the graham crackers into a fine crumb. Pour into a medium bowl and mix with melted butter and sugar. Press into the lined pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Allow to cool as you prepare the filling.
Make the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute on medium speed until smooth. On medium speed, beat in the egg, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract together until smooth and creamy, about 3 full minutes. Gently fold in the blueberries. Spoon filling onto the crust.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cheesecake has set up and the edges are lightly browned. The bars will be very puffy, but will sink slightly down as they cool. Allow to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature on a wire rack and then chill in the refrigerator for at least three hours.
Lift the parchment paper out of the pan and cut into squares!
Refrigerate in an Air Tight container up to 5 Days…but they’ll never last that long : ).
Cake Stands
Cake stands are one of those things I find myself occasionally acquiring, as they’re not only lovely, you can use them for displaying so many things! I use mine for added lift when creating a party tablescape, baked goodies, candles, etc. Such cute options included above. Happy Baking!