Easy Lemon Berry Cheesecake Bars

overhead view of cheesecake bars in dish and two slices on serving dishes

These lemon berry cheesecake bars are the perfect balance of creamy, tangy, and sweet, with a buttery crust and swirls of fresh berries. Easy to make and bursting with bright flavor, they’re a refreshing dessert that’s just as pretty as it is delicious.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 15

Servings

Calories 236kcal

Author Teri

Cost $20

Equipment

food processor
stand mixer optional
blender optional
hand mixer optional

Ingredients

Crust

⅓ cup almonds sliced or chopped
1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ stick butter cold

Cheesecake Filling

¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest grated
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
2 large eggs
¾ cup fresh blueberries
¾ cup fresh raspberries

Instructions

Toast almonds in dry skillet until light brown. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix all crust ingredients together in a food processor until almonds are ground finely.
Spray a glass 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray.
Pat crust mix into pan and bake for 23-25 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Mix all cheesecake filling ingredients (except berries) either in food processor, stand mixer, blender, or with a hand mixer. Hand mix in blueberries and raspberries.
Pour filling over cooled crust and bake for 30 minutes, or until cheesecake has fully set.
Cool completely before serving.

Notes

💡 Recipe Tips

The cheesecake may crack a little while baking, and I actually don't mind this. If you want to try to avoid this, place an extra dish of water in the oven while baking to keep extra moisture in the oven.

When serving, cut with a sharp knife. I like to wipe off the knife with a wet paper towel in between each cut so the bars will have nice clean, sharp edges.

Make this dish a day in advance of when you need to serve, since you need adequate time for the crust to cool and then again for the baked cheesecake bars to cool. Rushing this will keep the bars from setting and they won't look very nice.

🫙 Storage & Freezing

Storage: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. If you slice into bars, place parchment paper in between each bar to keep them separated.

Freezing: Freeze bars individually, separate on a cookie sheet. When frozen, store in an airtight container or ziploc bag, separated with parchment paper. Let thaw completely before serving.

🧂Toppings & Substitutions

Toppings:

fresh berries
Sour cream
whipped cream
blueberry sauce, or any other berry sauce
a sprinkle of brown sugar
lemon curd or thin lemon slices

Substitutions:

Any other berry you like: strawberries, blackberries, boysenberries - any will work
peaches, apricots or nectarines
plums
oranges
cherries
figs

Nutrition