I have been concentrating on making cookies that stand up well to the rigors of school lunch boxes and backpacks and was feeling the need for something a little more decadent…something like cheesecake. My daughter brought me a large box of blueberries over the weekend and I have big plans for them through the winter months. Blueberries aren’t my favorite for pie…I can’t remember ever making a blueberry one, but we love them in SCONES, CAKES, and MUFFINS and in these blueberry cheesecake bars.
Blueberries love the hot, dry summer we are enduring enjoying here in the Pacific NW. I don’t think I have ever seen berries the size of these. The berry in the right photo is sitting on a quarter, and there were lots of these large ones in the box of berries I was given….blueberries on steroids.
These luscious bars are quick and easy to make. Just pat graham cracker crumbs onto the bottom of an 8″ square baking dish. Pour on the cream cheese mixture, top with berries, and bake for 35 minutes. As Ina would say, “How easy is that.”
The combination of flavors in these bars makes my mouth water just looking at them. Graham crackers make a nutty, cinnamony crust that is the perfect base for the creamy, lemony cream cheese filling. As the bars bake the blueberries swell and eventually burst to release their sweet-tart juice into the rich cheese filling. Be sure you let them chill thoroughly before you cut them into bars.
I found this delicious recipe at GARNISH WITH LEMON. It is popular and can be found on many blogs. Most recipes say to use a 9″ x 9″ pan but I thought the cheesecake layer was too thin so used a 8″ square instead. The recipe calls for 2 lemons, zested and juiced but that is a little too much lemon flavor for me for this much filling so I used just 1 lemon…perfect. I had only frozen blueberries and let them thaw for about 20 minutes before I sprinkled them on the cheese layer. As you can see, they worked great. Be sure to line the pan with parchment paper or you will never get the bars out of the dish. Hope you try this one. It’s just plain delicious.
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8"x 8" square pan and line with parchment paper.
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a small bowl and add the melted butter. Stir to combine and press into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Place the cream cheese, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and mix until thoroughly combined. Using a spatula, scrape into the cooked crust.
- Evenly drop the blueberries on top of the cheese mixture. They will sink slightly and sink a little more and burst when they bake.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until set in center
- Cool completely and then chill for 3 hours to set.
- Remove bars from the pan and cut into squares. Dust with powdered sugar if desired, and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Those are huge berries!
love the recipe, it sounds great
our BB’s are gone now, but they were good while they lasted
Well I never got anything as luscious as this my MY 1950’s plaid school lunch box – remember those? These look wonderful. I am thinking something like this would make “Back to school” quite palatable. Brava, m’dear!
I do indeed remember those lunchboxes, Adri. And they were all the rage when my kids were little. Home lunches were always better than cafeteria food. My grade school didn’t even have a cafeteria. Thanks for visiting.
Cathy recently posted..Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
So gosh darn purty too!
Monique recently posted..Blooms~
Thanks, Monique.
Cathy recently posted..Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
You know, if you used the ground almonds or pecans, artificial sweetner & butter type bases to make the crust that the gluten intolerant people do, this dessert would be totally gluten free!
• 1 cup pecans or almonds, ground up with
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Sugar substitute equal to ¼ cup sugar (zero carb sweetener such as liquid sucralose preferred)
• pinch salt
I am sooooooooooooooo making this for my GF brother’s Labor Day picnic. I just know I’ll be his favorite sister for doing it. 🙂
Your photos are just luscious, Cathy…swoon!!
Rettabug recently posted..Whimsical Cupcake Birthday Party
Just curious – what does the sugar vs. artificial sweetner have to do with making the recipe gluten free?
Mary recently posted..A Purple Tea
The sugar substitute is only for calorie reduction…sorry. It has nothing to do with making it gluten free. I just copied down the usual nut base that I make for treats for the family & we have a lot of diabetics as well as gluten intolerant folks.
Rettabug recently posted..Quilted “Cinch It” Tote Bag
I’ll be darned, Rett. You are so right about the GF. Every so often I have friends over who are gluten intolerant and I will make your version for them. I think I would like the nut flour more than graham cracker crumbs anyway. Thanks for your comment.
Cathy recently posted..Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
My goodness those are the biggest blueberries I’ve ever seen! I am with you on not being a blueberry pie fan but I do loved them in muffins, cakes, etc. Love these delightful cheesecake bars too!
Susan recently posted..Kale Slaw – A Delicious Combination of Flavors!
Cathy these look delightful, a perfect way to celebrate the end of summer. I can’t believe the size of those berries, what a treat!
Chris @ The Café Sucré Farine recently posted..5 Minute Artisan Bread Tutorial
I love a “how easy is that” type recipe. I can’t believe the size of those berries.
Madonna
MakeMineLemon
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon recently posted..Chickpea Shrimp Bell Pepper and Parsley Salad
Oh boy, this sounds great:@)
These cheesecake bars look scrumptious, Cathy.
Angie@Angie’s Recipes recently posted..Roasted Hokkaido Salad with Green Bean and Feta
Those look so good Cathy! I will be making those!!!!
Hope you are well!
xo Kris
These do sound easy, yet look so sophisticated. Blueberries are always a favorite.
Sam
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen recently posted..A Surprise Party for my Birthday – a New England Clam & Lobster Boil
What lovely luscious bars, Cathy. They are easy and I’m with you on using less lemon. Your photo is gorgeous! I posted the DQ copy cat recipe…mmmm!
Kitty recently posted..Copy Cat DQ Ice Cream and Frog Cookies for Farewell to Summer
Hi Cathy, my those really are some big blueberries, never seen one that big before. Wonderful bars!!
cheri recently posted..Tricolor Summer Salad and The Yachats River Valley Farm Tour
Wow! What a yummy cheesecake, Cathy! Blueberries are in our freezer, too.
~Judy
JG recently posted..~Peach Freezer Jam~
Wow, those are humongous blueberries. Who wouldn’t love getting those bars in their lunch? I won’t be packing any school lunches, but I’ll be making those cheesecake blueberry bars.
ciaochowlinda recently posted..The Pass
YUM! These sound fabulous–especially since I can make them GF (thanks Rett). Love the blueberry-lemon combo!
Blessings,
Aimee
PS: We were lucky growing up to have a great grade school cafeteria. Not sure if the food was healthy, but it was yummy:)
PS2: Thanks again for the opportunity to win some BRM GF granola earlier this summer Cathy! I don’t know if I told you, but I have them safely at home now and am looking forward to eating them as soon as the crazy busyness of summer is in my rear view mirror:) Will be posting a proper thank you and link to your blog also at that time. Thanks again!!!
I’ve got three quarts of blueberries in my freezer (a neighbor trades them for apples from our orchard) but none are as huge as what you used. This sounds like a great recipe to have when friends come over to play cards.
Karen (Back Road Journal) recently posted..Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin With Mango Pineapple Relish
I just received an email letting me know that my favorite patch will be open for picking just one more week. These bars sound wonderful! I better get picking.
Debbie recently posted..Jewels for the Hummingbirds
These look wonderful! I just love lemon and blueberry together.
Eileen recently posted..The beauty of birthday flowers…