Philadelphia Strawberry Cheesecake Snack Bars Recipe

These Philadelphia cheesecake snack bars are the ultimate in sweet treats when you need an afternoon pick me up. We are going to combine the easiest graham cracker crust with a creamy cheesecake layer and finish it with a delicious strawberry topping. This homemade recipe is better than anything you will find in grocery stores.

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Cheesecake snack bar ingredients

I am a sworn cheesecake lover. It is the most divine treats and I never turn it down. I also love a good copycat recipe that I can make better at home without the additives and preservatives from store-bought versions. 

All of the ingredients for this cheesecake are easy to find and you probably have most of them already.6

For the crust:

• graham crackers
• granulated sugar
• melted butter

Creamy cheese filling:

• 2- 8 ounce packages of cream cheese
• 2 eggs
• granulated sugar
• sour cream
• vanilla extract

Strawberry topping:

• fresh strawberries 
• strawberry preserves or strawberry jam
• white sugar
• white chocolate chips or white chocolate candy melts

Helpful equipment and supplies

There are two kitchen tools that make are especially helpful for this recipe. A food processor is key for making the graham cracker crumbs. The other is a stand mixer like a kitchen aid with a whisk attachment.

To get a really creamy cheesecake, you need to whip the room temperature cream cheese for several minutes and the stand mixer makes that so much easier. If you don't have a stand mixer, a hand mixer will also work. It's just a little more work on the chef.

I like to crush the graham crackers in my mini food processor. They crush to very fine crumbs in a jiffy and the clean up is pretty easy. If you don't have a food processor at all, you can use a plastic zip top bag and a rolling pin to crush the crackers.

The other basic supplies include:

• 9x9 square pan
• parchment paper
• large bowl
• rubber spatula
• measuring cups
• small saucepan
• plastic piping bag (optional)

Cheesecake snack bars step-by-step instructions

There are three parts to making these cheesecake snack bars: the crust, the filling, and the strawberry topping.

How to make the graham cracker crust

To make the graham cracker base, follow these steps:

1. Add 10 graham crackers to the bowl of a food processor with its blade and crush until you have fine crumbs
2. In a small bowl melt the butter
3. Add the graham cracker crumbs and white sugar to the melted butter and stir very well
4. Prepare the square baking dish by lining it with parchment paper
5. Pour the graham cracker crumbs into the dish and press down firmly to create a uniform layer 
6. Bake the crust for 10 minutes @ 350˚F
7. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside for the filling

Making the Philadelphia cheesecake filling

This is a super easy recipe, BUT, there is one step that is important to making a perfectly smooth cream cheese filling. The cream cheese needs to be at room temperature and whipped for several minutes to become light and airy.

1. Add 2- 8 ounce packages of room temperature cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer or other large bowl
2. Beat the cream cheese with the whisk attachment for 5 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the cream cheese so that it all gets well mixed
3. While the cream cheese is being whipped, combine 2 room temperature eggs with the granulated sugar, sour cream, and a teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix well.
4. In the bowl of the stand mixer, add the egg, sugar, and sour cream to the cream cheese. Mix on low at first, and then increase to medium speed, about a level 4-6 until. Mix until it is a completely smooth mixture. 
5. Pour the cream cheese filling into the baking dish with the graham cracker crust. Gently jiggle the dish and tap the bottom to get any air bubbles to come up to the top.
6. Bake the cheesecake on a middle rack in the oven at 350˚F for 35-40 minutes.

How to make an easy fresh strawberry sauce

This strawberry sauce can be used multiple ways including cheesecake topping, ice cream, or a yogurt parfait. 

1. Wash and dry 1 cup of fresh strawberries.
2. Dice the clean strawberries into very small pieces
3. Add the diced strawberries to a small sauce pan and add 2 tablespoons of strawberry jam and 1 tablespoon of sugar. 
4. Mix the strawberries and jam and set aside for 15 minutes. This draws water out from the cut strawberries.
5. After 15 minutes, place the small saucepan over medium heat and bring the strawberry mixture up to a bubble. 
6. Cook the sauce and let it reduce for 5 minutes. 
7. Transfer the strawberry sauce to a food storage container and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
8. The sauce will be thicker and like a syrup when you are ready to serve it.

For the white chocolate drizzle topping, add ¼ cup of Ghirardelli white chocolate melts to a disposable plastic piping bag and microwave for 1 minute. If you don't have disposable piping bags, melt the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and stir well. Transfer the melted white chocolate to a small ziplock bag and cut a tiny hole in one corner. Use this to drizzle on the melted white chocolate.

Serving these delicious cheesecake bars

The hardest part about this recipe is waiting a day to eat them. The cheesecake needs to cool and set in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 6 hours. It really does make a difference though when it comes to perfect Philadelphia cream cheese bars. 

When you are ready to serve the cheesecake bars, remove the dish from the refrigerator and use the parchment paper to pull out the whole cheesecake. 

Use a large sharp knife to cut through the center of the bars. Make another cut through the center so you have 4 large pieces. Then cut those sections two more times so that you have 12 rectangular shaped cheesecake bars. The best way to get clean edges is to wipe the knife off after each cut. 

Spoon some of the strawberry topping on each bar. Use the white chocolate drizzle to pipe on white chocolate. 

How to save leftover strawberry cheesecake bars

If you happen to have any of these delicious dessert bars leftover, save them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

Save the strawberry topping in a separate container. The strawberry syrup will seep into the cheesecake bars which isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't look as good. If you prepare all of the bars all at once, you can still save the extra cheesecake bars for another time. 

Recipe Modifications

Now that you know how to make the best philadelphia cheesecake snack bars, lets look at a few other ways to eat this tasty snack.

-If you want to serve smaller bites of the cheesecake, you can also cut these bars into small squares. Everyone likes mini desserts, so choose your desired shape and go for it. Plus, everyone knows that the calories don't count with a mini dessert 😉

​-Omit the layer of homemade strawberry jam and top the bars with caramel, chocolate, whipped cream, or other fruit toppings such has cherry pie filling or blueberry.

-Give the cheesecake filling a bright zing by adding a little lemon juice to base. 

What if my cheesecake cracks

The top of a cheesecake can crack for multiple reasons. Here are a few tips and solutions to a cracked cheesecake:

1. do not open the oven during the baking process
2. allow the cheesecake to cool for at least 30 minutes before moving it to the refrigerator
3. using a little sour cream will keep the cheesecake creamy

If your cheesecake does crack, don't worry. You will be cutting it into bars and adding a strawberry sauce anyway, so no one will know!

More of my favorite cheesecake recipes

Cheesecake fruit dip is a 3 ingredient treat that you can make in less than 10 minutes. When my kids and I are on the hunt for something sweet but fast, I mix this up. We eat the cheesecake dip with strawberries, sliced apples, or cantaloupe. 

My cheesecake French toast is another decadent recipe that will satisfy my cheesecake cravings. Its the perfect special Sunday breakfast that goes with a slow and relaxing morning.

Cheesecake snack bars recipe card 

Did you make this recipe? Tag me on Instagram @fancy_apron 🙂 or leave a comment below.

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