These soufflé-like lemon raspberry cheesecake bars are creamy and soft with a burst of honey-glazed raspberry sauce in every bite. Sweet, tart, and delicious, they’re an impressive dessert perfect for spring and summer!
I first created this recipe when I had 35 pounds of fresh lemons and had no idea what to do with them!
Clearly, I had to get creative in the kitchen. So, I started experimenting with different ways to use my favorite flavor combination – raspberry and lemon.
I made everything from my no-bake lemon raspberry cheesecake to a lemon raspberry crepe cake, and raspberry lemon meringue tartlets.
They’re all incredible, but I think these lemon raspberry cheesecake squares might be my favorite recipe yet! This happened back in 2014, and a decade later, it’s still one of my absolute favorite recipes!!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Here are a few reasons why you’ll love these cheesecake bars!!
- Lemon raspberry dessert – The lemons and berries create a nice, sweet tart flavor that pairs wonderfully with the rich, buttery crust.
- Creamy cheesecake recipe – The lemon curd filling is soft and creamy, while the crust is a little firmer and deliciously crumbly.
- Easy and impressive – This recipe is fairly straightforward with minimal prep time and just over 30 minutes to complete. Let the oven do all the hard work!
The only disappointing thing about this dessert is that I never have any leftovers. So, I recommend making an extra batch while you’re in the kitchen. You’ll thank yourself later!
I always double this recipe!
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Pin ItKey Ingredient Notes
For Crust
- Graham crackers – I used to make my own graham cracker crumbs using whole sheets, but nowadays, I buy pre-made graham cracker crumbs in the baking aisle of the grocery store.
- Unsalted butter adds rich flavor and helps the crumbs stick together. Without it, your crust will fall apart!
For Raspberry Sauce
- Raspberries – You can use fresh or frozen raspberries, either one works just fine.
- Raw honey is the sweetener for the sauce. If preferred, maple syrup will also work.
For Filling
- Cream cheese and plain Greek yogurt form the base of the filling. Make sure to use plain, brick-style cream cheese for the best results.
- Sweetened condensed milk sweetens the filling and adds rich and creamy texture.
- Egg adds richness and structure to the bars, helping them hold their shape.
- Lemon curd – I use my homemade lemon curd, but store-bought varieties are totally fine if you want to save a little time.
- Flour – A little bit of all-purpose flour helps thicken and adds structure to the filling. I haven’t tested these bars with any other types of flour, but I imagine a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour would work as well.
- Vanilla extract – I almost always have a bottle of homemade vanilla extract on hand, but you can substitute store-bought vanilla. Just make sure to use pure vanilla extract, not imitation varieties. Trust me. You’ll taste a difference!
How to make lemon raspberry cheesecake bars
1. Make the raspberry sauce
- Mix the raspberries and honey with two tablespoons of water in a small saucepan.
- Boil over medium-high heat. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Simmer until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly. This usually takes about 5 minutes!
- Run the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds, and set it aside to cool.
Adjust the sweetness
Feel free to add more honey if you prefer a sweeter taste.
2. Prepare the crust
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving two sides hanging over the edges.
- Crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs using a food processor. Alternatively, you can place them in a sealable bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a medium bowl, mixing until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan, spreading it out evenly and gently pressing it down.
- Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
3. Make the cheesecake filling
- Beat the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl until creamy.
- Add the remaining wet ingredients, and continue to whisk until well combined.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Slice equal-sized bars, and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Make sure your cream cheese is softened! Otherwise, the filling will be lumpy, which we definitely don’t want.
- Let the Graham cracker crust cool completely before adding the filling. This helps it set, which allows it to hold its shape and prevents it from becoming soggy.
- Strain the raspberry sauce to prevent any seeds in your cheesecake bars.
- Have fun swirling the raspberry sauce into the cheesecake mixture. There’s really no right or wrong way to do it. So, don’t stress this step!
- Make sure to allow plenty of time for the raspberry lemon cheesecake bars to chill and set. Otherwise, the filling will still be soft and is likely to ooze all over the place.
Make-Ahead Tips
Prepare the raspberry sauce up to 3 days in advance, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also bake the graham cracker crust up to 1 day ahead of time, and store it covered at room temperature. Then, just prepare the filling, layer, bake, and chill!
Storing Tips
Store sliced lemon raspberry cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe! The crust becomes too soggy, and the dairy in the filling doesn’t thaw well.
FAQs
You’ll know your bars are done baking when they’re set and lightly golden around the edges, but still just a little wobbly in the center.
I like to use a clean, sharp knife, run it under hot water, and wipe it clean after each slice. This prevents any crumbs from clinging to the blade and keeps each cut clean.
Be careful not to overmix the filling, avoid quick or drastic temperature changes, and keep an eye on your oven to avoid overbaking.
More Cheesecake Recipes
Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For raspberry sauce:
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
For crust:
- 1 cup (130 g) graham cracker crumbs Note 1
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For cheesecake filling:
- 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup (55 g) plain greek yogurt at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (105 g) sweetened condensed milk at room temperature
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1/3 cup lemon curd I used this homemade version
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Instructions
To make the raspberry sauce:
- In a small saucepan, mix together raspberries, honey and 2 tablespoons of water. (Feel free to add more honey, if it’s not sweet enough for you.)
- Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened, stirring constantly.
- Run the sauce through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Set aside to cool. (This raspberry sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store in the refrigerator.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving two sides hanging over the edges.
To make the crust:
- In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Mix until the crumbs are evenly moistened with butter.
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Evenly spread it, lightly pressing into the pan.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
To make the cheesecake filling:
- In a large mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and sweetened condensed milk until creamy.
- Add the egg, lemon curd, flour, vanilla extract, and salt. Continue to whisk until well combined, about a minute.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust.
- Drop raspberry sauce on the cheesecake mixture using a ¼ measuring teaspoon. Swirl the sauce with the cheesecake mixture with a toothpick or a scriber tool.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Cut into 12 or 16 squares, before serving.
⭐️ Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a review and let us know how you liked it!
Tips & Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on May 19th, 2014.
Hi! I noticed when I made this that the butter for the crust wasn’t enough. For everyone I recommend using as much butter as possibly needed to have all of the graham cracker crumbs covered. If you don’t then when you bake it, it will fall apart and not be anything more than graham cracker powder. Otherwise this is a really good recipe.
Hi, Grace. Thank you for sharing your recipe notes. I’ll re-test and update the recipe accordingly.
I love everything about this recipe! We adore lemons here…they are a staple in our house! I’d love to try making this. Pinning!
Thanks for pinning, Mariana!!
I just shared this recipe on my “Weekly Round-up” series of top recipe finds! This week was all about lemons, so I knew this was a must add. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe with us!
Hi, Mariana. Thank you so much for featuring my recipe and letting me know.
Hi! I would love to try the recipe but my husband is allergic to lemon,is there something else I can substitute? Thanks in advance!
Hi, Cynthia. I think you can just omit the lemon flavors and make it plain with raspberry swirls. It’ll still be delicious. Let me know if you try it that way.
The desire to eat with your eyes! It was beautiful thank you very much for sharing your recipes.
🙂 Thanks so much. Hope you’ll give it a try, Doces!
I just made these and for some reason, the raspberry swirls came out almost a dark purple color instead of red. Has that happened to you? Just wondering.
Hmm, that’s so weird, Brenda. That never happened to me.
Hello cute lady! I’m stopping by to let you know your yummy cheesecake bars will be featured at our party that starts tonight @ 7 pm. Woo Hoo! Pinned and tweeted. Thanks for sharing this with us and we hope to see you tonight! Happy Monday! Lou Lou Girls
That’s awesome! Thank you so much!
Oh man! These look so delicious and gorgeous! Lemon and raspberry in cheesecake form are the best combination. Thanks so much for sharing. Will have to try making these soon! Valentine’s Day maybe? 🙂
Oh yeah, perfect for Valentine’s Day. 🙂 Thanks, Whitney!
I love the addition of the raspberry and the colors are so Spring/Summery!
Right? Instant mood-booster! Thanks, Chris!
Shinee,
You had me at honey and raspberries. What an amazing combination, and with the lemon curd?! Great flavors!
I’m very impressed with how you’re using all these lemons!
Yeah, these bars are flavor bomb. Thanks, Kirsten!