Cranberry-Lemon Cheesecake Bars

These Cranberry-Lemon Cheesecake Bars will become a new holiday tradition. A graham cracker crust forms the foundation and is topped with a creamy, lemony cheesecake filling studded with tart cranberries. They're the perfect citrusy sweet-tart bar. Keep reading for our expert tips, including how to freeze your bars so you've always got some ready for company.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• Process about 8 graham cracker sheets in a food processor until fine or crush them in a large zip-top bag with a rolling pin to make graham cracker crumbs.
• Bake the graham cracker crust before adding the filling. It will firm up the crust and prevent it from getting too soggy from the filling. Par-baking also gives it structure and a crisp texture, which helps keep the crust from falling apart when cutting.
• Run a sharp knife under hot water for cleanly cut bars. Cut the cheesecake into 9 bars, wiping the knife clean between cuts. It also helps if you let it chill in the refrigerator overnight.
• Watch for fresh North American cranberries hitting the supermarkets between September and January. They freeze well for up to a year.
  

Nutrition Notes

• Graham crackers (and butter) form the base of these bars. While graham crackers don't add a lot of nutrition other than carbohydrates, they are low in saturated fat. And it's hard to replicate the taste of graham crackers, which go perfectly with cheesecake, with anything else.
• While either can be used, Greek yogurt is a healthier choice than sour cream since it has more protein and less fat than sour cream. Either one will add some gut-loving probiotics to this cheesecake since both of them are fermented.
• Cranberries are a quintessential holiday fruit. They add plant-power to these bars with their fiber, antioxidants and vitamin C.