These blueberry cheesecake bars are easy to make and so delicious! Made with a buttery shortbread crust, creamy cheesecake filling, and homemade blueberry sauce, these blueberry cheesecake squares are the perfect spring or summer dessert.
Ingredients for Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Shortbread crust
- All-purpose flour: Creates the structure for the crust.
- Granulated sugar: For a touch of sweetness.
- Salt: Enhances the buttery flavor of the shortbread crust.
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature, cubed butter.
Cheesecake filling
- Cream cheese: Room temperature for easy creaming. I recommend full-fat cream cheese.
- Granulated sugar: For sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract adds great vanilla flavor.
- Egg: Large egg, room temperature.
Blueberry filling
- Frozen blueberries: Frozen blueberries ensure that your filling has the best blueberry flavor.
- Granulated sugar: To sweeten things up a bit!
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice brightens the blueberry flavor.
- Cornstarch + water: To make a cornstarch slurry to thicken the blueberry filling.
Tools & Supplies for Making Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
How to Make Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
To make the shortbread crust and cheesecake filling, I recommend using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer.
Shortbread crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8×8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add in room temperature, cubed unsalted butter. Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture becomes crumbly and resembles coarse sand.
- Pour the shortbread crumbs into the prepared baking pan. Spread evenly and use a flat-bottomed measuring cup to press the crumbs into a flat, even layer.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool while preparing the remaining components.
Cheesecake filling
- In a mixing bowl, cream room temperature cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add in egg and mix until well combined and smooth.
Blueberry filling
The blueberry filling can (and should) be prepared ahead of time! Make the blueberry filling the day before or at least two hours before you plan on baking the cheesecake bars.
- In a saucepan, combine frozen blueberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice over medium-low heat on the stove.
- Simmer until the blueberries have softened and the mixture begins to bubble. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and water.
- Add the cornstarch slurry to the blueberry mixture and immediately stir to combine. Remove from the heat once the liquids have thickened.
- Allow the filling to cool to room temperature before transferring to a bowl and chilling in the fridge for at least one hour before use.
Assembling and baking the bars
- Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
- Pour the cheesecake filling onto the baked shortbread crust. Spread into an even layer using an offset spatula.
- Spoon the blueberry filling over the cheesecake layer. Use an offset spatula to spread the blueberry filling evenly.
- Bake cheesecake bars for approximately 25 to 30 minutes. The bars will appear slightly jiggly in the center.
- Allow the cheesecake bars to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours.
Blueberry Cheesecake Bars Recipe Tips
Preparing the baking pan
To easily remove the blueberry cheesecake bars from the pan, I recommend lining the pan with parchment paper. Cut two pieces of paper to the width of the pan. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray and place the parchment paper in a cross shape so that it goes up the sides of the pan. Once the bars are baked and cooled, simply pull up on the parchment paper to remove them from the pan!
Baking at different temperatures
The shortbread crust and blueberry cheesecake filling are baked at two different temperatures. This is not a mistake! The shortbread crust bakes at 350 degrees and the blueberry cheesecake filling is baked at 325 degrees. The lower temperature prevents the filling from browning on the sides and the top.
Make the blueberry filling ahead of time
The blueberry filling can be made the day before baking the cheesecake bars. You could also make the filling a couple hours before baking the bars, just ensure the blueberry filling is completely cooled before layering onto the cheesecake filling.
Storing and serving
The blueberry cheesecake bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days. Serve chilled.
Click here to see a quick video on how to make blueberry cheesecake bars! Follow Cake Me Home Tonight on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for more recipe videos and baking tutorials!
Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- 8×8 baking pan
- Electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature and cubed
- ¼ tsp salt
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg room temperature
Blueberry Filling (Make ahead)
- 16 oz frozen blueberries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare an 8×8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add in cubed unsalted butter. Mix with an electric hand mixer until the butter is well dispersed and the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Pour the shortbread crumbles into the prepared 8×8 baking pan and press into the bottom of the pan to create the crust.
- Bake the crust for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Reduce the heat of the oven to 325° F.
Cheesecake Filling
- In a mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add in the room temperature egg and mix until combined and smooth.
Blueberry Filling (Make ahead)
- In a medium saucepan, combine frozen blueberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice.
- Cook over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until the mixture is bubbling and the blueberries soften.
- In a small separate bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water until smooth.
- Turn the heat to low. Add the cornstarch slurry to the blueberries while mixing until well combined and thickened. Remove the sauce pan from the heat.
- Transfer the blueberry filling to a heat-proof bowl and cool to room temperature. If making the day before, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Assembling the Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
- Spread the cheesecake filling onto the cooled shortbread crust. Use an offset spatula to create an even layer.
- Spoon the blueberry filling over the cheesecake filling and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Bake the blueberry cheesecake bars for 30-35 minutes. The center of the bars will still be a bit jiggly.
- Cool the bars to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. To serve, remove the blueberry cheesecake bars from the pan and cut into squares.
Notes
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