Lemon-Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

5 hrs 20 mins

Servings:

Nutrition Profile:

This is a simple, crowd-pleasing dessert that's perfect for bringing to parties and potlucks.
Vitamin C from lemon supports the immune system and skin, and helps the body absorb iron from veggies.
You can use whatever berries you want or chopped fruit, and you can use a lime instead of a lemon.

Lemon-Blueberry Cheesecake Bars are made with fresh, wholesome ingredients to create a crowd-pleasing dessert that is not only easy to make, but super portable. Using both the zest and juice of the lemon intensifies the lemony flavor and gives this dessert a boost of immune-supporting vitamin C. The antioxidant-rich blueberries add color, texture and sweetness, allowing the added sugar in this recipe to stay low. Keep reading for our expert tips on how to get the perfect crust, why cream cheese selection is important and how long to let your cheesecake chill before it's ready to cut.

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!

If you don't have a food processor handy for crushing the graham crackers, you can use a blender. Or put them in a zip-top bag, then use a rolling pin to gently hit the bag and roll over it until the crackers are fine crumbs.
It is very important to use bricks of cream cheese instead of cream cheese from a tub to achieve the correct cake texture.
When the cheesecake is finished cooking, you can test it by moving the pan slightly to see if the filling is jiggling.
You can easily remove the cheesecake bars by lining the pan with parchment and letting some paper hang over the edges. However, don't attempt lifting the cheesecake until it's chilled in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours—you need a firm cake.

Nutrition Notes

Lemon juice and zest are both used in this recipe. The zest of a lemon is packed with essential oils that contains a small amount of vitamin C—the same antioxidant you'll find in the juice of the lemon. Vitamin C is good for your immune system, for healthy skin and can help your body absorb the iron from plant-based foods.
Blueberries are an antioxidant powerhouse, and anytime you can add more to your diet—do it! Blueberries get their blue-purple color from compounds called anthocyanins, which have been shown to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes and are important for brain health.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

8 graham cracker sheets
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick), melted
1 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup sour cream or plain strained yogurt, such as Greek-style
1 large egg
Zest of 1 large lemon
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1½ cups blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch-square baking pan with cooking spray.
Process graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Drizzle with butter and pulse until the crumbs are coated. Transfer to the prepared pan and press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake until lightly browned around the edges, about 10 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)

Rachel Marek, Holly Dreesman
Meanwhile, wipe out the food processor bowl. Place softened cream cheese, sugar, sour cream (or yogurt), egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and salt in the food processor bowl. Process until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl; stir in blueberries.

Rachel Marek, Holly Dreesman
Pour the filling evenly over the baked crust. Bake until the center appears just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours more.

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman

To make ahead

These bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. You can also freeze them individually wrapped for up to 3 months, and they can be thawed overnight in the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use graham crackers?

We love the taste of the graham crackers with these bars. But you can be creative with cookies, and it will be just as delicious. Try crushing up digestive biscuits, vanilla wafers, animal crackers, ginger snaps or chocolate wafers.
How can I cut the cheesecake into perfectly square bars?

You can get that desired crisp-cut look by keeping the cheesecake in the pan and cutting it into squares with a sharp knife only after it has been refrigerated for 4 hours. You want the cheesecake cold, and wipe down the blade after each cut.

Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, July 2023

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

221	Calories
13g	Fat
23g	Carbs
4g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 9
Serving Size 1 bar
Calories 221
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 23g	8%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 14g
Added Sugars 6g	12%
Protein 4g	8%
Total Fat 13g	17%
Saturated Fat 7g	35%
Cholesterol 54mg	18%
Vitamin A 527IU	11%
Vitamin C 5mg	6%
Vitamin D 5IU	1%
Vitamin E 1mg	4%
Folate 26mcg	7%
Vitamin K 7mcg	6%
Sodium 188mg	8%
Calcium 57mg	4%
Iron 1mg	6%
Magnesium 9mg	2%
Potassium 67mg	1%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

Additional reporting by

Linda Frahm