Homemade cheesecake doesn’t have to be complicated! See how easily a graham cracker crust, decadent cream cheese filling, and quick berry jam come together to create these delicious and easy Cheesecake Bars.
Table of Contents
- This recipe is…
- Why You’ll Love These Cheesecake Bars
- Cheesecake Bars Recipe Ingredients
- Recipe Variations and Modifications
- How to Make Cheesecake Bars
- Cheesecake Bars Recipe Tips
- How to Serve
- How to Store and Reheat
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Favorite No-Bake Dessert Recipes
- No-Bake Berry Cheesecake Bars Recipe
This recipe is…
Making cheesecake at home can be a complicated ordeal. Even the most accomplished bakers can be intimidated by the process, which typically involves a springform pan, over an hour in the oven, a water bath to avoid a cracked top…and some crossed fingers.
That’s what makes this Cheesecake Bars recipe so genius. With just 10 minutes of prep, 15 minutes whipping up a quick batch of triple-berry jam on the stove (plus some time chilling), you can get that classic creamy cheesecake fix…without all the effort, and with none of the oven time.
Just like our Key Lime Pie, Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, and Mini Cheesecake Jars, it’s a delicious no-bake dessert recipe that’s perfect for hot summer days — or any other time you want to make a show-stopping dessert without having to bother turning on the oven and heating up your kitchen.
Why You’ll Love These Cheesecake Bars
- A genius no-bake, fuss-free way to make a cheesecake
- GF graham crackers make this recipe gluten-free
- Easy to make dairy-free with a few simple swaps
Cheesecake Bars Recipe Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make the crust, filling, and jam that make up this delicious dessert. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
For the Jam
- Berries – this recipe calls for a trio of juicy blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries
- Lemon juice – the juice of one lemon
- Honey – just two tablespoons amplifies the berries’ natural sweetness
For the Crust
- Graham crackers – our recipe calls for gluten-free crackers, but the regular kind work well too
- Butter – grass-fed is best!
For the Filling
- Condensed milk – we like the flavor and consistency of this sweetened condensed milk made from coconut
- Cream cheese – opt for standard cream cheese, or a dairy-free version like Kite Hill brand
- Lemon juice – fresh citrus juice adds a nice tang
- Vanilla extract – adds the essential flavor of fragrant vanilla beans
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Go dairy-free – swap in dairy-free cream cheese and butter
- For a grain-free crust – use the crust in our paleo apricot bar recipe
- Mix-and-match your berries – we call for blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries — which taste delicious, and look really striking together — but any berry will do. So use whatever combination of berries looks freshest at the market, is on sale, or just strikes your fancy!
How to Make Cheesecake Bars
There are three elements to this recipe, but they all come together quickly and easily.
Step 1: Combine the berries, lemon juice, and honey in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the berries start to burst. Then cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes and cool.
Step 2: Blitz the graham crackers in a food processor until you get a fine powder, then add the butter and process until a sand-like crumble forms. Press the dough into the pan to form an even crust.
Step 3: Beat the condensed milk, cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer or stand mixer until well-combined and fluffy. Add the mixture to the baking pan on top of the crust.
Step 4: Add the cooled berry jam and swirl the two mixtures together using a knife. Top with extra berries, if desired, then refrigerate the bars for 4 hours, or overnight, and slice and serve!
Cheesecake Bars Recipe Tips
- Make sure your butter and cream cheese is at room temp. When they’re softened, they’re much easier to mix and blend.
- Double the jam recipe so you’ll have extra to top toast or English muffins, or to swirl into plain yogurt.
How to Serve
Slice the slab into 18 bars by cutting it into six rows working from the long side of the pan, then three rows from the short side. Serve chilled!
How to Store and Reheat
Store the cheesecake slices in the baking pan, covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, for up to three days.
Frequently Asked Questions
We love them both! But a traditional cheesecake is much more complicated and time-consuming to make, and requires special bakeware like a springform pan. Many oven-baked cheesecake recipes also call for adding a water bath to the oven to prevent cracking. Our no-bake version has all the cheesecake elements you crave, but with a fraction of the time and effort. And zero baking time!
Yes, no-bake filling should be creamy and silky in texture, but firm enough that it holds up when sliced.
If the no-bake filling is still jiggly, it means it hasn’t been chilled long enough to firm up. Stick the pan back in the fridge until it’s fully set.
More Favorite No-Bake Dessert Recipes
If you tried this No-Bake Cheesecake Bars recipe, or any other recipe on the Fed & Fit website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
No-Bake Berry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the Berry Jam:
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 cup blackberries
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice about one lemon
- 2 tablespoons honey
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
For the Cheesecake:
- 11.25 ounces dairy-free condensed milk
- 2, 8 ounce packages cream cheese softened (use Kite Hill for dairy free)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the berry jam, combine all ingredients for the jam in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, and stir together.
- Stir berries until the mixture begins to boil and berries start to burst, then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened to a jam-like consistency. Set aside to cool.
- For the graham cracker crust, place the two boxes-worth of graham crackers into a food processor and pulverize until you have a fine powder (no chunks). Adding 4 tablespoons-worth of softened butter pieces at a time, pulse the food processor with the butter. Continue for the rest of the butter, until the graham cracker crust comes together in a flaky, slightly-crumbly dough.
- Pat the graham cracker crust into the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan and slightly up the sides to create a 1/4 inch thick crust.
- For the cheesecake filling, add the condensed milk, cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to a large bowl, then beat with an electric mixer or stand mixer for 2-3 minutes, until mixture is smooth and fluffy.
- Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the crust, smoothing to even it out, then swirl in the berry jam.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours, then slice and serve!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Can you use frozen fruit?
Am you use frozen fruit?
Absolutely, Ashley! Haven’t personally tried it for this recipe but have for others and works very well! Might have to adjust the cook time by a bit, but nothing too crazy!
this is my go to dessert! I used gluten free Oreos instead of graham crackers and it’s a game changer.
GENIUS! That sounds amazing, Dena!
Could you do just blueberries and strawberries maybe? Not a fan of the others but I would love to make this!
Absolutely, Emily!!
How long does this last in the fridge? I want to make in advance for July 4.
Hi Angie! I’m so so sorry for the delayed response. Did you end up making these for July 4th?
I am thinking of using gluten free ginger snap cookies instead of the gluten free graham crackers for the crust. Is there any reason why this wouldn’t work??
That would be SO GOOD, Sheena!
Do you have nutritional information for this recipe?
Just added it to the recipe card, Jaime!
Do you need to spray/grease the pan before putting the crust in?
No spraying needed, Jessica! Enjoy!
Can you put this in a cheesecake pan instead of making bars?
You can! Enjoy!
The can of condensed milk is 11.25oz. Recipe says 14oz. Just making sure if I need to buy 2 cans. Thanks!
Sorry! It’s 11.25 oz. Updating the recipe now. <3
Looks great! Can you also include a link to the GF graham crackers you use? The brands I’ve tried…meh
Thanks!
I use THESE!
Pamelas