These no-bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars feature a delightful buttery crust and a rich and creamy blueberry cheesecake layer, making them the perfect sweet treat for summer or spring. If the idea of baking an entire cheesecake seems a bit too challenging, then these dessert bars are a must-try. They’re hard to mess up and are great for feeding a crowd or simply satisfying a cheesecake craving.
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Summertime is all about using fresh produce, and if you ask me, blueberries have got to be my absolute favorite! I love using my fresh blueberries in all kinds of recipes, especially sweet treats.
I’ve tried everything from a Blueberry Sheet Cake and Blueberry Pie Bars to hearty Blueberry French Toasts to a spicy, tangy Blueberry Jalapeno Jam.
And this time, I teamed them up with some cream cheese to make these delightfully delicious dessert bars.
Why You’ll Love This Cheesecake Bars Recipe
- Super easy: No need to use a springform pan or turn on the oven. These cheesecake bars come together with minimal time and effort.
- Customizable: You can experiment with the mix-ins to customize these fruity cheesecake bars to suit your tastes.
- Grab and go: They’re perfect to make and enjoy as a grab-and-go dessert—no need for fancy cups and spoons!
- Full of deliciousness: These bars are rich, creamy, sweet, and tangy all at the same time!
Ingredients
Here's a look at the simple ingredients you'll need to make these frozen dessert bars.
- Blueberries: Fresh blueberries work best for this recipe, but if you can’t find them, you can use frozen blueberries instead. Just be sure to allow them to thaw completely before using.
- Cream cheese: Use full fat cream cheese as opposed to the low-fat version for that perfect rich and creamy taste.
- Lemon juice: You’ll need just a little for that tangy, citrusy flavor. Fresh lemon juice works best, but the bottled one will work in a pinch if you don’t have lemons on hand.
- Sugar: You’ll need both granulated sugar and powdered sugar to sweeten the bars.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream teams up with the cream cheese to make the mixture light and fluffy.
- Butter: Use salted butter for the best flavor. Feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Vanilla: Just a bit helps tie all the flavors together.
- Graham crackers: For the crust and topping. I’ve used this for almost all of my cheesecake recipes, including my No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake and my No Bake Layered Mint Cheesecake.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Berry swap: Use a mix of blueberries and another kind of berry of your choice to try a different version of this recipe. Raspberries and strawberries are great choices.
- Cookie swap: If you don’t have graham crackers or just want to try this recipe with a different kind of cookie crust, use golden Oreos (with their cream center removed) or Biscoff cookies.
How to Make Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
No extra prep work is needed to make these cheesecake bars. Simply take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator for a couple of hours before you begin to allow it to soften.
Step 1: Macerate the blueberries. Add the blueberries, lemon juice, and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix well. Let this sit for about 20 minutes.
Step 2: Make the cream cheese filling. Whisk the softened cream cheese with heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in another mixing bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Step 3: Mix together. Add the macerated blueberries to the cream cheese filling and mix again until well combined.
Step 4: Make the crust. Combine melted butter with the crushed graham crackers until they achieve a sand-like texture. Press it into a baking dish to form the crust. Reserve some of the crust mixture for the topping.
Step 5: Assemble the bars. Layer the cream cheese filling over the crust and top it with the remaining crust mixture.
Step 6: Chill and serve. Cover and pop the baking dish into the freezer and let it set for 3-4 hours. Slice and serve!
⭐ Hint: Use the bottom of a glass to press the crushed graham crackers into the baking dish until tightly packed.
If you love dessert recipes featuring fresh blueberries, be sure to try my Blueberry Lemon Cookies, Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie, Blueberry Cookies, Lemon Blueberry Ice Cream or this Blueberry Monkey Bread next.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these blueberry lemon cheesecake bars as a light summer dessert for a family meal or get-together.
I usually serve them as a dessert after making my favorite Shredded Chicken Tacos, BBQ Mac and Cheese, or my Turkey Burger Sliders.
You can also pair these creamy cheesecake bars with this Lemon Raspberry Loaf Cake to create a colorful dessert tray that’s perfect for the season.
Expert Tips
- Line the baking dish: Line the baking dish with parchment paper before you start layering it with the crust and the cheesecake mixture. This makes it easier to remove and cut the bars.
- Use a food processor: The best way to crush the graham crackers is to pulse them in your food processor. You can also transfer them to a zip top bag, seal it, and then use a rolling pin to crush them.
- Avoid overmixing: It's important not to overmix the cream cheese filling. Whip it just until everything is fully incorporated.
- Store: Place your leftover cheesecake bars in the freezer for up to 2 months. Use a freezer-safe container to prevent freezer burn. I would recommend wrapping up each bar in plastic wrap to keep them separate.
Recipe FAQs
Make sure you start with softened cream cheese to ensure that the cheesecake mixture is silky smooth.
More Delicious Cheesecake Recipes
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- 9x13 inch baking pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups blueberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup salted butter melted
- 2 ¼ cups crushed graham crackers
Instructions
- Combine the blueberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a medium sized bowl. Stir the ingredients together and then let the blueberries sit for 20 minutes.
- While the blueberries are sitting, add the cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to whisk the ingredients together for a few minutes, or until smooth and creamy.
- Add the macerated blueberries to the cream cheese mixture and whisk again until the blueberries are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- Stir together the melted butter and 2 cups of crushed graham crackers to create a wet, sand-like mixture. Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish to form a crust.
- Pour the blueberry cheesecake mixture over the graham cracker crust and top the bars with the remaining crushed graham crackers.
- Freeze your cheesecake bars for 3 hours, or until they are firmly set.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Line the baking dish: Line the baking dish with parchment paper before you start layering it with the crust and the cheesecake mixture. This makes it easier to remove and cut the bars.
- Use a food processor: The best way to crush the graham crackers is to pulse them in your food processor. You can also transfer them to a zip top bag, seal it, and then use a rolling pin to crush them.
- Avoid overmixing: It's important not to overmix the cream cheese filling. Whip it just until everything is fully incorporated.
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