This is a super easy Blueberry Cheesecake Bars recipe, with no special pans or water bath required. It’s a simple stunner of a summer dessert, featuring a buttery graham cracker crust topped with a tangy white chocolate cheesecake filling that’s stuffed with fresh blueberries!
This Blueberry Cheesecake Bars recipe, with its irresistible buttery graham cracker crust and pops of juicy, sweet-tart blueberries, is a family favorite. I like to serve this summertime dessert with fresh blueberry sauce when we’re entertaining, but this beautiful cheesecake can definitely stand all on its own (or add simple dollops of freshly whipped cream!). Plus – this is such an easy cheesecake recipe, with no special pans or water baths required!
Why We ❤️ These Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Simple, delicious, pretty, seasonal, and easy to make ahead. Yep. That sums up why this recipe is a family favorite!
- Simple cheesecake recipe. I adore a quick & easy cheesecake recipe, without the need for special equipment or a water bath. This recipe requires minimal time and energy!
- Yummy & pretty. My husband and daughters are big fans of both cheesecake and white chocolate, so this recipe is a HUGE win with them. Plus, it’s SO PRETTY, stuffed with fresh, juicy blueberries!
- Perfect summer dessert. This dessert recipe not only features seasonal fresh blueberries, but it’s also served chilled so it’s very refreshing. Perfect for summertime!
- Easy to make ahead. When we’re entertaining, my goal is to prep as much as possible beforehand. This dessert is perfect because I bake it the day before and let it chill in the fridge. I even cut it into bars in advance, then place it back in the fridge until guests arrive.
What You’ll Need
I’ve outlined the ingredients needed to make this blueberry cheesecake bars. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredient amounts.
FOR THE CRUST
- Graham crackers – Buy a package of graham cracker crumbs or crush whole crackers yourself.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar adds a touch of sweetness to the crust.
- Salt – For a little contrast to the sweetness.
- Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon adds a bit of spiced warmth to the crust.
- Butter – Melted, unsalted butter holds the crust together and adds rich, delicious flavor.
FOR THE FILLING
- White chocolate – Use a good quality white chocolate baking bar such as Ghirardelli or Baker’s.
- Cream cheese – I always use full-fat cream cheese, for the richest flavor and texture.
- Eggs – This not only binds the filling together, but also contributes to the flavor and texture.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar adds sweetness to the tangy cheesecake filling.
- Vanilla – Use only pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Blueberries – Use the freshest, sweet-tart blueberries for the best flavor.
Can I Use Frozen Berries?
Fresh blueberries are ideal in this recipe as they are packed with the juicy sweetness and texture that only comes from fresh berries. However, if you’re in a pinch, you can use frozen blueberries. Fold them into the cheesecake filling straight from the freezer; do not defrost them first.
How To Make Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Here’s a look at how to make these blueberry cheesecake bars. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with non-stick spray.
- Make crust. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and cinnamon with melted butter.
- Press into pan. Press the crust mixture into the pan.
- Bake. Then bake the crust for 12 minutes; remove from oven and set aside.
- Make cream cheese filling. Beat cream cheese, then beat in sugar and eggs.
- Add white chocolate & vanilla. Add the cooled, melted white chocolate and vanilla, and beat again just to combine.
- Fold in blueberries. Add blueberries to the cream cheese mixture and gently fold to combine.
- Add filling to pan. Spread the blueberry cream cheese filling mixture evenly over the baked crust.
- Bake. Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool, then chill in the refrigerator.
Recipe Tips + a Variation
Here are a few easy tips plus a favorite variation idea to help you make these blueberry cheesecake bars:
- Line the pan. Lining the pan with parchment paper or foil means that you will be able to handily remove the whole baked cheesecake from the pan. This allows for clean-cut pieces. If you’re not all that concerned, just lightly spray your pan and skip the liner!
- Do NOT use white chocolate chips! I never have good results with melting white chocolate chips…they always seem to melt in funky way or scorch. So pleeeeeease just trust me – pick up a good quality white chocolate baking bar such as Ghirardelli or Baker’s brand white chocolate.
- Chill thoroughly. Cheesecake always has a better texture and flavor after it’s had the chance to fully chill. So plan to let the cheesecake rest and chill in the fridge for at least three hours or overnight.
- Get clean cuts: For the cleanest cuts, use a sharp, non-serrated knife and wipe it clean on a paper towel in between each cut.
- Make ahead. As already noted, it’s always a good idea to fully chill a cheesecake – which is perfect for making ahead of time. You can make these bars up to 24 hours in advance of when you plan to serve them.
- Add lemon. Lemon and blueberries were meant for each other, and I often add some fresh lemon zest to the filling.
Serving Suggestions
These bars are perfect on their own, or you can pair them with other desserts or toppings. A few ideas:
- Add blueberry sauce. My homemade blueberry sauce plays up the juicy blueberry flavor in these bars to perfection.
- Whipped cream. For some fluffy fun, add dollops of lightly sweetened whipped cream to each cheesecake bar.
- With coffee. Whip up a decadent espresso drink to balance the richness of these bars. I recommend a cortadito, lavender latte, or a dirty chai latte. Or daughters will always vote for an iced brown sugar oatmilk shaken espresso!
- Blueberry drinks. Go ALL IN on blueberries and serve these bars with tall glasses of iced blueberry lemonade or blueberry basil lemonade, or make a blueberry margarita!
How To Store Cheesecake Bars
Here are the best ways to keep leftover cheesecake bars:
- Fridge – Place the bars in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer – Freeze the bars in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
More Yummy Blueberry Recipes
Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Yield: 16 bars
This is a super easy Blueberry Cheesecake Bars recipe, with no special pans or water bath required. It's a simple stunner of a summer dessert, featuring a buttery graham cracker crust topped with a tangy white chocolate cheesecake filling that's stuffed with fresh blueberries!
Print
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
- 8 ounces good quality white chocolate baking bar (do not use white chips), roughly chopped (such as Ghirardelli brand or Baker's brand)
- 16 ounces full-fat brick cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups fresh blueberries, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving enough overhang on the sides to easily lift the chilled bars out as a whole. Lightly spray parchment with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Crust
- In a medium bowl, whisk together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add melted butter and stir to completely combine. Press evenly into prepared pan.
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until fragrant and golden. Set on a wire rack to cool slightly.
Filling
- While crust is in the oven, melt the white chocolate. In a small microwave-safe bowl, gently melt the white chocolate in the microwave, in 10-20 second intervals – take care to not let it scorch. You can also do this over low heat in a saucepan on the stovetop. Set aside to cool completely.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add eggs and sugar, and beat on medium speed until just combined. Add the cooled white chocolate (you can place in the refrigerator for a bit if it's still warm) and vanilla, and beat again just to combine. Then gently fold in blueberries.
- Spread blueberry cream cheese mixture evenly over the baked crust.
- Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, or until cheesecake wobbles just slightly in the center, and the edges are just a bit golden. (If the edges are browning more than you like, and the center is still wobbly, place a loose foil tent over the pan while it continues to bake.) Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 1 hour. Then place pan in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to chill thoroughly, or chill overnight.
- Remove cheesecake from the pan by gently pulling up on the parchment paper. Cut into squares/bars. For the cleanest cuts, wipe the knife clean after every cut. Serve with fresh blueberry sauce and/or dollops of freshly whipped cream.
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 327kcal Carbohydrates: 34g Protein: 4g Fat: 20g Saturated Fat: 12g Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 66mg Sodium: 187mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 28g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
This post was originally published in 2012, after our family went blueberry picking. I just updated this post in 2024, but wanted to keep these old family photos for the memory book!
YUM!! Love blueberry picking!!
white chocolate & blueberries??? YES! sounds amazing.
xo
kellie
We love picking blueberries here in oregon and what a perfect treat to go with them!!
Thanks, Cathy. My family goes ga-ga over cheesecake – this was the perfect easy way to indulge in our fresh picked berries!
I love picking blueberries! I kinda sorta went a little bezerk last Summer and my kids and I picked 55lbs of blueberries. Needless to say…we still have blueberries in the freezer from last year. Blueberry Lemon Muffins are my daughters favorite, but she is a cheesecake lover so I bet she would love these too!
55 pounds of blueberries?!?! I can’t even imagine!
How delicious! I reallyyy want to go fruit picking someday! I mean, LOOK AT ALL THOSE BLUEBERRIES!
Thanks, Lynna. Picking your own is truly a treat. We planted a few bushes in our yard this summer, hoping to have some of our own in the coming years. They’re just too good!
Looks amazing!
Thank you, Joan! Hope you’re doing great! :)
Mmm such a treat!
These bars are stunning! And I’m so jealous of your 7lb berry stash!
That box of berries does feel a bit like uncovered treasure!
Look at all those gorgeous berries! I’m pretty sure if I had these bars in my house, I would eat them for breakfast. Because I’m super healthy and and loads of self-control. Love this!
YUM! I love white chocolate Brenda, I’m head-over-heels for these. They look so perfect!
Thanks, Cassie. :)
This blueberry white chocolate cheesecake bar is simply divine and gorgeous! What a fun activity to go pick fruit. Can’t wait to take my kids out for some fun!
Thank you, Amy. :)
Blueberries! rasberries! blackberries! Yummmm. I remember blackberry and blueberry picking as a kids. Back then we just ate ’em right off the branch…now, I’d like to try this tasty recipe!
This sounds amazing! I love those fresh blueberries!
Thank you, Jessica!
I love blueberry picking! I live about 5 miles from a blueberry farm and go picking almost weekly. Looks like I need to save some of my next bucket for these bars :).
You are a lucky duck! I would love to live that close to a blueberry u-pick. The place I like to go to, mostly because it involves great scenery and spots for lunch, is an hour’s drive.
7 pounds of berries in my possession would instantly make me crave cheesecake too! Can you believe I’ve never made a white chocolate cheesecake before?? It sounds delicious and I’m excited to give it a try. I love fruit and cheesecake together, so this recipe looks out-of-this-world yummy to me. Have a fun weekend!
Thanks, Julia. I like to make all kinds of cheesecakes, but often hear from people that they don’t want to invest in a springform pan or that they’re intimidated by water baths, etc. So I wanted to share something that hopefully will appeal to those people as well. Everyone was sad when it disappeared – we’ll be making more of it!
love this recipe….and your girls are right, the blueberries make them healthy :p
Thank you! :)
Oooo fresh blueberries are my favorite! these bars are to-die-for and definitely on my short-list!
Everything about this recipe sounds delicious!! Love all these blueberry recipes!
Um, yeah. I am obsessed with white chocolate and blueberries. This is like a dream come true!! Great job Brenda!
Thank you, Amanda Dearest. :)
Yay for blueberries! The bars look awesome!
Thanks, Maria. :)