Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars

These Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars are bursting with delicious blueberry goodness. The perfect sweet fruit treat for spring and summer!

Here in the U.S. we are fortunate enough to enjoy a blueberry harvest season that runs from April through September. Plus we have a long rich history of incorporating these fresh, sweet blueberries into all sorts of baked goods. From pies, muffins and pancakes to breads, buckles and scones, blueberries make everything taste better. And around our house, our latest blueberry obsession is these delectable Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars. It's truly the perfect dessert. The decadent combination of two American favorites- a regular cheesecake and blueberry pie!

Featuring a buttery shortbread crust, a luscious cheesecake center and topped with a generous amount of juicy blueberries, these bars are disappearing from my kitchen just as fast as I can make them and is it's one of our new favorite desserts! So it's a good thing our local Farmers Market has an abundant blueberry stand to keep us well stocked throughout the season.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE BARS

• They come together quickly and easily! These gorgeous bars looks complicated, but they're really quite simple to make.They require only 35 minutes of hands-on time, and then the fridge does the rest of the work.
• Perfect for feeding a crowd. Anything in bar form is ideally suited for serving up at parties, taking to potlucks or packing on picnics. And you can easily double this recipe when you need to feed a large group.
•  Suitable for a wide variety of tastes. These bars appeal to cheesecake lovers, cookie cravers and fruit fans alike. How often do you come across a dessert recipe that includes something for most everyone?

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE THIS SPRING DESSERT

Shortbread Layer-

• unsalted butter, room temperature
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Egg
• Flour
• Milk or cream

Blueberry Layer-

• Water
• Cornstarch
• Sugar
• Small package Berry Blue Jell-O 1.4 ounce
• Fresh blueberries

Cream Cheese Layer-

• Cream cheese
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Heavy cream

HOW TO MAKE THIS BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS RECIPE

While this blueberry bars recipe with creamy filling has a few steps, they are fairly easy and so so worth it! Promise!

Step One- Make the blueberry sauce.

In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar, and cornstarch. Whisk continuously until the mixture comes to a simmer. Once simmering, add the jell-o and whisk vigorously to combine. Remove pan from heat, and allow to cool while you make the rest of this great recipe. PRO TIP- transfer mixture to a separate dish or bowl to cool a bit more quickly. You don't want to chill it as it will be too thick to pour. If it does get too thick, microwave the mixture for about 10-15 seconds.

Step Two- Make the buttery shortbread crust layer.

Preheat oven and line an 8x8 square pan or 8 or 9-inch round baking pan with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl, combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, milk or cream, and egg yolk. Add flour and mix until just combined (dough will be crumbly). Press into the bottom of the pan. PRO TIP- lightly spray the bottom of a measuring cup with cooking spray and use that the press the dough down. Bake until edges just begin to brown. Cool completely before adding cream cheese layer.

Step Three- Make the cheesecake layer.

Beat cold heavy whipping cream in a clean bowl on medium to high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Carefully fold heavy whipping cream into the cream cheese mixture. Spread mixture over cooled crust.

Step Four- Blueberry Mixture

For the final step, layer blueberries onto cream cheese layer, then pour the Jell-O glaze over the fresh berries. If glaze has set, microwave for 20 seconds until melted.

Chill for 1 hour then slice and serve the cheesecake squares and enjoy!

RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS & ADDITIONS

• Crust- while we love the buttery shortbread base, you can also use sugar cookie dough or make a buttery graham cracker crust.
• If desired, make the crust in your food processor.
• Creamy cheesecake filling- add a dash of almond extract to filling or crust for a subtle taste.
• Make lemon blueberry cream cheese bars by adding some lemon zest and lemon juice to the cheesecake filling and crust!
• Use other berries- we love this recipe so much that we've also made it with strawberries and raspberries. But you can also use a mixture of berries! It's the perfect way to use up all those straggling berries in your fridge.
• Double the recipe! If you like thick bars, double the recipe and bake in a 9x12 inch baking dish. If you don't mind thinner bars, simply double the crust recipe and keep the cheesecake batter and blueberry layer the same.

BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS FAQs

Can I use frozen blueberries in these bars?

Yes, we recommend defrosting the blueberries first and straining them because the extra liquid may inhibit the jell-o mixture from hardening. The small wild frozen blueberries are our favorite!

How do I get a smooth cheesecake filling?

In order to get a smooth cheesecake layer is to make sure that all of your filling ingredients are at room temperature. Otherwise they will not blend properly and will bake into clumps.

How do I store Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars?

Because of the jell-o blueberry sauce, we do not recommend freezing these bars. They can however be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 6 days.

MORE DELECTABLE BLUEBERRY RECIPES

If you love these Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars as much as we do, you'll want to check out my Lemon Blueberry Streusel Loaf, these Coffee Cake Blueberry Muffins, and this recipe for adorable Blueberry Lavender Hand Pies,