Exceptionally quicker and easier than a full cheesecake, these white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars are luxuriously creamy, perfectly sweet, and swirled with layers of homemade fresh raspberry sauce. Baked in a 9-inch square pan, they sit on a buttery sweet Oreo cookie crust and are filled with real white chocolate.
This recipe started as a full cheesecake that went horribly wrong. I’m chalking it up to poor decisions in the recipe creation process, but it (1) was too thick (2) overflowed and (3) burned around the edges (from the sugar in the white chocolate I believe?). It tasted fine, but I knew I could do better especially since this classic cheesecake recipe is top-notch.
I didn’t really have an occasion for a full cheesecake coming up, nor did I want to waste another 2 lbs of cream cheese and raspberries, so I tossed the whole idea and opted for white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars instead. I always appreciate cheesecake I can eat with my hands, plus these are easier to serve to a crowd.
Why You’ll Love These White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars:
- Easier than a full cheesecake
- No messing with a water bath
- Quicker to bake & chill than a full cheesecake
- Portable
- Hand-held individual servings
- Exceptionally creamy
- Made with real white chocolate & raspberries
- Buttery Oreo cookie crust
Behind the Recipe
The starting point for my white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars was my lemon blueberry cheesecake bars. To this base, you’ll add real melted white chocolate, an extra egg to help stabilize that white chocolate, and a Tablespoon of flour to help soak up the extra liquid. Pour this on an Oreo cookie crust and swirl with layers of raspberry sauce.
3 Parts to This Recipe:
- Raspberry Swirl
- Oreo Cookie Crust
- White Chocolate Cheesecake Filling
Raspberry Swirl
The raspberry swirl is not quite as thick as our raspberry cake filling. It’s more similar in consistency to our raspberry sauce recipe. I recommend preparing it first. Made from real raspberries, this homemade sauce must cool down completely before swirling into the white chocolate cheesecake filling. I usually stick it in the refrigerator for 1 hour to speed up the cooling process. Or you can make the raspberry sauce the night before.
- Mix some water and cornstarch together.
- Cook fresh or frozen raspberries, sugar, and more water together on the stovetop.
- Add cornstarch mixture.
- Once slightly thickened, remove from heat.
- Press raspberries through a fine mesh strainer to rid the seeds. Discard the seeds.
- Let the seedless sauce cool completely before using.
Oreo Cookie Crust
This is my standard Oreo cookie crust recipe that I use for many other desserts, too. You need 22 Oreo cookies and 5 Tablespoons of melted butter. I’ve gotten away with 18 Oreos and 4 Tablespoons of butter (as seen in my salted caramel chocolate chip cheesecakes), but I like this slightly thicker crust for bars.
- Using a food processor or blender, pulse the Oreos (the whole Oreo—cookie AND filling) into crumbs.
- Mix with melted butter.
- Press into a lined 9-inch square baking pan.
- Pre-bake for 8 minutes as you prepare the filling.
Or you could use a Biscoff pie crust instead if you’d like.
White Chocolate Cheesecake Filling
Let’s make the cheesecake filling, then bring each component of this recipe together before baking.
- Chop and melt pure white chocolate. Don’t use white chocolate chips/morsels. Instead, pick up two 4-ounce white chocolate baking bars from the baking aisle; I prefer Ghirardelli or Baker’s brands sold right next to the chocolate chips. You need 6 ounces for this recipe. Cool the white chocolate as you make the batter.
- As the white chocolate cools, beat 16 ounces of brick-style cream cheese with some sugar.
- Add flour, lemon juice to brighten up the otherwise flat flavor (don’t worry, it won’t taste like lemon cheesecake), vanilla extract, and salt.
- Beat in 2 eggs.
- Add melted/cooled white chocolate.
Bring It All Together
- Pour 1/2 of the cheesecake filling onto warm pre-baked Oreo cookie crust.
- Drizzle with 1/2 of the cooled raspberry sauce.
- Pour remaining 1/2 of the cheesecake filling on top.
- Drizzle with remaining raspberry sauce.
- Swirl everything together with a toothpick.
- Bake! No water bath required. The bars take about 32–36 minutes in the oven. They’ll puff up as they bake, then settle back down as they cool.
After cooling the bars at room temperature, place them in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours until sufficiently chilled. Cold cheesecake bars not only taste better, but they cut much easier too. For neat slices, wipe your sharp knife clean between each cut.
This recipe yields 16 perfect squares. For a 9×13-inch pan of white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars, see my recipe note below.
3 Success Tips for White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
- Read Through the Recipe: Included in my 10 Best Baking Tips is this crucial piece of baking advice: read the recipe before you begin. Have everything in place so you don’t miss an important ingredient or step.
- Take Your Time: Work on each component one at a time. This isn’t a recipe you can rush because the raspberry sauce and white chocolate must cool down before using.
- Chill the Cheesecake Bars: Like a full cheesecake, these bars must cool down and chill in the refrigerator before slicing. Unlike regular cheesecake, though, you don’t need to cool them in the cooling oven. And since they’re thinner, they take about half the time to cool down as a full cheesecake. That’s always a nice bonus!
PS: You can turn these into individual mini cheesecakes. See my recipe note below.
PPS: If you love these flavors together, try my raspberry cheesecake brownies next.
PrintWhite Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours, 5 minutes (includes chilling)
- Yield: 16 squares
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Exceptionally quicker and easier than a full cheesecake, these white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars are luxuriously creamy, perfectly sweet, and swirled with layers of homemade fresh raspberry sauce.
Ingredients
Raspberry Sauce
- 2 teaspoons room-temperature water, divided
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 and 1/2 cups (205g) fresh or frozen raspberries (do not thaw)
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
Crust
- 22 regular Oreo cookies (not Double-Stuf)
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 6 ounces (170g) white chocolate, finely chopped
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (8g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
- Make & cool the raspberry sauce: The raspberry sauce must cool down completely before using, so I recommend making it first. Mix 1 teaspoon water with 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a very small bowl. Set aside. Combine raspberries, granulated sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon of water together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture as it begins to cook, breaking up some of the raspberries as you stir. Once simmering, add the cornstarch mixture. Continue to stir and allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and press through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Allow the thin raspberry sauce to cool completely before using. Cover and store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan (8-inch is too small) with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
- Make the crust: In a food processor or blender, pulse 22 Oreos (including the cream filling) into a fine crumb. You should have about 2 cups (packed) crumbs, or 250g. Pour crumbs into a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. The mixture will be thick and quite wet. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour the mixture into prepared pan. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom to make a compact, thick crust. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Leave oven on.
- For the filling: Melt the chopped white chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave. If using the microwave: place the white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 20 second increments in the microwave, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Let the warm chocolate cool as you work on the other cheesecake filling ingredients. You can place it in the refrigerator, but just don’t let it solidify!
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt, then beat until fully combined. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. After the 2nd egg is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. A few small lumps can remain. Pour in the cooled (but still liquid) white chocolate. Beat on low speed just until combined.
- Pour half of the cheesecake filling onto the crust. It’s ok if the crust is still slightly warm. Drizzle half of the raspberry sauce all over the top. Spread remaining cheesecake filling on top. (It’s ok if the raspberry sauce has spread to the sides or slightly incorporates into the top layer of cheesecake.) Drizzle remaining raspberry sauce on top, then use a toothpick or knife to gently swirl everything together.
- Bake for 32–36 minutes or until the cheesecake appears set on top and the edges are lightly browned. The bars will be puffy, but will sink slightly down as they cool. Place pan on a wire rack. Cool for 45 minutes at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (and up to 1 day) before slicing. If you plan to chill the bars for longer, loosely cover with aluminum foil after 3 hours of chilling.
- To slice, lift the bars out of the pan as a whole using the parchment overhang on the sides. Cut into squares with a sharp knife. For extra neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut.
- Cover and store leftover cheesecake bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the raspberry sauce up to 1 week in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Prepare recipe through step 6 up to 2 days in advance. Cover unbaked cheesecake bars and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Continue with step 7. Since they’re cold, bars will take a few extra minutes to bake. To freeze: cool, chill, and slice bars as instructed. Freeze bars between layers of parchment paper for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Fine Mesh Strainer | 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | Food Processor | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Cooling Rack
- Oreo Cookies: You need about 22 whole Oreos, which pulse down into about 2 packed cups of crumbs (250g).
- Graham Cracker Crust Instead: If you want to use graham crackers instead of Oreos, use this graham cracker crust recipe. Same pre-bake time.
- White Chocolate: Use 6 ounces of “baking chocolate” bars, found in the baking aisle. They’re sold in 4-ounce bars, so you’ll need 2. (You’ll have 2 ounces leftover for another use.) I prefer Bakers or Ghirardelli brands. Do not use candy melts, white chocolate dipping wafers, or white chocolate chips; all contain stabilizers or added ingredients preventing them from combining evenly with the cheesecake filling.
- Lemon Juice: This recipe does not taste like lemon. The 1 teaspoon of lemon juice brightens up the otherwise flat white chocolate flavor.
- Raspberry Jam: You can try using raspberry jam instead of the homemade sauce. I recommend 3 Tablespoons for each layer (6 Tbsp total).
- 9×13-inch or Full Cheesecake: For a 9×13-inch pan, you can double the filling recipe. Do not double the raspberry sauce or crust ingredients. For the sauce, use 3 teaspoons of water (1.5 teaspoons with the cornstarch, 1.5 teaspoons with the raspberries & sugar), 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, and 3 Tablespoons of sugar. For the crust, use 30 Oreos and 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp) of melted butter. Bake time is closer to 45–50 minutes. Cool for 1 hour at room temperature, then chill for at least 4–5 hours before slicing. Use these same amounts for a full cheesecake in a 10-inch springform pan (no smaller). I recommend following the baking and cooling instructions, including using a water bath, as found in my regular cheesecake recipe. I found the edges rose up and burned quickly, so tent with aluminum foil after about 30 minutes. (I found the cheesecake then stuck to the foil, creating a bit of a mess on top.) For these reasons, I strongly recommend using this recipe for bars instead of a full cheesecake.
- Mini Individual Cheesecakes: Use the baking and cooling instructions found in my mini cheesecakes and use this recipe as written. Recipe makes about 2 dozen cheesecakes in a muffin pan. Line 2 12-count muffin pans with liners. Firmly press 1.5 Tablespoons of crust mixture into each. Pre-bake for 5 minutes. Pour filling on top, about 1 Tbsp filling for each. Drizzle each with raspberry sauce. Swirl with a toothpick. Again, use the baking and cooling instructions found in my mini cheesecakes. Feel free to top cooled mini cheesecakes with whipped cream.
More Cheesecake
- No-Bake Cheesecake Jars
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars
- Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake
- No-Bake Cheesecake
- Small Batch Cheesecake (so fun—bake in a loaf pan)
Looks really good, but not a quick recipe when you have to go to the trouble of making the raspberry sauce.
Hello!
The edges of my cheesecake are overcooked while the middle tends to be just slightly undercooked. Do you think placing aluminum foil on the edges would help? Or maybe adjusting the cooking temperature or time? What do you think?
Hi Ashlyn! Yes, covering the top loosely with aluminum foil will help stop the edges from browning while the center bakes.
Looking forward to trying this as mini cheesecakes bc its for a crowd; would this be as easy to quadruple as your regular mini cheesecake recipe?
Hi Rawan! For this recipe, it isn’t as simply as multiplying for larger batches. See recipe notes for instructions for a 9×13 inch or Full Cheesecake. We recommend following those instructions twice to tied a total of 4x the original recipe. Enjoy!
this was a gigantic hit at my daughter’s birthday party today (raspberry is her favorite)
I didn’t have a 9″ pan, so used my pie pan and cut wedges. it worked out alright and the taste made up for any imperfections. next time, Im making a double batch!
Have you ever tried making these with “golden” Oreos instead of the traditional chocolate? I have a friend that can’t eat regular chocolate but loves white chocolate so I’d love to give these a try!
Thanks for any thoughts!
Sounds delicious!
Hi! Do you think you could sub raspberry sauce for cranberry preserves/holiday jam or would the tartness be too overpowering? Thanks!
Hi Kelly, we haven’t tried these with cranberry, but if you do, let us know how they turn out!
Hi! Do you think you could sub with cranberry preserves or holiday jam or would the tartness overpower? Thanks!
These were amazing!!! The texture was fluffy but still creamy. I used strawberry instead of raspberry and it was delicious with the white chocolate. I cut these into bite size pieces and have some in the freezer. Hoping that they thaw out nicely. Can’t wait to try with different flavour combinations. Thanks for the awesome recipe 🙂
Hi – do you remove the cream from the Oreos before crushing them?
Hi Christina, we crush the Oreos whole — no need to remove the cream filling before doing so. Enjoy!
Can I add sour cream??
Hi Nancy, For best results we recommend sticking with the recipe as written. We found these bars to work best without sour cream because of the addition of white chocolate.
The raspberry part is good, but the white chocolate overpowered everything.
Hi, I would adding the sour cream and the lemon juice make a difference in the cheesecake bars?
Hi Delores! For best results we recommend sticking with the recipe, but let us know if you try anything!
Absolutely delicious! These are a winner!
I made this two times in one week using fresh raspberries.
Sooo good frozen.
Hi Sally,
Should it be taken out of the oven if it’s still jiggly?
I’ve made this before and LOVED them. I have to make it gluten free and will use GF grahams for the crust. Could I swap flour for cornstarch to thicken the cheesecake?
I only have a 8 inch square pan but bought all the ingredients before I read that part of the recipe. Oops. I decided to risk it and made the recipe as written – the pan was very full. I read a commenter say she upped the cook time for 8 inch to 50 min and they turned out perfect. Super tasty, subtle white chocolate flavor. May try the golden oreos for crust next time.. Thanks for another wonderful recipe.
Hi sally … This recipe looks really tempting … I would like to bake a cake out of it using blueberry .. Can i double the recipe.. And what size round pan i can use?
Hi Mangai! See recipe notes for 9×13 inch or Full Cheesecake instructions.
Really delicious and easy to make! The taste of the white chocolate is subtle, but very good
Excellent! Baked up well, chilled well, cut well, froze well, and tasted great. I’ll be making two 9×13″ pans of these for a wedding, one with chocolate Oreos and one with lemon Oreos.
I made these with cream cheese in a tub as I couldn’t find the blocks, but it still turned out great. The structure wasn’t messy like I expected it to be and it tastes delicious. Best cheese cake I’ve ever tasted!
Hi Sally! I wanted to know if I can make this recipe with mixed berries (which I think are more sour) instead of raspberries.
Hi Tsivia, while we haven’t tested mixed berries ourselves, we can’t see why that wouldn’t work. Let us know how it turns out for you!
I wanted to try this recipe for the longest time and finally got around to making it. This was beyond fabulous will definitely make again. Do you think it would be possible to do both a raspberry swirl and a blueberry swirl for Memorial Day and 4rh of July. Could I do half raspberry and the other half blueberry? Thank you for another wonderful recipe.
Hi Margie, we can’t see why not! You could try using the blueberry swirl from this blueberry swirl cheesecake. Let us know how it goes!
Hi Sally,
I can’t seem to find cream cheese blocks, would it be okay to switch the blocks for spread?
Hi Jay, without the blocks of cream cheese, the cheesecake will not set nearly as well. However, are you located outside of the United States? We have been told by readers outside of the U.S. that cream cheese in a tub is very different from ours and can work, but we have not tested it. Hope this is helpful!
Thank you Lexi,
Yes I live in the UK and I’ll try the recipe with the tub cream cheese. Hopefully it’ll set if I chill it a few extra hours.
excellent job and recipes !!!
no need to add heavy cream in this recipe?
Hi Alessandro! Correct, there’s no heavy cream in this recipe. Enjoy!
Is it ok to switch the white chocolate to dark chocolate
Sure! Simply swap the white chocolate with 6 ounces of semi-sweet or bittersweet baking chocolate.
Replacement for egg. Please
Hi Arusha! We haven’t tested any egg replacements in this recipe. Let us know if you find one you love!
Tasted fabulous and looked impressive
Hi Sally
The grocery store only has reduced fat cream cheese. Would that work?
Hi Sue, unfortunately it won’t. I strongly recommend full fat cream cheese so the bars set properly.
Hi Sally!
Can I substitute reduced fat cream cheese?
Hi Sue, we do not recommend fat free cream cheese. The cheesecake bars won’t set up properly.
HI Sally! I can’t wait to try this recipe! I would like to try making this recipe with a 6 inch springform pan? Would it work if I just halved it?
Hi Sylvana! We haven’t tested it in a 6 inch pan but that should work. The bake time will be less – we’re unsure exactly how long they will take.
Made these into cheesecake Bars awhile back and changed the crust into some kinda homemade and replaced the raspberries with strawberries. best IDEA EVER! MY FAMILY LOVED IT
Hi there,
I am so excited to try this recipe this weekend! I have made so many of your other recipes and I love all of them.
I know you mention not to use white chocolate chips, but any idea on what would happen if I do? Will it totally ruin the bars, or just have a slight effect on the texture?
Hi Ayesha. White chocolate chips have coating on them that will prevent the chocolate from melting to the correct consistency (it will be too thick). We suggest sticking with pure white chocolate for best results.
Thanks! Just wanted to come back to let anyone who needs to know know that I tried this recipe with white chocolate chips and the bars turned out wonderfully. The taste and texture were great. I’m sure they would have been better with pure white chocolate, but white chocolate chips can be a great substitute for anyone in a pinch!
Hey Sally 🙂 if I double the recipe what size pan would you recommend?
Hi Sam, see recipe notes for information about doubling the filling recipe for a 9×13 pan. Enjoy!