Blueberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

Blueberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars desserts These thick blueberry cheesecake crumble bars combine the creamy richness of cheesecake loaded with the bright and delicious flavors of blueberry and lemon, featuring a crunchy graham cracker crust, smooth creamy cheesecake filling, jammy blueberry swirls and juicy blueberries, and a crunchy crumble topping. blueberry cheesecake, blueberry crumble, blueberry bars Blueberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars cheesecake, bars, blueberries

These thick blueberry cheesecake crumble bars combine the creamy richness of cheesecake loaded with the bright and delicious flavors of blueberry and lemon, featuring a crunchy graham cracker crust, smooth creamy cheesecake filling, jammy blueberry swirls and juicy blueberries, and a crunchy crumble topping. You don’t need to fuss with water bath, these are a crowd pleasing dessert and they make the perfect treat for spring and summer or whenever you are craving something blueberry and decadent!

Blueberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

Key Ingredients in Blueberry Crumble Cheesecake Bars Ingredients (full list of ingredients in recipe card below)

  • GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMBS: Use regular graham crackers or graham cracker crumbs as the main ingredient for the base and topping.
  • BUTTER: Melted unsalted butter is the glue that holds the crust (and crumbly topping) together.
  • CREAM CHEESE: Be sure to allow ample time for the cream cheese to come to room temperature; the filling will be much easier to mix together. You will need 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese (use only full fat), room temperature
  • BLUEBERRIES: We used fresh blueberries for this dessert, but if you are going to use frozen I would say that is totally fine but ONLY for the blueberry swirl part of the recipe as the blueberries simmer and frozen or fresh works well for that part. I recommend using fresh for topping the cheesecake with as the frozen ones will release too much moisture while they bake - if you can’t use fresh I would say skip the 1 cup of fresh blueberries for the topping - its bonus anyways.
  • SUGAR: You will need brown sugar and granulated sugar for the the cheesecake. They are technically interchangeable but there is a bit of variance in moisture and texture when swapped.
  • SOUR CREAM: For a smooth and creamy cheesecake. Most cheesecake recipes use either heavy cream, yogurt or sour cream; either will do the job of softening the texture of the cheese and adding some moisture. I prefer sour cream because I like the extra hit of sour tang it adds to the cake.
  • VANILLA & LEMON EXTRACT: Pure vanilla extract is what I use for best flavor. The lemon extract is totally optional but it is concentrated lemon flavor that I like to add to the filling along with the vanilla.
  • LEMON JUICE & LEMON ZEST: The lemon juice really balances the sweetness and richness of the cheesecake filling and the acidity helps prevent the cream cheese from clumping, resulting in a silky and velvety smooth filling. The lemon zest adds flavour to the crust and crumble. You could definitely add lemon zest to the filking and the blueberry swirl off you would like more lemon flavor.
  • EGGS: You will need 4 medium eggs at room temperature and they hold the cheesecake together and add to the rich texture of it.
  • CORNSTARCH: I use a little cornstarch to thicken the sautéed berries but you can also use flour instead.
  • OATS: I use old fashioned oats for the crumble topping - but quick cooking oats will work here too.
  • OPTIONAL ADD INS: If you like your blueberry desserts a little spiced feel free to swap out the lemon zest from the crust and crumble and add in a pinch of ground cinnamon or even cardamom. You can do the same for the blueberry swirl too. If you would like to add more flavor to the blueberry swirl feel free to add in some lemon zest and a splash of vanilla too. If you would like to add some extra crunch to the crumble feel free to chop up 1/4 cup of pecans and add them to the buttery crumb topping.

Blueberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

How to Make Blueberry Crumble Cream Cheese Bars (full instruction in recipe card below)

  1. Make the Graham Cracker Crust & Topping: Mix the graham cracker crumbs with sugar, and spices and melted butter. Press into bottom of prepared baking pan. Then bake. Whisk the dry ingredients for the topping in a medium bowl then stir in the butter to form crumbs. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
  2. Prepare Berry Swirl: Simmer berries in sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch to thicken. Then chill to cool.
  3. Make Filling: Using a mixer cream the sugar and cream cheese until combined followed by the vanilla and lemon juice, then eggs and finally the sour cream.
  4. Assemble Bars: Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust and spread in an even layer. Dollop the cooled blueberry compote over the filling then use a knife or skewer to swirl into batter, scatter remaining 1 cup fresh berries over filling then sprinkle with the crumb mixture.
  5. Bake and Chill Bars: Bake until the edges are set and puffed and the center is still slightly jiggly and the crumble is lightly golden brown. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate until completely chilled.

Blueberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

Blueberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

Blueberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

Cheesecake Tips and tricks

  • Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature: Set out your cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream/ yogurt ahead of time so they can come up to temp – this will make for a much smoother filling. Forget to set them out early? I recommend softening it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds at a time at 50% power. This will warm the cream cheese which helps get a smooth batter if you are in a pinch and forgot to take it out of the fridge.
  • Line the pan: Line the pan with foil or parchment paper before you add any of the ingredients to it. Once the bars are fully chilled, you’ll be able to lift them out of the pan and slice them so much more neatly and easily.
  • Don’t skimp on the mixing: Make sure you take the time to gently mix everything really well. Don’t try to rush this process to ensure a smooth cheesecake batter.
  • Scrape the sides of the bowl often: Stop and use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently throughout the mixing process. This will make sure you get every little bit of cream cheese and sour cream mixed in – with the least amount of lumps or clumps.

Blueberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

Make Ahead, Storage & Freezing Cheesecake Bars

  • MAKE AHEAD: Cheesecakes are a great make ahead recipe. I almost always make mine 1 day in advance if not 2 days. I know that it doesn’t take 24 hours for the cheesecake to set but I like to at least allow 8 hours or overnight for it to set well, making it an ideal dessert to make ahead.
  • STORAGE: The baked and chilled cheesecake will keep for up to 4 days covered tightly with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator.
  • FREEZING: The cheesecake will keep for up to 2 months covered tightly and stored in the freezer covered tightly with a couple layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil over top then placed in a container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.You can freeze individual slices the same way as well. To freeze, you can slice the cheesecake, and wrap each slice in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight container. Pre-slicing makes it easier to store the cheesecake, and also whenever you want a piece, you can just pull a slice out of the freezer, let it sit on the counter for about 1 hour or so, or in the fridge overnight, and serve.

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Recipe

Servings: 16
Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins
Chill Time: 4-6 hours
Total Time: 5-7 hours

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 2½ cups graham crackers crumbs
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • 8 tablespoons butter, melted

For the Blueberry Swirl

  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch, heaping
  • 4 tablespoons cold water, more if needed

For the Crumb Topping

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Cheesecake Filling

  • 4 blocks full-fat cream cheese
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

For Topping the Filling

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries, for scattering on top

Directions

Prepare pan, Preheat oven and Make crust

  1. Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Spray a 9” x 13 baking dish with cooking spray, then line with parchment, leaving a 2” overhang on 2 opposite sides for easy removal.
  2. To a medium size bowl add graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and lemon zest and whisk. Stir the melted butter, until you have moist crumbs.
  3. Empty mixture into prepared pan and press crust into bottom evenly.
  4. Transfer pan to preheated oven and bake 8-10 minutes until edges are lightly golden and fragrant. Remove pan from oven and set aside to cool while you prepare rest of the recipe

Make the Blueberry Sauce/ Swirl

  1. Using a medium-size sauce pan over medium-high heat, bring the fresh blueberries, cornstarch, lemon juice, water, and granulated sugar to a boil, stirring constantly. Once boiling, continue to stir, then reduce the heat to medium or medium low and continue to simmer for 8-10 minutes. The blueberries will break down into juices as the rest of the mixture thickens to a jam like consistency, feel free to use a spoon or spatula to mash a few of them if needed.
  2. If the mixture looks too dry at any point, add a touch extra water - just enough to help everything come together.
  3. Transfer to a bowl and chill in refrigerator so that it cools while you prepare rest of the recipe. It will also thicken some more as it chills.

Prepare Topping

  1. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar salt and lemon zest.
  2. Pour the melted butter and using a fork stir and toss until flour is incorporated and clumps starts to form.
  3. Transfer to the fridge while you make rest of bars.

Make the Cheesecake Filling

  1. In a clean large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese (using stand mixer or hand mixer) until smooth and creamy.
  2. Add the sugar and mix until just combined.
  3. Mix in the eggs one at a time, followed by the Greek yogurt/ sour cream, vanilla, lemon extract if using, and lemon juice. Mix until well incorporated and smooth. Make sure to stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula.

Assemble & Bake

  1. Pour the cheesecake filling over the pre-baked crust and smooth it out evenly.
  2. Take the blueberry swirl out of the fridge, stir then use a spoon to drop spoonfuls of it dolloping it over the cheesecake filling evenly. Use a skewer or knife to gently swirl the blueberry mixture into the cheesecake, being careful not to touch the bottom crust.
  3. Scatter remaining 1 cup of fresh blueberries evenly over top.
  4. Remove crumble mixture from fridge and break up any larger pieces if needed then sprinkle mixture evenly over the top.
  5. Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the edges are set and slightly puffed, topping is lightly browned and the center is mostly set (the center should jiggle only slightly when moved).

Cool & Serve

  1. Cool for 1 hour at room temperature on a wire rack, then refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. (I like to wrap the top in foil after 1-2 hours of chilling when the cheesecake has fully cooled in the fridge)
  2. Slice and serve chilled

Recipe Note

  • Each oven is different that is why there is usually a time frame of baking time instead of a specific time especially when it comes to cheesecake. Ensure your oven is properly preheated before placing cheesecake in the oven otherwise it will take longer to bake the cheesecake. I used a stainless steel pan for the recipe. If you use a ceramic baking dish it will take longer for the cheesecake to bake. Keep an eye on it regardless and once it is lightly golden and slightly puffed and mostly set it should be done with a very slight jiggle when moved.

Blueberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars