Blueberry Cheesecake Bars (2024)

Base

• ▢ 18 Arnott's Marie crackers (150g) or 16 Graham cracker squares (8 full sheets) (Note 1)
• ▢ 100 g / 3.5 oz unsalted butter , melted
• ▢ 2 tbsp sugar

Filling

• ▢ 320 g / 12 oz Philadelphia cream cheese , softened
• ▢ 1 tbsp plain flour
• ▢ 1/3 cup sour cream
• ▢ 1 cup / 220 g white sugar , superfine or caster is best
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ Zest of 1 lemon
• ▢ 2 eggs , at room temperature
• ▢ 250 g / 8 oz (~1 3/4 cups) blueberries (2 Aust punnets)
• ▢ Icing sugar / confection sugar , for dusting (optional)

• Preheat oven to 160C/320F (all oven types).

• Spray a 20cm/9" square tin with oil and line with baking/parchment paper with overhang (so it can be lifted out once cooked).

• Place biscuits in a food processor and blitz until fine crumbs form. Add butter and sugar and blitz to combine - it should look like wet sand. (Note 1)

• Pour into tin and use something with a flat bottom to press into base.

Filling (Note 2)

• Beat cream cheese until smooth, not fluffy. Add flour and beat until just combined.

• Add sour cream, sugar, vanilla and lemon. Beat until combined. Add eggs, one and a time, beating in between until just combined.

• Fold in most of the blueberries - reserve some for topping. Pour into tin and smooth surface. Top with remaining blueberries.

• Bake for 35 minutes (fan forced / convection) or 40 minutes (standard), or until cheesecake is set but the middle wobbles a bit like jelly - see video. The surface should not be browned, there will probably be some minor cracks.

• Cool in tin, then refrigerate (covered) for at least 4 hours. Use paper overhang to lift out, dust with icing sugar if desired. Cut into squares or bars. Serve!

1. This recipe requires 1 1/4 cups of biscuit crumbs, and you can substitute with any plain sweet biscuit.

This step can also be done by placing the biscuits in a ziplock bag and bashing with a rolling pin - very satisfying! Then pour into bowl to mix in butter.

2. You don't need to use an electric beater for this recipe because you don't want the Filling to become really fluffy, like in my Classic Baked Cheesecake. If it's too fluffy, the surface is more prone to cracking (because of the blueberries poking out!).

So you can make this with just a wooden spoon and/or whisk. And a bit of muscle!

3. Optional to make a gorgeous glistening blueberry sauce for the top instead of folding blueberries in. Refer to the No Bake recipe for directions.

4. This is adapted from my Classic Baked Cheesecake recipe.

5. The surface will crack slightly - not massive craters, small cracks, especially around the blueberries which is why I dust with sugar. To avoid cracks, don't put any blueberries on the surface - but I like the look of blueberries on the surface.

Base

• ▢ 18 Arnott's Marie crackers (150g) or 16 Graham cracker squares (8 full sheets) (Note 1)
• ▢ 100 g / 3.5 oz unsalted butter , melted
• ▢ 2 tbsp sugar

Filling

• ▢ 500 g / 16 oz cream cheese , at room temperature
• ▢ 2 eggs , at room temperature
• ▢ 1 tbsp lemon zest
• ▢ 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 3/4 cup white sugar (165g)
• ▢ 1 1/2 -2 cups fresh blueberries
• ▢ Icing sugar / powdered sugar , for dusting

• Preheat oven to 160C/320F (all oven types).

• Spray a 20cm/9" square tin with oil and line with baking/parchment paper with overhang (so it can be lifted out once cooked).

• Place biscuits in a food processor and blitz until fine crumbs form. Add butter and sugar and blitz to combine - it should look like wet sand. (Note 1)

• Pour into tin and use something with a flat bottom to press into base.

Filling

• Place Filing ingredients in a bowl and beat until smooth, but not aerated.

• Fold in most of the blueberries - reserve some for topping. Pour into tin and smooth surface. Top with remaining blueberries.

• Bake for 35 minutes (fan forced / convection) or 40 minutes (standard), or until cheesecake is set but the middle wobbles a bit like jelly - see video. The surface should not be browned, there will be some minor cracks, especially around the blueberries.

• Cool in tin, then refrigerate (covered) for at least 4 hours. Use paper overhang to lift out, dust with icing sugar if desired. Cut into squares or bars. Serve!

1. This recipe requires 1 1/4 cups of biscuit crumbs, and you can substitute with any plain sweet biscuit.

This step can also be done by placing the biscuits in a ziplock bag and bashing with a rolling pin - very satisfying! Then pour into bowl to mix in butter.

2. Slightly adapted from this recipe by Tyler Florence.

3. Optional to make a gorgeous glistening blueberry sauce for the top instead of folding blueberries in. Refer to the No Bake recipe for directions.

4. The surface will crack slightly - not massive craters, small cracks, especially around the blueberries which is why I dust with sugar. To avoid cracks, don't put any blueberries on the surface - but I like the look of blueberries on the surface.

Base

• ▢ 18 Arnott's Marie crackers (150g) or 16 Graham cracker squares (8 full sheets) (Note 1)
• ▢ 100 g / 3.5 oz unsalted butter , melted
• ▢ 2 tbsp sugar

Filling

• ▢ 500 g / 32 oz cream cheese
• ▢ 1 cup icing sugar / powdered sugar (confectionary sugar)
• ▢ 2 cups thickened cream / heavy cream
• ▢ 1 tbsp lemon zest
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extra

Blueberry Sauce

• ▢ 21/2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen) (250g/8oz)
• ▢ 1/2 cup sugar
• ▢ 1 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch
• ▢ 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tbsp butter

Base

• Spray a 20cm/9" square tin with oil and line with baking/parchment paper with overhang (so it can be lifted out once cooked).

• Place biscuits in a food processor and blitz until fine crumbs form. Add butter and sugar and blitz to combine - it should look like wet sand. (Note 1)

• Pour into tin and use something with a flat bottom to press into base.

Filling

• Beat cream cheese and sugar in a bowl until smooth (I use a stand mixer, can use handheld beater). Add remaining ingredients and beat for 2 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.

• Pour Filling into pan, smooth top. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Top with Sauce. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

• Cut into bars and serve!

Sauce

• Place 1 cup blueberries plus remaining ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook, stirring, until some of the blueberries have burst and the sauce is thickened to a honey consistency - about 5 minutes. Stir through remaining blueberries, cook for 1 minute to soften slightly.

• Remove from stove. COOL for 30 minutes before pouring over cheesecake, then refrigerate immediately. It will go jammy so it doesn't drip everywhere when you cut it.

1. This recipe requires 1 1/4 cups of biscuit crumbs, and you can substitute with any plain sweet biscuit.

This step can also be done by placing the biscuits in a ziplock bag and bashing with a rolling pin - very satisfying! Then pour into bowl to mix in butter.

2. This no-bake cheesecake is made without gelatine which means it needs to be served cold / cool otherwise it will start to soften - bordering on melting. So it cannot be left out on hot days.

For a cheesecake to hold it's shape at room temperature, it needs to either be made with gelatine or baked. Refer to the above two options for baked versions of this recipe!

3. Optional to just fold blueberries through the cheesecake instead of making the topping. Using 2 cups of blueberries.