Cream Cheese Bars with Cherry Topping

Cream cheese bars with cherry topping, these rich fresh cherry cheesecake squares are incredibly creamy and delicious!

Cherry Topped Cheesecake Bars

Mouth-watering cream cheese bars topped with a luxurious homemade fresh cherry pie filling.

Cheesecakes are just amazing, aren’t they? I know I love any kind of cheesecake. I bake lots and lots of them, and I’ve tried so many different recipes over the years, I cannot even remember them all.

You could have a look at some of my favorites. For instance this crustless cheesecake, the German cheesecake, the no-bake lemon curd cheesecake with blueberries or the baked blueberry cheesecake. And so many others…

What do you need?

Crust:

• You will need plain sweet biscuits and butter.
• Germany or anywhere in Europe: butter biscuits also known as Butterkekse or Petit Beurre.
• UK: you can choose digestives.
• US: graham crackers will probably be your first choice.

Dairy:

• Philadelphia or Philadelphia-style cream cheese, definitely full-fat.
• Sour cream.

Other ingredients: some flour, vanilla extract, sugar, and eggs.

Cherry topping:

• You will need fresh cherries to make the topping from scratch, about 1 kg/ 2.2 lbs weighed before pitting the cherries.
• There will probably be more topping than you need to top the cream cheese bars.
• You can serve the rest on the side and keep in the fridge and enjoy during the next days in your muesli or porridge, with rice pudding, ice cream, waffles, pancakes, or crepes.

Alternative to fresh cherries:

• Make this cherry sauce recipe using frozen or canned cherries.
• Or use bought cherry pie filling to top the cream cheese bars.
• Both alternatives are great if you would like to make the cherry-topped cheesecake when fresh cherries are not in season.

Tips for making the cream cheese bars

• Always use a kitchen scale for the best results (Amazon affiliate link).
• Bake the cheesecake one day in advance, any cheesecake tastes better the next day, so it is worth it to let it rest overnight.
• Line a baking dish of about 33×23 cm/13×9 inch with parchment paper. Leave the paper hang over the edges of the pan, so that you can more easily remove the cheesecake from the pan once it is baked.
• Crush the biscuits in the food processor. If you don’t have one, place them in a freezer bag, seal it well and crush them with a rolling pin. Transfer to a bowl, mix with the melted butter and press into the baking dish.
• While making the cream cheese filling, don’t forget to scrape the walls of the mixing bowl a few times in between.
• Also, make sure to beat the mixture very well after each egg addition.
• Bake the cheesecake, let cool completely in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Use a cherry stoner to stone the cherries, it is a wonderful tool and it makes life so much easier.
• Top the cream cheese bars with the fresh cherry pie filling shortly before serving.

How to store?

• The cream cheese bars keep well for about 3-4 days when kept in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
• The cherry topping also keeps well in the fridge, for at least 4-5 days. Keep in an airtight container as well.
• It is preferable to add the topping to the cheesecake bars just before serving, but if you have some leftovers which are already topped with cherries they will be fine for at least 2-3 days as well.

More cream cheese cakes?

Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cheesecake with Cherry or Gooseberry Topping

Cappuccino Whiskey Cake

Cheese Cake Brownies

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Cream Cheese Bars with Cherry Topping

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Cream cheese bars with cherry topping, these rich fresh cherry cheesecake squares are incredibly creamy and delicious!

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Ingredients

• Cream cheese bars:
• 200 g/ 7 oz plain sweet biscuits (See note 1)
• 120 g/ 4.2 oz/ ½ cup unsalted butter
• 900 g/ 2 lbs/ 4 cups cream cheese (Philadelphia)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1-2 teaspoon vanilla extract, to taste
• 200 g/ 7 oz/ 1 cup granulated sugar
• 230 g/ 8 oz/ 1 cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• Cherry topping (See note 2)
• 1 kg/ about 2 lbs fresh cherries
• 150 g/ 5.3 oz/ ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 60 g/ 2.1 oz/ ½ cup corn starch
• 60 ml/ 2 fl.oz/ ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

Cheesecake bars:

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius/ 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tin (33x23 cm/13x9 inch) with parchment paper. Leave the paper hang over the edges of the pan, so that you can more easily remove the cheesecake from the pan once it is baked and cooled.
2. Crumb the biscuits in a food processor or place them in a freezer bag, seal the bag and crush the cookies with a rolling pin.
3. Melt the butter in a small pan, add it to the crumbs and combine thoroughly. Press this mixture onto the bottom of the pan.
4. Place the cream cheese in a large bowl and whisk with the hand-mixer for a few minutes until fluffy. Scrape down the cream cheese from the sides of the bowl a couple of times in between. Add the flour, sugar, and vanilla and combine. Beat in the sour cream. Start adding the eggs, one at a time, combining thoroughly after each addition.
5. Pour the mixture over the crust and bake for 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Cherry topping:

1. Pit the cherries. Place them in a saucepan and add the rest of the ingredients.
2. Stir over medium heat until the sugar and the cornstarch are dissolved. Bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture thickens, stirring very often.
3. Let cool and add on top of the cheesecake shortly before serving.
   

Notes

1. You can use any plain sweet biscuits. Germany/Europe: butter biscuits/Butterkekse/Petit Beurre. UK: digestives. US: graham crackers.
2. Bought cherry pie filling can be used instead.
   You can also make cherry sauce with frozen or canned cherries, just follow this recipe for cherry sauce and double the ingredients for a more generous portion of sauce.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1 bar
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 529Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 136mgSodium: 275mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 2gSugar: 38gProtein: 8g

Nutritional information is not always accurate.