Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
These Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars feature a creamy lemon cheesecake filling with a raspberry swirl on a homemade graham cracker crust.
One of my goals for this year has been to go back and update some older posts of mine. I originally posted the recipe for these Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars back in May of 2014, just a couple weeks after I started my blog.
I wanted to update the photos and rework the recipe just a little bit to make it even better. I couldn’t help but share these easy cheesecake bars with you because they’re so delicious and beautiful! You can easily swap out the raspberries for another berry like strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries.
Between the homemade buttery graham cracker crust, the creamy lemon cheesecake filling, and the raspberry swirl it’s almost impossible to eat just one of these bars. I’m just speaking from experience over here.
Ingredients for This Recipe
The raspberry swirl cheesecake bars have three components: the graham cracker crust, the cheesecake filling, and the raspberry swirl. Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Graham crackers: You’ll need either nine full-sheet graham crackers, or 1 and 1/4 cups of pre-made graham cracker crumbs.
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter in my baked goods because the amount of salt in salted butters varies between brands.
- Granulated sugar: Balances out the tart raspberry swirl and lemon juice.
- Cream cheese: Use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese. Light cream cheese is too runny and the bars won’t set properly if you use it.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla delivers the best flavor.
- Lemon juice and zest: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a must. If you prefer a stronger lemon flavor, add extra zest and not more juice.
- Eggs: Need to be at room temperature before making the filling. If you forgot to set them out ahead of time, place them in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes to bring them to room temperature.
- Raspberries: I recommend using fresh raspberries for this recipe.
How to Make Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
The base of this recipe starts out with a simple homemade graham cracker crust, a mixture of graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. You’ll press it into the pan and bake it for about 10 minutes while you make the filling and raspberry swirl.
For the filling, you’ll mix together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a couple of eggs.
When it comes to making a good cheesecake, always make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. Not only will it make everything easier to mix together, but you’ll end up with a much smoother filling. Just be sure to set the cream cheese and eggs out ahead of time and let them come to room temperature.
Once you make the filling, you’ll make the raspberry swirl. The swirl is just a simple mixture of raspberries and a little bit of sugar. I suggest straining the puree through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds before you add it to the cheesecake.
Then, you’ll pour the filling on top of the graham cracker crust and swirl the raspberry mixture on top.
Can I Prepare This Recipe in Advance?
Yes! Since the bars need to cool completely and chill for a few hours, this is a wonderful recipe to make ahead of time. I prefer to make these the night before, refrigerate them overnight, and dessert is ready to go the next day!
Baking Tips
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before getting started, including your eggs. This will ensure a much smoother cheesecake filling with no lumps.
- One medium lemon will usually give you about 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of zest. I suggest using at least 2 medium sized lemons so you have enough lemon juice for the recipe.
- You can easily replace the raspberries in this recipe with another berry like strawberries, blackberries, or even blueberries.
More Easy Cheesecake Desserts to Make!
- Blackberry Cheesecake Bars
- Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
- No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
- Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
- Mini Key Lime Cheesecakes
Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 9 full-sheet (135 grams) graham crackers (or 1 and ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs)
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) butter , melted
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
For the cheesecake filling:
- 16 ounces brick-style cream cheese , softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon (1 tablespoon)
- 2 large eggs , room temperature
For the raspberry swirl:
- 1/2 cup (65 grams) raspberries
- 1 tablespoon (13 grams) granulated sugar
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, making sure to leave some overhang for easy removal. Set aside.
- Place the graham crackers in a food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. Scoop the crumbs into a mixing bowl, add in the melted butter and sugar, and stir well until well combined.
- Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and firmly press it down into one even layer.
- Bake at 325°F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Keep oven temperature at 325°F.
To make the cheesecake filling:
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth.
- Add in the sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest and continue mixing until well combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in one egg at a time on low speed until just combined.
- Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the graham cracker crust.
To make the raspberry swirl
- Place the raspberries and sugar in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Strain the raspberry puree through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any seeds.
- Spoon the raspberry mixture in different spots on top of the filling, then use a knife to gently swirl.
- Bake at 325°F for about 35 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake is set.
- Allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Cut into squares and enjoy!
This recipe was really really really yummy. I am usually not a fan of American desserts , cause the majority of the recipes I find use sugar excessively. This was just the right amount of sugar and nice and tangy. I have always liked the combo of lemon and raspberry. Thank you for sharing this special treat.
Hi these look great! I don’t like lemon zest think I can skip it?
That would be fine!
Wow, this cheesecake is just mouthwatering..I can’t wait to try it and especially the lemon and raspberry touch sounds amazing and making me crazy..love for sharing this super delicious recipe
Do you think I could substitute seedless raspberry preserves, instead of fresh or frozen? Can’t wait to make these. I’m a great fan of, and love to make, cheesecake – any kind. Thanks
Yes, absolutely! I would warm it for a few seconds in the microwave so it’s easier to swirl into the cheesecake batter.
Just made these. They are literally cooling on my kitchen table as I write this. Had to bake a little longer, 43 mins at 165C to start then 170C for the last 10 or so mins. But they are finally set and a little wobbly, so looking good in my opinion. These were quick and easy to make and the lemon batter tasted yummy, so can’t wait to try the finished product! I added an extra 50-60 grams of raspberries, for a bit extra of that delicious flavour. Thank you for this nice recipe, can’t wait to serve it up at a BBQ we’re attending tomorrow!
A little extra raspberries definitely doesn’t hurt! Hope everyone enjoyed the bars, Sonya!
I made these in a 8′ round cheesecake pan. I cooked for 50mins and the filling seems a lil wet. Unfortunately I found this out after I allowed to cool for about a hour and then cut in to check. I’m putting them back in oven to back for another 15 to start. Then I will allow to cool all night and fridge hopefully they set up. I make cheescakes of all kinds weekly. From Oreo to standard and I never have a problem. Followed recipe to the T I hope it’s just because it’s in a smaller round baking pan so a deeper filling that needs to cook a little longer. But it is beautiful regardless. Praying for it to setup correctly.
Did you double the recipe for the filling, Natalie? 50 minutes seems like a long time to bake the filling in this recipe, I’m not sure why it would not have set up properly.
No I didn’t double it. My basic cheesecake recipe is 2 8oz packs of room temp cream cheese, 1/2 cup suger,1tbsp vanilla and 2eggs. I make the crust out of Oreos that I have twisted and scrapped out the cream center. One sleeve of Oreos to be exact. Then I add the cream centers to the mix and then fold in the chocolate Oreos. The cookie caps are blended to a powder and mixed with 3 tbsp of unslated butter and pressed firmly in bottom of pan. Then I pour mix and bake @ 325* for 40mins or untill firm. The difference I did in this recipe was I used lemon Oreos to make the crust. I added the cream centers like I normally would and instead of vanilla extract I used lemon. Now what I did next may bee the issue. I then added 1/4 cup of squeezed lemon juice and 3 tbsp of frozen thawed and drained rasberrys. Poured mix over crust then I took remaining rasberrys added 1tbsp suger and 1tbsp honey. Pureed then spooned on top of filling and ran a knife threw to make the swirl pattern. When I wrote my reply last night it hadn’t cooled for more then 2 hours. After having it in the fridge over night it is definitely better but it is still not the same consistency as my normal cakes. But it is delicious and I think next time I will not add the 1/4 cup lemon juice or rasberrys into the filling. To much wet ingredients. What’s your opinion?
Since this has lemon juice in it, it’s also a little softer (and not quite as dense) as a cheesecake recipe like the one you normally use. But it still should set up and be easy to slice. Did you add thawed raspberries to the filling? That could have added more moisture to the filling as well as the honey in the swirl.
Can I use a pre-made graham pie crust? Would the filling be enough to fill 2 crusts?
You can use a pre-made graham cracker crust. I haven’t tried it yet, but this would probably just be enough filling to fill 1 of them. If you’re wanting to do 2 you may need to double the recipe.
I made these today, and they came beautifully. I think I will make these again for Valentine’s Day. Thanks for the recipe
So glad you liked the cheesecake bars, Yvonne! 🙂
Have you tried freezing these? I am wondering about the topping during the defrost…
I haven’t tried freezing them yet, but I think they would freeze fine. I would just thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
So easy and just plain yummy! I was considering adding some mango to the raspberries but decided to try the recipe as written first. Can’t wait to make more. Thank you so much!! Love your recipes btw!
So glad you liked the cheesecake bars and so happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes on my site too, Elizabeth! I think mango would be wonderful in these bars too, I’d love to hear if you give it a try! 🙂
I used strawberries instead of raspberries since that’s what I had. It came out GREAT! I wish I’d made 2 of them. I had friends over and it went FAST!
I’m so glad to hear that everyone enjoyed the bars, Angie!
These were delicious! I forgot to grease the pan (oops!) and they still cut out just fine. I don’t care for lemon much so I omitted the zest and just used a few splashes of lemon juice because I know this is a common ingredient in regular cheesecake, even if it is not supposed to be lemon flavored, per se. I also used frozen raspberries, thawed them before blending, and it turned out great.
When I make them again I will use a LOT more raspberries. The small amount listed in the recipe is enough to make a nice swirly design but does not contribute much in terms of flavor.
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi, Melissa! So glad you liked the recipe! Definitely feel free to use more raspberries next time, you can’t go wrong with more of them 🙂
What other biscuits can be used instead of graham crackers from melbourne aust haven’t seen them here
Thanks Margaret
Hi Margaret, I’m not too familiar with what may be a good substitute where you live. But, I have seen digestive biscuits use in some cheesecake recipes and I believe they’re similar to graham crackers? You could also use another type of cookie that you like, you’d need about 1 and 1/4 cups of crumbs. Hope that helps!
New to baking. So for the lemon juice you squeeze the juice out of 2 medium lemons? And I have no idea how to zest one? How much zest would you need? Are these things important? Or can you just use store bought lemon juice?
Hi Julie! Yes, you’ll need to squeeze the juice out of two medium lemons and zest them as well. I typically get 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of zest per lemon. So for this recipe you’ll need about 1/4 cup lemon juice and two tablespoons of lemon zest.
I do suggest using fresh lemon juice too. As for how to zest a lemon, here’s some helpful tips that may help! http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/LemonZest.htm
Let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
These are absolutely AMAZING! Made for first time for a church function and I think they are going to be a huge hit! Thank you for such an awesome recipe. Definitely a keeper
So glad you liked them, Billie! Hope everyone at church enjoys them too 🙂
Can I use strawberries instead of raspberries? I have some friends who would like this dessert but they don’t like raspberries. Fresh or frozen. Would either one work?
Hi Ruth! Strawberries would work just fine for this recipe. I prefer to use fresh fruit, but I think frozen would work. If you do use frozen strawberries, I would thaw them first.
I could bake this in a round springform too? As a regular cheesecake? How many servings does this recipe make? It looks delicious!
Hey Jennifer! I haven’t tried it in a springform pan yet. I think the amount of filling in this recipe might not be enough, it would likely be too thin. You may need to double the filling in order for it to make a full cheesecake. The baking time would vary as well. This recipe will make 9 large cheesecake squares, but you can certainly cut them smaller and make 16. I’ll update it to include that 🙂
Hey, thanks for responding so quick! I ended up quadrupling the recipe and that gave me three 9-10″ cheesecakes.i haven’t tasted them yet, but they set nicely and smelled SO good! Thanks again!
That’s great to hear, Jennifer! I hope you enjoy them and thanks for reporting back 🙂
This was pretty amazing! A little too lemony for me so I’m going to try just one lemon this time. I’ll try more butter in the crust too. Thank you for this recipe, I like it a lot!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Mariah! One lemon should work great to reduce the lemon flavor a bit too 🙂
Have you ever successfully doubled this recipe? Say into a 13×9 pan?
I haven’t tried yet, but I think it would work if you double it and bake it in a 9×13 pan. I’m unsure of the baking time, but you would need to bake it longer as well.
Hi! Does this still need a water bath? I’ll be baking it in a round pan 🙂 Thanks!
That’s completely up to you. A water bath will definitely help prevent any cracks and allow it to bake more evenly, but it’s not necessary.
I made these and did huckleberry instead of raspberry. Very good! My only problem was cooking time. Both times I made them the center was still runny & I had to bake Another 15-20 minutes. Not sure why?
Huckleberries sound like a great idea, Amanda! I’m not quite sure why it would be a little runny after about 35 minutes though, I haven’t had that problem with this recipe. The center should be a little wobbly once you take it out of the oven, but will set up once it’s cooled.
Have you tried using an oven thermometer to check your oven temperature? They’re inexpensive and a great way to make sure the oven temperature isn’t too far off.
HI Danielle.. what a lovely recipe! I love cheesecakes and my boyfriend even more. In fact I have one right now in my fridge. I love the idea of the rasberry cream on top. I will try this next time. 🙂 Looks so much better with a pink top 🙂
These look so pretty! I love the combination of lemon and raspberry!
Thanks, Kelley! It’s one of my favorite combinations too 🙂
how much lemon zest do i use?
You’ll need the zest from two lemons. A medium sized lemon will usually give you about one tablespoon of lemon zest, so you will need about two tablespoons for this recipe.
Hi Danielle, I’m not understanding the strawberry swirl portion of the recipe. In the picture it looks ‘melted’. After combining raspberries and sugar, is it somehow melted or blended before topping the cheesecake? Am I missing something? Also – I’m not a big graham cracker girl, do you think ginger snaps would work?
Thanks!
Robbie
Hi Robbie! Good question – I did not heat the raspberries, I just blended them with the sugar in a blender (I used a magic bullet, since it’s such a small amount). The mixture will be very thin. Then just drop spoonfuls of it on top of the cheesecake batter and swirl it with a knife.
Also, you could definitely substitute gingersnaps for the graham crackers in this recipe. I’ve never tried a gingersnap crust with this particular recipe, so I’m not sure how it would taste together. But if you decide to use gingersnaps, you’ll need 1 and 1/4 cups of gingersnap crumbs.
Hope this helps!
made these for a baby shower and everyone LOVED them! Thank you!
So glad everyone enjoyed them Hayley! Thanks for commenting and letting me know. This totally made my day!
You give quantity in sheets of graham crackers but I’m gluten free so I’m using a brand that doesn’t come in sheets. About how many cups of crumbs do I need? Thanks!
Hi Caitlin! You will need about 1 1/4 cups of graham cracker crumbs for the crust. I did increase the butter in the crust just a bit, as I find it makes it a little easier to work with.
These cheesecake squares look so incredibly delicious.. definitely could devour a couple right now. Great flavour combination too, I can imagine how good these bars would have tasted. pinned!
Lemon and raspberries?!! Yum!! Pinned and following! Thanks for posting!
It’s a great combination! So glad you stopped by and liked the recipe, Elizabeth.
I used to use Tyler Florence’s cheesecake recipe all the time when I would make cheesecake! That man knows his cheesecake. There’s nothing better in the summer than a creamy, cool cheesecake. I love the raspberry combo too. Such a sweet gift for your mom 🙂 Awww. Pretty, pink, and perfect!
Agreed! It was easy and super delicious, I’ll be using his recipe again.
Yum! Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts! I’ve never tried making it before but I just might have to give it a try. I’ll be pinning this for later!
This is a great recipe to try it’s pretty easy! Hope you enjoy it 🙂