These Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars are an easy way to satisfy your craving for cheesecake. A sweet, simple spring or summer dessert.
With Easter just around the bend, I’m refreshing this post for Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars for you all. Although simple desserts are always front and center here on Valerie’s Kitchen, I know that we all need simple recipe solutions more than ever right now. And, I do believe we all need more dessert!
Having something sweet in the house has been a requirement around here for the past several weeks.
This cheesecake bar recipe is perfection. They are pure heaven in both taste and appearance and if you listen close, you can hear them saying “Hey, it’s spring!”. If there’s ever been a time when we could all use a little burst of spring, it’s now.
They will totally satisfy your craving for cheesecake but can be whipped up with far less effort. And, they are a far less guilty version of cheesecake if you use reduced fat cream cheese and light sour cream. Win-win!
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
If you are in a position to get the list of simple ingredients in your kitchen I suggest you try them pronto! They are spot-on perfect to serve after your Easter meal but hey, why wait?
- Graham cracker crust: Graham crackers, granulated sugar, and butter.
- Lemon blueberry cheesecake layer: Cream cheese (I always use Neufchatel reduced fat cream cheese), sour cream (light or regular), granulated sugar, large eggs, pure vanilla extract, a touch of salt, fresh lemon, and fresh blueberries.
I highly recommend purchasing Meyer lemons if you can get your hands on them. They are wonderfully sweet and delicious in recipes like this. They’ve been readily available at our local Safeway here in Oregon.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
The simple graham cracker crust is made quickly in your food processor.
- Process the graham crackers in your food processor until they are fine crumbs. Add the sugar and melted butter and process again to combine well.
- Coat a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and transfer the crumb mixture to the prepared baking dish. Press it down to form an even layer.
- Bake the crust until lightly browned and then allow it to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
- Add the cream cheese and sour cream to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in the sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Blend in the vanilla extract, salt, lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Fold in the blueberries gently with a wooden spoon until evenly incorporated.
- Pour the lemon blueberry cheesecake mixture over the graham cracker crust and gently spread it out into an even layer.
- Bake the Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars until the center appears to be just set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate the bars for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving.
This is an excellent recipe to make a day in advance to refrigerate overnight.
More Spring Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
- Easy Cream Puff Dessert
- Carrot Zucchini Bread with Cream Cheese Walnut Frosting
- Easy Blueberry Cheesecake Dessert
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs , (you'll need 14 whole rectangle shaped graham crackers)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 8 tablespoons butter,, melted
For the cheesecake:
- 16 ounces cream cheese,, room temperature (reduced fat or regular)
- 1/2 cup sour cream, (light or regular)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, (use Meyer lemons if you can get them)
- 1 pint fresh blueberries, (about 2 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 13- x 9-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.
For the Crust:
- Break 14 graham crackers in half and place in the bowl of a food processor. Process until they are fine crumbs. Add the sugar and melted butter and process again to combine well. Transfer the crumb mixture to the prepared baking dish and press down to form an even layer.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove dish from the oven and let cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
For the Filling:
- Add cream cheese and sour cream to a large bowl and using hand or stand mixer, beat on medium speed until smooth. Add in the sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract, salt, lemon zest and lemon juice. Fold in the blueberries gently with a wooden spoon until evenly incorporated.
- Pour the mixture over the graham cracker crust and gently spread into an even layer with an offset spatula.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the center appears to be just set. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
This post was originally published on April 18, 2012. It has been updated with new text and images.
Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Oooh – blueberry and lemon are truly one of my most favoritest flavor combinations of all of forever! Haha… listen to me, I’m losing all composure just thinking about these bars!
These look so creamy and delicious! I love Meyer lemons!
Love lemon and blueberry together. These look so yummy!
Hi Valerie! I don’t bake much but I only buy good butter… especially when you put on nice bread to eat, you can tell! We want quality not quantity…that’s what I always say. 🙂 Your lemon blueberry cheesecake look GORGEOUS!!!!
I’ve been eyeing those bars on Annie’s Eats for quite some time too! Yours turned out perfectly! Okay now I really have to make it 🙂
You won’t regret it!
BTW Valerie – there’s a little something for you over at my blog – http://mjskitchen.com/2012/04/baked-pork-chops/ Have a wonderful weekend!
Cannot emphasize how important it is to use the real deal myself! Not only when baking – there is simply no real substitute. 🙂
Very, very true that the essence of good baking is good butter. Great post! Your cheesecake bars look totally mouthwatering.
There’s nothing like the real thing! I’m not a baker but I still use butter for my bagels, toast, biscuits, anything that would taste better with butter. Actually, that’s everything! 🙂 Those bars look quite addicting!
It is sooo important to use good quality butter while baking! Great post Val.
I swear by good quality butter when I bake. It just makes such a difference to the end product. These bars are gorgeous and I bet they taste out of this world.
Okay I was perusing your about me page and don’t tell mini-me but if her and boytoy don’t work out I am dying to set her up with Conner. *laughs her head off* Your boys are gorgeous my dear. You must have girls beating down the door.
Very funny Kim! I’ll be sure to tell him. Yep, there have been a few girls at our door…just a few 🙂
Great post! It’s so important to use GOOD butter when baking. Great reminder of that!