Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Combining a chocolate crust, rich cheesecake filling, and strawberry jam topping, these strawberry cheesecake bars are a delicious dessert any time of year. Recipe includes an option for a gluten-free crust.
Servings 12 bars
Ingredients
For the crust
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour or buckwheat flour for a gluten-free version
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder or Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 6 ounces white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate melted but not hot
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup strawberry jam see notes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8"x8" pan with a piece of parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until well combined. If you have difficulties incorporating the butter, use your hands. The mixture will be sticky.½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Press the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes. When you remove it from the oven, the crust will still be quite soft but will harden a little as it cools. Let cool for at least 15 minutes while preparing the cheesecake.
- Reduce the temperature to 325°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, salt and melted white chocolate and beat on low until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on low after each addition. Do not over mix.16 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, pinch of salt, 6 ounces white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate, 2 large eggs
- Pour over the prepared crust and spread evenly to the edges.
- Scoop the jam into a microwave-safe bowl and warm for 30 seconds, just until loose and easy to spread. Pour the jam over the cream cheese mixture and spread into an even layer.¾ cup strawberry jam
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center jiggles just slightly when the pan is tapped.
- Let cool completely, about 2 hours, and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Notes
This crust recipe does not work in a regular pie pan - only as bars.
If you want a super smooth topping, use seedless jam instead of regular strawberry preserves.