Raspberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

These fantastic raspberry cheesecake crumble bars have it all. They feature a juicy, sweet and tart raspberry filling, a cream cheese layer, and an irresistible crumble topping.

Fruit bars have become my love language over the years. I love everything about them: the ease to prepare in one pan, the different layers, the juicy fruit filling and the irresistible crumble topping. They’re also great for large gathering parties and freeze well in individual portions so you can have homemade dessert at hand anytime you want!

This time, I imagined 2 desserts in one: a cheesecake and some berry crumble bars. I was looking for a crunchy bite with the crust and the crumble topping, a soft and refreshing cream cheese center and some sweet, tart and juicy flavors with the raspberry filing. The result is spot on! Seriously, these raspberry cheesecake crumble bars are about to become your favorite dessert when berries are in season.

The recipe ingredients

• For the dough and crumble top, you need all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, softened butter and an egg.
• The cheesecake layer is prepared with cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla.
• For the raspberry filling, use frozen raspberries, sugar, lemon juice and zest, and cornstarch to thicken the mixture when baking.

How to make raspberry cheesecake crumble bars?

For the detailed recipe instructions, head over to the recipe card further below. Now if you’re a visual learner, here are the key steps to make these crumble bars:

Fresh or frozen raspberries?

I recommend frozen raspberries for these bars. First of all, raspberries are expensive and here you need a lot, so using fresh raspberries is not worth the price in my opinion. And then, I find that frozen raspberries achieve the exact same result than the fresh ones – since we make a jam out of them, you won’t notice the difference.

Pro tips to make raspberry cheesecake crumble bars

• Prefer a non-stick metal baking pan. While you can technically bake anything in either glass or metal, glass usually needs a longer baking time. When making bars, I always use my USA Pan Non-Stick Square Cake Pan. I’ve had it for years and it still works amazing.
• Be careful during the layering process not to blend any of the layers together. When spooning the raspberry jam in particular, carefully spread it over the cream cheese. It’s ok if it doesn’t cover the entire surface exactly, the jam will spread out while baking.
• Make sure you pre-bake the bottom crust until slightly golden before adding the cream cheese layer to prevent a “soggy bottom” when adding the cream cheese layer.
• Allow the raspberry cheesecake crumble bars to cool down in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before slicing or it will get messy.

Storing and freezing instructions

Because the recipe involves cream cheese, always store these raspberry cheesecake crumble bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze very well, cut into squares (once the recipe has cooled off in the refrigerator) and stored in a ziploc freezing bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours before serving.

Recipe variations

Instead of raspberry jam, you can make a blueberry jam, blackberry jam, or a mixed berry jam. Cherries would work as well, when in season. In this case, you could cook them from fresh directly. Another option consists in skipping the cheesecake layer altogether to create classic raspberry crumble bars.

Note that I haven’t tried the recipe using store-bought jam. I believe this should work, but because the jam is usually more compact, it’s more difficult to spread out over the cream cheese layer. To prevent this to happen, you can always warm it up in a small saucepan before using.

You may also like…

• Rhubarb Crumble Bars
• Easy No-Bake Cheesecake
• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
• Blueberry Crumble Bars
• Apple Crumble Bars

Raspberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 12 servings 1x
• Category: Fruit desserts

These fantastic raspberry cheesecake crumble bars have it all. They feature a juicy, sweet and tart raspberry filling, a cream cheese layer, and an irresistible crumble topping.

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Ingredients

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For the crust (top and bottom):

• ⅓ cup (70g) sugar
• 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 stick (115g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 large egg

For the cream cheese layer:

• 1 ½ cups (12 ounces / 340g) cream cheese, softened
• ⅓ cup (70g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the raspberry jam:

• 3 cups (12 ounces / 340g) frozen raspberries
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• Zest of 1 lemon + 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line a 9-inch (23 cm) square pan with parchment paper. Leave an overhang of paper to use as a sling to lift the bars out.
2. For the crust. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Incorporate softened butter with your finger tips until no lumps remain. Add the egg, and stir well until the dough comes together.
3. Pour half of the dough into the prepared pan and press flat into the base of the pan, using the palm of your hand, a glass or a measuring cup. Pre-bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden.
4. For the cream cheese filling. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar using an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Then add the egg, vanilla, and beat to combine. Pour over the crust, smoothing out the surface, and place in the refrigerator while making the raspberry jam.
5. For the raspberry jam. In a medium saucepan combine the raspberries with sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and juice. Stir to coat. Place over medium heat and stir regularly, until the mixture start bubbling. Stir continuously for another 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture is thickened and glossy, like raspberry jam. Pour into a wide and shallow dish and allow to cool in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
6. Spoon the raspberry filling over the cream cheese layer and spread out, being careful not to disrupt the cream cheese underneath. Scatter the remaining dough over the raspberry filling, nearly covering the raspberry filling.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the crumble is golden brown and the filling is oozing and bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Once chilled, lift the bars out and slice into 12 large squares using a large knife. Enjoy!

Back-To-School, Berries, Fruit Desserts, Spring, Summer, Tarts & Pies

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Raspberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!