Baked Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

These easy to make Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake Bars are everything I love in a baked cheesecake bars recipe! The cheesecake layer is silky smooth, lightly tangy and perfectly set on top of a buttery crispy base. The glossy strawberry topping stays slightly saucy, making every bite indulgent and full of fresh strawberry flavor.

BONUS: These cheesecake squares a rich but not overly sweet which is my kind of dessert!

Hey team! I’m obsessed with baked cheesecakes! The texture alone is enough to just make me melt. And these gorgeous summer cheesecake bars deliver on smooth, creamy texture. The fresh strawberry flavor, the way they just melt in your mouth. It all just comes together to create a neatly portioned hand held dessert that’s easy to serve and make ahead!

The creamy cheesecake layer is gently baked but there’s no water baths in sight! I’m not about messing about with water baths. It sits on a crisp, buttery biscuit base, topped with a real strawberry layer that’s thickened with cornstarch just enough to stay glossy and soft. It’s almost self-saucing, which makes every bite even better.

If you’re all about rich and creamy desserts, check out my chocolate cheesecake which is deeply chocolatey and just as creamy. Or for a no-bake option, my rainbow cheesecake bars are fun, colorful, and just as perfectly set. But for now, let’s get into these strawberry cheesecake bars because they’re one of my favorites and I think you’ll love them just as much as I do!

Why You’ll Love These Cheesecake Bars!

These bars are so easy to make, creamy and indulgent, and in my opinion, easier to serve and eat! Here’s some other things to love!

• Creamy and indulgent – the cheesecake layer is easy to make, and you don’t even need a water bath. It’s perfectly smooth and creamy.
• Perfectly balanced flavors – this recipe isn’t too sweet. The cracker crust is perfectly buttery, the cheesecake layer, creamy more than sweet and the strawberry layer, sweet and tangy.
• Fancy or casual! This dessert is easy to make and serve at any occasion. Serve it up at your next dinner party or a casual morning tea.

Let’s talk strawberries!

The great thing about this recipe is that you can use fresh strawberries (ideal if they’re in season) or frozen strawberries and still get the same bold burst of berry flavor! Heres some things you need to know for this recipe.

The strawberries are used as a kind of saucy layer on top. If you use fresh strawberries you’ll cook some into the sauce and then add some at the end which are partially cooked to give you a bit of a bite. If you just frozen strawberries just cook them all. Your strawberry layer will be a little softer, but still melt in your mouth and taste just as delicious.

Pro Tip: Rinse your strawberries thoroughly under cold running water, then pat them dry with a paper towel. This removes any dirt or residue and prevents excess water from thinning out the strawberry topping. Drying them properly also helps the sauce thicken correctly.

Ingredients Needed

• Digestive biscuits – alternatively you can use graham crackers. You can use different cookies, but you may need to adjust how much butter you use. You can test if it’s the right amount of butter by squeezing it in yourhand and if it comes together, it’s good to go.
• Brown sugar – dark or light will work.
• Unsalted butter – make sure your butter is cooled before using. Warm is ok, hot is not.
• Cream Cheese – I used Philadelphia cream cheese blocks. This is different to spreadable cream cheese which will not work for this recipe. Make sure your cream cheese is softened. Like, really soft. You can either leave the cream cheese out for an hour to soften or pop it on a flat plate and microwave for 15 seconds at a time, turning it over each time and microwaving for 15 second intervals until really soft. Make sure you don’t cook it!
• All-purpose flour – also known as plain flour. This is going to help stabilize your cheesecake layer.
• Salt – I used fine salt.
• Caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar. You can use granulated sugar if you wish.
• Sour cream – Greek yogurt will also work.
• Heavy cream – this is the type of cream you use for whipping.
• Vanilla Extract – Always use good quality vanilla extract when baking, it makes a huge difference. I have a great recipe here for it if you’d like to try your own!
• Eggs – I used large eggs.
• Strawberries – I love using fresh strawberries for this recipe. But if they’re not in season you can use frozen ones.
• Lemon juice – fresh is best!
• Cornstarch – also known as corn flour. This is what’s going to help thicken the sauce and set it slightly. Make sure you don’t overwork it and use a silicon spatula to mix the sauce if you can instead of a wooden spoon. I found a wooden spoon can contaminate the corn starch and cause it to turn the liquid. No idea why.

Making The Buttery Crust

• Add the cookies and sugar to a food processor and pulse until you reach fine crumbs. You can also do this by popping them into a zip lock bag and bashing them with a rolling pin.
• Add the butter and pulse to coat. You might need to scrape down the bowl wioth a spoon to make sure everything mixes evenly.

• Lightly spray a 20 x 20cm (8 x 8-inch) cake tin with oil, then line it with baking paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal. Clips can help keep the paper in place.
• Add the biscuit crumb to the tin and press down firmly and as evenly flat as you can. I used a spoon for this. Pop this in the oven to bake for 8 minutes on 140C / 285F (160C / 320 for no fan).

Easy Cheesecake Mixture

This cheesecake mixture is ultra creamy and easy to make. The quickest method is using a food processor. Just add everything and blend until smooth, scraping down as needed. A hand mixer or whisk works too. Here is how:

• Add the softened cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and mix using a spatula.

Pro Tip: Make sure your cream cheese is softened. Like, really soft. You can either leave the cream cheese out for an hour to soften, or pop it on a flat plate and microwave for 15 seconds at a time, turning it over each time and microwaving for 15 second intervals until really soft.

• Next, add the flour and salt and mix through. Then add the sugar sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla and mix until well combined and smooth. It’s important not over-aerate the mixture otherwise you’ll get huge air bubbles We want a nice smooth, creamy texture.
• Add the eggs and mix until well combined and the mixture is smooth.

• Pour the mixture on top of the cooled crust and smoothen out. I used a spatula to do this. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

How To Tell If Your Cheesecake Is Baked Properly

It’s all by looks. You don’t want to touch your cheesecake as it can be very soft when it comes out of the oven.

• The edges should be set and slightly puffed up.
• The center should have a slight jiggle when you gently shake the pan, but not look liquid or runny.
• The surface should look smooth and slightly matte, not wet or glossy.
• The top may have a very light golden hue, but it should not brown too much. Once it’s baked, let it cool to room temperature

Keep an eye on things in the oven as all ovens run at different temperatures. The best oven setting to bake on is with no fan.

Let’s Make The Strawberry Layer!

• Clean and dry your strawberries, then chop the tops off and slice them into quarters. Add 500g of the strawberries to a large pot (preferable non-stick) along with the lemon juice and brown sugar. All the liquid from the strawberries will start cooking out.
• Bring to a boil and continue bubbling away for 5-7 minutes. The strawberries will be soft.

• To mix the corn starch slurry, just combine the water and corn starch. Then pour into the bubbling strawberry mixture while stirring. It will begin to thicken almost immediately and become shiny.
• Take off the heat and add the remaining strawberries. Stir to coat.

• Pour the mixture over the cooled cheesecake and spread evenly. Chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours. Overnight is best.
• Slice into 3 x 3 bars and serve!

Some Helpful Tips!

• How to Store Your Cheesecake Bars – Place in an airtight container and chill in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• Can I use frozen strawberries for this recipe – Absolutely. Just skip the fresh strawberries added when the cooked ones are done.
• Can I freeze these bars? – Yes! But I would recommend doing it without the fruit on top. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Then cook and add the final layer once thawed. Allow to set and serve!

What is this recipe in grams and not cups?

The short answer is accuracy! It is far easier, more accurate and you get more consistency results when you measure ingredients by weight, especially in dessert and bread baking! I wrote all about this in my post about using digital kitchen scales!

Tried this recipe and loved it? Awesome! Drop me a comment below and tell me about it! Can’t wait to hear how it turned out for you! You can also keep up to date with me during the week by joining me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!