Description
Cherry Cheesecake Bars combine a buttery graham cracker crust with creamy vanilla cheesecake and a sweet cherry topping. Perfect for parties, holiday trays, or a midweek treat, these bars offer all the richness of traditional cheesecake in a fun, sliceable format.
Ingredients
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar (for crust)
16 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar (for filling)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1/4 cup sugar. Press evenly into the baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add 3/4 cup sugar and mix until creamy. Blend in sour cream and vanilla.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
5. Pour the batter over the crust and smooth out. Bake for 35–40 minutes until center is set. Cool completely.
6. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
7. Spread cherry pie filling evenly on top. Slice into bars, wiping knife clean between cuts.
Notes
Don’t skip chilling—the bars need time to set for clean slicing.
Use room temperature cream cheese to avoid lumps in the batter.
You can swap cherry topping with blueberry, lemon, or raspberry pie filling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: cherry cheesecake bars, easy cheesecake dessert