Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

These Strawberry Cheesecake Bars are so creamy and decadent. Add the toasted pecan and butter cookie crust, and you will have a hard time resisting slicing off "just a leetle bit more" every time you pass by the pan. 

The first time I made these bars, I took them to work and they immediately disappeared. I've since retired, so this time my neighbors, kids, and grandkids, and their friends are the recipients. No matter who gets a taste, these bars are still a big hit. 

Of course, we definitely always save some for ourselves. 

Ingredients in these Cheesecake Bars:

For the crust:

Unbleached all-purpose flour

Granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder

Unsalted butter

Toasted chopped pecans. One of the secret ingredient in these bars is toasted pecans in the cookie crust. It just take these bars to another level.

For the Cheesecake Layer: 

Cream cheese

Granulated sugar

Pure vanilla extract or vanilla been paste. I love the little flecks of vanilla seeds in the paste. 

Eggs

Strawberry jam

Procedure to Make these Bars:

First, make the crust by mixing together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and butter briefly in a food processor. When everything is just blended, mix in the toasted pecans by hand. 

Press the crust ingredients into a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan and bake it for about 15 minutes. 

Next, make the filling. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar. Then, add the vanilla and the eggs. Pour the mixture over the crust and then pipe three stripes of the jam over the top of the cheesecake filling, lengthwise. Using a knife or chopstick, draw a perpendicular line through the jam stripes, each in opposite directions. 

Finally, bake the cheesecake bars for about 20 minutes. 

The first time I made these, I made a batch of fresh ice box strawberry jam for the strawberry swirl. If you decide to use store bought strawberry preserves or jam, the bars will be just as awesome (I've since made them both ways). 

One of the secret ingredients in the strawberry jam is a Granny Smith apple. Did you know that shredded Granny Smith apple contains natural pectin to help the jam gel? 

For the strawberry garnish, I used some gorgeous Harry's Berries from Melissa's Produce. They are grown locally by a family farm and are such a deep red color and have a pure strawberry flavor. 

I've also used these strawberries to fill a strawberry lemonade cake (coming soon)!

Equipment You May Need:

To mix the crust, a food processor is super handy. You can also mix the crust by hand and a pastry cutter. For the filling, either a a stand mixer  or a hand mixer works. 

To roll out the crust in the pan, I used a mini rolling pin after lining the crust with plastic wrap. This really helped with evening out the dough and spread it from end to end. 

Finally, a small offset spatula is super handy for spreading the cheesecake mixture. 

May is National Strawberry Month! 

For more ideas for using strawberries, be sure to check out the Sunday Funday group's recipes:

• Strawberry Breakfast Pastry from Palatable Pastime
• Strawberry Smoothie from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Triple Berry Greek Yogurt Parfait from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Strawberry Hazelnut Crostini from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Homemade Strawberry Crush from Sneha's Recipe
• Fresas con Crema from Food Lust People Love
• Strawberry Cheesecake Bars from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding from Cook with Renu

If you love baking with strawberries, you might also like my no-knead strawberry swirl brioche, strawberry shortcake cookies, and strawberry cinnamon roll cake. 

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars with Homemade Fresh Strawberry Jam Recipe

Yield: 15 Servings

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 2 Hour

These Strawberry Cheesecake Bars are so creamy and decadent.

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 6 1/4 ounces (1 1/2 cups) unbleached all purpose flour
• 5 1/4 ounces (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 6 ounces (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 ounces chopped pecans, toasted in a 350 degree oven for about 4 to 5 minutes (watch closely)

For the Filling

• 2 eight ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
• 5 1/4 ounces (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• 3 ounces (1/4 cup) strawberry jam

For the Homemade Jam (Optional, make in advance)

• 1 pound small red strawberries, hulled and cut into small pieces
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 of a large peeled Granny Smith apple, grated
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

To Prepare the Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a 9 inch by 13 inch pan with spray oil or baking spray.
3. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and butter for a few seconds, until it comes together.
4. Move the dough to a counter and knead in the pecans with your hands.
5. Press the dough with you hands or a mini rolling pin into the bottom of the baking pan. It will seem thin, but it will expand while baking.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes, until just set.
7. Remove it from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

To Prepare the Filling and Bake the Cheesecake Bars

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
2. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the eggs and vanilla and gently mix until combined.
3. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust.
4. Fill a pastry bag or zip lock bag with the jam and cut a hole in a corner.
5. Draw three stripes of jam lengthwise on top of the cheesecake filling.
6. Draw a knife through the jam in one direction to move the jam into a winged pattern. Going in the opposite direction, pull the knife one inch from the last pull. Continue to pull a knife through the jam, one inch apart, to create a decorative pattern, changing directions with each pass. If you mess up, it really doesn't matter. The bars are still tasty.
7. Bake for about 20 to 22 minutes, until just set. Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen the bars and prevent cracking.
8. Let cool on a wire rack for an hour, and then refrigerate until firm.
9. Slice and serve!

To Make the Optional Jam

1. In a 3 quart saucepan, mash the strawberries with a potato masher. Add the sugar, apple, and lemon juice.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the temperature and simmer for about 25 minutes.
3. Let cool completely, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate until set.
4. The jam can be refrigerated for up to 8 weeks.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

280

Fat (grams)

16 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

7 g

Carbs (grams)

34 g

Fiber (grams)

1 g

Net carbs

33 g

Sugar (grams)

23 g

Protein (grams)

3 g

Cholesterol (grams)

49 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2016/05/strawberry-cheesecake-bars-with.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

cheescake, strawberries,

dessert

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Recipe adapted from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion. 

Jam recipe adapted from Cook's Country, June/July, 2016

Recipe updated May, 2024. Originally published May, 2016.