Fresh Blueberry Cheesecake Bars is a wonderful dessert recipe made using peak of the season fresh blueberries. It is a four layer cake bar recipe that is filled with fresh and homemade blueberry filling, homemade cheesecake filling and a fluffy cake layer made with a combination of all purpose flour and almond meal.
If you have been a reader even for a short time you probably know I live in Florida. One of the best things about being a Florida resident is all the fresh produce I get to enjoy all year long.
Spring is when the blueberries are in season here. A perfect time of year to celebrate the season with a delicious berry dessert bar. Lemon Blackberry Bread is another great berry dessert recipe that is perfect to serve later in the season when blueberries aren't available.
This fresh Blueberry Cheesecake Bars recipe might look a little complicated at first glance. It's not complicated at all but there are 4 different components to this dessert bar recipe.
Fresh Blueberry Cheesecake Bars Video
Take a peek at the Fresh Blueberry Cheesecake Bars video I made so you can see just how easy it is to make this beautiful and delicious dessert bar recipe using fresh blueberries from Florida.
Blueberry Cheesecake Bars are made up of four different layers that when combined give you a burst of flavor with each bite.
The first layer is a really easy crust layer. The second layer is made up of the best homemade cheesecake filling you'll ever make. Then the cheesecake layer is topped with a layer of homemade blueberry filling.
The blueberry filling is then topped with a rich fluffy cake layer. To top off the cake layer a little sprinkle of sugar and sliced almonds give these Blueberry Cheesecake Bars a nice crunchy texture.
I should call this recipe something like Magic Blueberry Cheesecake Bars because these dessert bars are magical.
Layered Dessert Bar Tips
To make things a little easier when making this dessert bar recipe you can make the homemade cheesecake filling and homemade blueberry filling the day before.
The blueberry filling needs to cool down to at least room temperature before assembling and baking the cake bars or it will cause the cheesecake filling to melt when you assemble the layers before baking.
It's best to make at least the blueberry filling ahead of time so it has time to cool down. When you make the blueberry filling the day or night before allow it to come to room temperature first than refrigerate it in a covered bowl or mason jar before using in this recipe.
Since your already working in the kitchen it makes perfect sense to also make the homemade cheesecake filling at the same time. It can be refrigerated over night also before making the cheesecake bars.
How to make Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Homemade Blueberry Filling Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries, washed and drained
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Homemade Blueberry Filling Directions
- Place all the ingredients into a medium sauce pan and slowly bring to a boil.
- Boil stirring constantly until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature.
- Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Do not use filling for this recipe while it is still hot.
- Makes 1 pint
Cheesecake Filling Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Cheesecake Filling Directions
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth then add the butter and beat for 1-2 minutes or until combined well.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat 3 minutes.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar to the bowl and beat on low until combined well. Then beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Makes about 3 cups of cheesecake filling. You'll only need 2 cups if you use an 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Either discard the leftovers or use in another recipe that will be baked.
Crust Ingredients
- ½ cup room temperature butter
- ⅔ cups light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup almond meal
Crust Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the extract and beat until mixed in well.
- Add the flour and almond meal. Beat 3 minutes on high scrapping the bowl once.
- Spread the crust/bottom layer over the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Cut the parchment paper long enough that there is an inch or two over hanging the sides of the pan. (perfect handles to lift the baked bars out of the pan easily!)
- Press the crust batter into the bottom of the pan and gently work it flush to the edges of the pan.
- Bake in a preheated 350 F. degree oven for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before moving to the next step.
Cake Ingredients
- ½ cup of butter softened
- ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten well
- ⅔ cups of flour
- ¼ cup almond meal or finely chopped sliced almonds
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Cake Directions
- Cream butter and sugar together and beat on medium for 2 minutes.
- Add eggs and extract then beat an additional 2 minutes.
- Mix in the flour and almond meal, beating on low until mixed in well then increase the mixer speed to medium high
and beat for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Assembling and baking the Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
You will need:
- The prepared crust layer in the 8 x 8 baking pan.
- 2 cups of cheesecake filling
- ¾ to 1 cup blueberry filling
- Prepared cake batter recipe
- ¼ cup of almond slices
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Assembling Directions
- When the crust has cooled spread 2 cups of cheesecake batter over the cooled crust layer in the 8 x 8 baking pan. Spread the cheesecake filling almost up to the sides of the pan staying about an inch away from the edges.
- Spread ¾ to 1 cup of the blueberry filling gently over the cheesecake layer.
Drop cake batter by the tablespoon over the blueberry filling and spread with a spatula all the way to the edges of the pan. - Sprinkle the almond slices over the top of the batter. Sprinkle the granulated sugar over the top.
- Bake in a preheated 375 F. degree oven for 34-37 minutes or until top is a golden brown and the center is firm when lightly touched.
- Remove the pan from oven and allow to cool completely then refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight will work also) before cutting to allow the filling to firm up.
- Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.
- Once cool cut into 9 squares.
- If desired sift powdered sugar over each blueberry cake bar and garnish with a teaspoon of homemade lemon curd and fresh blueberries when serving.
- Serves 9
- Alternately may be made in a 9 x 13 inch brownie pan. See recipe notes.
Print the Blueberry Cheesecake Bars recipe below.
Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Homemade Blueberry Filling Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups fresh Blueberries (washed and drained)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cheesecake Filling Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
Crust Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (room temperature )
- ⅔ cups light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup almond meal
Cake Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (beaten well)
- ⅔ cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- ¼ cup almond meal (or finely chopped sliced almonds)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
Homemade Blueberry Filling Directions
- Place all the ingredients into a medium sauce pan and slowly bring to a boil.
- Boil stirring constantly until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature.
- Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use. (Do not use the filling while it is still hot.)
- Makes 1 pint
Cheesecake Filling Directions
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth then add the butter and beat for 1-2 minutes or until combined well.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat 3 minutes.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar to the bowl and beat on low until combined well. Then beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Makes about 3 cups of cheesecake filling. You'll only need 2 cups if you use an 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Either discard the leftovers or use in another recipe that will be baked.
Crust Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the extract and beat until mixed in well.
- Add the flour and almond meal. Beat 3 minutes on high scrapping the bowl once.
- Spread the crust/bottom layer over the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Cut the parchment paper long enough that there is an inch or two over hanging the sides of the pan. (perfect handles to lift the baked bars out of the pan easily!)
- Press the crust batter into the bottom of the pan and gently work it flush to the edges of the pan.
- Bake in a preheated 350 F. degree oven for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before moving to the next step.
Cake Directions
- Cream butter and sugar together and beat on medium for 2 minutes.
- Add eggs and extract then beat an additional 2 minutes.
- Mix in the flour and almond meal, beating on low until mixed in well then increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Assembling and baking the Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
You will need:
- The prepared crust layer in the 8 x 8 baking pan.
- 2 cups of cheesecake filling
- ¾ to 1 cup blueberry filling
- Prepared cake batter recipe
- ¼ cup of almond slices
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Assembling directions
- When the crust has cooled spread 2 cups of cheesecake batter over the cooled crust layer in the 8 x 8 baking pan. Spread the cheesecake filling almost up to the sides of the pan staying about an inch away from the edges.
- Spread ¾ to 1 cup of the blueberry filling gently over the cheesecake layer.Drop cake batter by the tablespoon over the blueberry filling and spread with a spatula all the way to the edges of the pan.
- Sprinkle the almond slices over the top of the batter. Sprinkle the granulated sugar over the top.
- Bake in a preheated 375 F. degree oven for 34-37 minutes or until top is a golden brown and the center is firm when lightly touched.
- Remove the pan from oven and allow to cool completely then refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight will work also) before cutting to allow the filling to firm up.
- Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.
- Once cool cut into 12 squares.
- If desired sift powdered sugar over each blueberry cake bar and garnish with a teaspoon of lemon curd and fresh blueberries when serving.
- Serves 12
Recipe Expert Tips
- To use the entire 3 cup batch of cheesecake filling in this recipe use a 9 x 13 inch baking pan (brownie pan) instead of an 8 x 8 inch pan. This method will yield Blueberry Cheesecake Bars that are not as thick as shown here.
- Also decrease the baking time for the crust layer to 5 minutes if using the larger baking pan. You'll use 1 - 1 ½ cups of blueberry filling using the larger pan.
Karly
So good! Thanks for linkin' up with What's Cookin' Wednesday!
Arlene Mobley
Karly Thanks!
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
Blueberry cheesecake is my favourite. This looks so easy...and would be perfect to feed a crowd. I would even serve it as a brunch item.
Sarah @ TheFitCookie
Those cheesecake bars look beautiful! I love the colors 🙂 I didn't realize that Florida produced a lot of blueberries, I've always thought they were a cool weather fruit. Does Florida have any wild blueberries?
Arlene Mobley
Thank you Sarah!
Veena Azmanov
This looks so delicious Arlene. I cannot wait to try. I only use frozen blueberries - the fresh are sold at the price of gold here.. This looks so easy too!
Arlene Mobley
Veena I can imagine it's hard for you to get some of the fresh ingredients we have here in the states. Thank you!