Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

These lemon blueberry cheesecake bars have the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavor, with jammy blueberry preserves and a layer of tangy citrus-infused cheesecake on top. A lovely dessert for springtime or any time of year!

Lemon Cream Cheese Bars With Blueberry Preserves

This recipe came about as I was contemplating how to make a lemon dessert without it being so lemon-y that I wouldn’t like it. I’m more of a citrus-in-small-doses fan, you see. I decided to add blueberry to the mix to make things a bit more balanced, and these lemon blueberry cheesecake bars were the result.

Let’s start at the bottom of all of this—the crust. Rather than using a traditional graham cracker base, I made a nutty crust with butter, brown sugar, and pecans. This dials back some of the sweetness in the recipe, which is a good thing because the next layer is blueberry preserves.

Over the blueberry layer, you’ll add—you guessed it—a thick layer of creamy, citrusy lemon cheesecake. Between the crust and the preserves, the tart lemon flavor of the cheesecake is quite tame compared to, say, a lemon bar or lemon cream pie. It certainly satisfies my hankering for a dessert befitting springtime.

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

For the Crust:

• All-purpose flour – Learn more: How to Measure Flour
• Unsalted butter – Unsalted or Salted Butter: Which is Better for Baking?
• Light brown sugar – Dark brown sugar has a more assertive flavor; there are already a lot of big flavors in these bars, so keep things in check by sticking with light brown sugar. Learn more: Light Brown Sugar vs Dark Brown Sugar: What’s the Difference?
• Pecans – You can substitute another nut if you prefer. 
• Salt

For the Filling:

• Blueberry preserves – Use a high-quality brand, preferably one with some intact fruit for a nice texture.
• Cream cheese – Let this come to room temperature so it’s easy to blend with the other ingredients.
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Lemon juice – Learn more: How to Zest and Juice Lemons
• Vanilla extract – Use store-bought or homemade vanilla extract.

Which Cream Cheese Is Good for Cheesecake?

When it comes to cream cheese for cheesecake, you should always use full-fat. Lower-fat cream cheese has a higher moisture content, which can affect the texture of your cheesecake. 

Avoid any brands with added ingredients, and labels with phrases like “cream cheese spread” or “light cream cheese.” If you’re not sure what to buy, go for a classic like Philadelphia Cream Cheese. It has the perfect texture and tanginess for cheesecake, and it’s the preferred choice of professionals and home baking enthusiasts alike.

How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

If traditional cheesecake recipes have failed you in the past, cheesecake bars are a great alternative. They’re much less fussy to bake because the cheesecake layer is thinner—no springform pan or water bath needed!

Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9″x 13″x 2″ baking pan. Alternatively, you can line the pan with parchment paper and grease the paper, which will make it easier to remove the bars.

Make the crust. Use a fork or your hands to combine all of the crust ingredients in a medium bowl. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan, then bake for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Add the blueberry layer. Spread the blueberry preserves evenly over the slightly cooled crust.

Make the lemon cheesecake layer. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the cream cheese and sugar until they’re light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.

Bake. Pour the cheesecake filling over the crust and preserves. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until set.

Cool and serve. Let the lemon blueberry cheesecake bars cool in the pan on a wire rack for about an hour. Chill the bars in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, then cut into squares.

How to Cut Cheesecake Bars

To get perfectly neat squares, you can use a warm knife to help cut through the cheesecake. Dip a sharp knife in hot water and then wipe it clean before and after each cut. This will make for cleaner slices that look like they came from a professional bakery.

Variations

This is a great recipe for customizing to your preferences by using a different flavor of preserves, or by omitting the lemon juice or using a different juice or extract. You can also intensify the lemon flavor by adding fine lemon zest to the cheesecake mixture.

You can go a bit more traditional with a graham cracker crust, like the crust from my Nutella swirl cheesecake bars.

How to Store

These lemon blueberry cheesecake bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you’re stacking them in the container, parchment paper between the layers will keep them from sticking to each other.

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

Yes, these bars can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. To thaw the bars, simply leave them in the refrigerator overnight.

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