These are ultra creamy lemon blueberry cheesecake bars baked on a graham cracker crust. Enjoy fresh lemon flavor and smooth cheesecake, plus there’s no shortage of juicy blueberries and crispy crust!
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and a few more success tips.
Like many bakers and dessert lovers, I enjoy baking a classic cheesecake. It’s a tall and mighty dessert with massive crowd appeal and endless topping options like strawberry sauce and salted caramel.
But there’s no arguing that baking a cheesecake can be daunting: Don’t over-sweeten! Avoid over-baking! Don’t forget the water bath! Will your springform leak? We’ll find out!
It’s often worth the effort—I mean, I RAVE about this cheesecake recipe—but if I’m looking for a quicker, less fussy cheesecake option, I usually make cheesecake pie or today’s cheesecake bars.
Here’s Why You’ll Love These Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
- All the texture of traditional lemon cheesecake, but easier and quicker
- Extra creamy, extra thick
- Tangy-sweet flavor with loads of blueberries
- The cheesecake version of popular lemon blueberry cake
- Grab & go—no fork needed!
One reader, Rob, commented: “A+ recipe. Got rave reviews from serious and finicky dessert people. And it freezes extremely well. Make it this summer, and use at least some frozen blueberries which makes it a beautiful color…★★★★★”
One reader, Pam, commented: “So delicious! Perfect amount of lemon tartness with the sweetness of the blueberries is to die for! Since blueberries are in season here right now I used fresh. Love the thick crust also. It holds up well to the weight of the filling…★★★★★“
Graham Cracker Crust Success Tips
Below you’ll find my basic graham cracker crust recipe. It fits into a 9-inch square baking pan perfectly, as well as many 8-inch and 10-inch pans. I love this particular crust because it’s altogether crunchy, buttery, thick, and not overly sweet like many crumb crusts of its kind. We use it for blueberry cream cheese pie, banoffee pie, and both these mini key lime pies and key lime pie bars.
Some helpful tips:
- You need a careful ratio of 3 ingredients: graham cracker crumbs, sugar, & melted butter.
- Use a food processor or blender to grind 12 full-sheet graham crackers into crumbs.
- Stir the graham cracker crumbs and sugar together before mixing in the butter.
- Press into your lined pan just until it’s no longer crumbly. Do not pack down too hard.
Pre-bake the crust for 8 minutes so it has a little head start:
Grab These Ingredients for the Filling
- Bricks of Cream Cheese: Make sure you’re using bricks of full-fat cream cheese and not the cream cheese in a tub you would use for spreading on bagels. Same rule applies when making cream cheese frosting and strawberry cream cheese pie.
- Sugar: When over-sweetening these bars, you can’t detect the natural lemon and blueberry flavors. 6 Tablespoons is the magical unicorn amount; it’s more than 1/3 cup and not quite 1/2 cup!
- Lemon: 1 large lemon or 2 medium lemons are typically enough for these lemon blueberry cheesecake bars. You need 3 Tablespoons of juice and 1 teaspoon zest, which together is the perfect amount for lovely lemon flavor (that isn’t pucker-your-lips-sour!).
- Vanilla Extract: For delicious, rich flavor.
- Egg: The cheesecake bars would fall apart without an egg.
- Blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. If using frozen, your batter will be swirled blue/purple.
The filling we use for lemon blueberry cheesecake bars is a lot like this cheesecake pie. Lemon juice replaces the sour cream and we can get away with 1 egg since the bars aren’t quite as thick.
Expect a thick filling. Make sure you spread it over the crust while the crust is still warm. Why? This will help the filling adhere to the crust a little better.
Success Tip: Here’s how I like to line square baking pans. So easy! Lining the pan makes it much easier to remove the bars before slicing and serving. I use the same tip when making rice krispie treats and M&M cookie bars, too.
How to Cut Neat Squares
Cool baked bars at room temperature for about 1 hour, and then refrigerate them for 2 hours or until the bottom of the pan feels cold. If you cut the bars into squares too early, they’ll completely fall apart. If I’m serving these at a party or event, I prepare them the night before just so I know they’ll cool and chill long enough to yield neat squares.
Slice them with a sharp knife and wipe the knife clean between each cut.
I wouldn’t change a thing about this recipe! The whole team loved how light they tasted, as well as how the buttery graham cracker crust complemented the lemon cheesecake filling. Finding the tasty balance between tart and sweet is tricky when it comes to lemon desserts, but these bars nail it!
More Lemon Desserts You’ll Love
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Citrus Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes or Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Creamy Lemon Pie
- Lemon Blueberry Babka
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Lemony Blueberry Galette
For more summer dessert inspiration, see my roundups of favorite Memorial Day recipes and BBQ cookout dessert recipes.
Print
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars
- Category: Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Creamy lemon cheesecake bars studded and swirled with blueberries. They’re prepared on my simple graham cracker crust and will absolutely be your new favorite dessert!
Ingredients
Crust
- 12 full-sheet graham crackers (to yield 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) graham cracker crumbs)
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
Filling
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 6 Tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (210g) fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily lift the chilled bars out as a whole. Set aside.
- Make the crust: If you’re starting out with full graham crackers, use a food processor or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. You can also place them in a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a little arm muscle and a rolling pin. Stir the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl, and then stir in the melted butter. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Press into the bottom of the lined pan.
- Prebake crust: Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Cool for a few minutes as you prepare the filling in the next step.
- Make the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute on medium speed until smooth. On medium speed, beat in the egg, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract together until smooth and creamy, about 3 full minutes. Gently fold in the blueberries. Pour/spoon filling evenly onto the warm crust.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the cheesecake has set up and the edges are lightly browned. The bars will be very puffy, but will sink down slightly as they cool. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature on a wire rack and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
- Lift the parchment paper out of the pan and cut into squares.
- The bars stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the bars for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Food Processor | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- Non-US Readers: Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Use 200g ground digestive biscuit crumbs instead (about 13–14 biscuits), the same amount of butter, and add a bit more sugar (about 1/3 cup, or 67g). You may need to add a few extra minutes to the pre-baking time, as digestive biscuits are not quite as crispy-crunchy as graham crackers. And from what I understand, spreadable cream cheese sold in a tub in countries outside of the US is a little different from the spreadable cream cheese in the US. It’s thicker, sturdier, and more solid and should be OK to make cheesecake. I have no experience with it, but this is what I’ve heard from other non-US readers.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I plan to make these tomorrow. Could you explain the reasoning behind not thawing the blueberries if they are frizen? Thanks!
Hi Cormac, thawing the blueberries will result in overly wet, mushy berries, which are not ideal for these cheesecake bars.
I made this exactly per the recipe and it was fantastic! I made it a second time and subbed the blueberries with a strawberry compote that I swirled throughout the filling. That one turned out wonderful as well. Great recipe that’s easy to tweak.
Hi Sally, Lovely recipe as usual!!! I live in Austria and your fudgy brownie recipe is always a hit. One question about this recipe. Austria does not have the block style cream cheese, it’s only available as the spreadable form. Would you have a suggestion on how to make this recipe with the looser cream cheese. I’ve read somewhere that adding Ricotta could aid in stabilizing the spreadable cream cheese. Curious if you have any thoughts on this. Thank you!!! Making your moist banana bread recipe tonight!
Hi Ana! We haven’t tested that method of adding in ricotta, but the tub cream cheese in Europe is typically thicker than the tub cream cheese in the US. So you can certainly give it a go with what you have, making sure to give the cream cheese a good mix before using. Let us know if you do give it a try!
First time making anything cheesecake! I loved these. Not too sweet! Very lemon forward. Extremely easy to do! Perfect summer treat!
My husband and I both love this dessert exactly as written. I plan to try it with other fresh fruits. It’s a winner!
Hello Queen Sally! In general, do you recommend only using a light metal pan or can I use a glass Pyrex for cheesecake bars?
Hi Kathleen, you can make these in a glass Pyrex pan, yes. Enjoy!
Fantastic in every way! Thanks for the detailed notes; they really helped!
This recipe is a keeper! My first time making cheesecake, and they turned out fabulous! I did use light cream cheese and didn’t run into an issue
Hi Sally, can I make these without the blueberries? Love your recipes! Thanks for sharing them!
Hi Tina, you could replace the blueberries with another fruit, like strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries!
Hi, can I skip the fruits all together?
Hi Tina, do you mean just making plain cheesecake bars, with no blueberries? You could, though the bars will be a bit shorter/flatter without the add-ins, and may take less time to bake. You could also try making this easy cheesecake pie instead. Hope this helps!
My guests devoured these bars. I modified the recipe with a shortbread crust using your lemon bar guide to prick small holes in the crust before adding the cheesecake filling. After plating the bars, I dusted very lightly with some powdered sugar then added additional lemon zest before serving. A fabulous recipe, once again!
Hello 🙂
Planning to make this for my sister but she doesn’t like “chunks” of berries—can I make the blueberries into a compote before mixing into batter?
Hi Shell, we haven’t tested it, but we imagine that should work. Be cautious not to add too much, but you can certainly try swirling like we do for these white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars. Please do let us know how it goes!
So easy to follow the recipe. This is my first cheesecake and everyone loves it! I used a small microwave oven, so baking time was about 50 mins. It is so delicious, will definitely make again. Thank you, Sally.
Easy and good!
these were a family favorite!! I added the zest of an entire lemon as another comment mentioned. it was a nice balance of citrus and sweet. it was an easy dessert to make and a great recipe for cheesecake beginners!
I Absolutely loved this recipe! I followed recipe exactly but added a layer of white chocolate chips on the graham cracker crust after it was baked and added a few more to the cheesecake layer after pouring it onto the crust. OMG, one of the best desserts I’ve had!
May I also have recipe for white chocolate raspberry cheesecake and tarts?
Thnx
Hi Donella, here is the recipe for our White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars.
It was a Sally’s Baking Addiction Easter! I made your carrot cake bundt with the cream cheese icing from your Hummingbird Cake rather than the cheesecake swirl & these Lemon blueberry cheesecake bars. All three were a hit and I was a baking hero! 🙂 Pieces of both are sitting in my niece’s freezer waiting for my grand-niece to come home from college. It went together fast and easy and tasted great — just what I needed at the last minute when another dessert I was going to make failed. Now it’s going to be on the regular dessert rotation. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi! I’m super excited to try this recipe but I’d like to double it. How would doubling the recipe and using a 9×13 pan change the baking times? Thanks!
Hi Stephanie, You can double the recipe for a 9×13 pan. The bake time will be longer, but we are unsure of the exact amount of time.
This recipe is a simple way to get our cheesecake fix. It is so delicious!!
I followed the recipe exactly, and it was an incredible success! It’s creamy, bright, and delicious!
Any advice for adapting the recipe to a lines cupcake pan for individual servings? Thank you!
Hi Colleen, You can definitely do that! The bake time will be quick.
Perfect fool-proof and easy cheesecake recipe with all the classic ingredients. Did mine in a 9″ springform pan. This recipe is a keeper!
Hi! In the time that the cheesecake was baking, the bottom of my graham cracker crust burnt :(. Any tips? Don’t want to risk not baking the cheesecake part enough
Hi Rabia, were you using an extra dark metal pan by chance? Darker metals can cause baked goods to bake faster, which could be why your crust seemed to burn. For next time, you could also try reducing the pre-bake of the crust by just a minute or two—do not eliminate that step completely. Thanks for giving these a try!
This was lovely! Can you make a lemon raspberry cheesecake recipe next!
Hi Katerina, you can certainly try using raspberries here in place of the blueberries. Or, you could try adding the raspberry swirl from these cheesecake bars. Let us know what you try!
Would this recipe work to make mini cheesecakes? What would have to be tweaked in the recipe? Thanks!!
Hi Katie, definitely! We’re unsure of the exact bake time. You can use these mini cheesecakes as a guide
This one wouldn’t set for me at all. Extra time in the oven resulted in it being over baked and not puffed up at all. Sad because I usually love Sally’s recipes and lemon and blueberry is a favorite flavor combo!
Hi, can I double this to make a cheesecake? or should i follow the classic cheesecake & add lemon & blueberries? Thank you for any advise. Laura
Hi Laura! Here’s our lemon cheesecake you could add blueberries to – let us know if you try!
Okay, great! Making tomorrow for a dear friend. I will keep you posted. Thank you for your response.
Okay, great! I will keep you posted. Thank you for your response.
I made this with like instead of lemon and it was IMMACULATE! I thought for a second I messed up and curdled my mixture but in the end the flavor was AMAZING
Hi Sally! I just made your white chocolate raspberry cheesecake squares and I absolutely love them! I’m excited to try these blueberry lemon squares but I’m not a fan of lemon zest. If I omit the zest, should I increase the amount of lemon juice? Thanks!
Hi Emily! We wouldn’t increase the juice, since it would add too much liquid. You can just leave the zest out for less lemon flavor. Happy baking!
Can I substitute the egg with something else?
Hi Sharon, we’ve never tested this recipe (or any of our cheesecake recipes) with an egg replacer before, but we would love to hear how it goes if you give it a try! We also haven’t tested a version of these bars without an egg, but you could use this mini cheesecakes recipe instead for a lemon version. You can add 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice there and reduce the sour cream by 2 Tablespoons, then add some blueberries. Hope this helps!
Would canned blueberries work?
Hi Joan, we don’t recommend canned blueberries for fear that they’ll release too much liquid into the batter and prevent the cheesecake from setting properly.
I made this with lime instead of lemon and it was IMMACULATE! I thought for a second I messed up and curdled my mixture but in the end the flavor was AMAZING
Recipe was easy but takes a litte wait time