Cherry Cheesecake Crumb Bars

With an oat-filled crust, tangy cheesecake filling, cherry preserves, and crumb topping, these cherry cheesecake bars are one scrumptious dessert the entire household will love.

It’s no secret that cheesecake recipes are a few of my very favourite recipes to make. 

Whether or not it’s making my pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving or my nana’s straightforward cheesecake for a celebration, I adore it all. 

These cherry cheesecake bars mix two of my favourite issues: cherry cheesecake and bar desserts. They’re excellent for sharing with neighbors, taking to a cookout, or having fun with for a particular brunch deal with.

Why you’ll love these cherry cheesecake bars

You recognize I like layered desserts. Cookie dough cheesecake bars, layered pistachio pudding dessert, brownie trifle…I like layers of taste and texture in my desserts.

And that’s precisely what we’ve received right here in these cherry cheesecake bars.

We begin with a buttery crust made with oats, which provides a unbelievable depth of taste. Then there’s the cheesecake layer, with a contact of almond extract to make it particular.

Cherry preserves get swirled into the cheesecake filling, after which the entire thing will get topped off with extra of the crust combination, which is nice. The oats actually give it some texture and crunch.

This recipe makes one 8×8-inch pan—9 giant servings or 12 small ones. That’s simply sufficient for a household dinner and snack the following day, with out days value of leftovers.

And yeah, technically these cheesecake bars are supposed to be dessert. However actually, the crumb topping completely makes them acceptable to serve at brunch, too. 

That’s the way it works, proper??

make my cherry cheesecake bars

Like most crumb bars, these cherry cheesecake bars aren’t too laborious to make. You’ll have to organize the crust and the filling individually, however they arrive collectively fairly simply!

Elements you’ll want

You’ll make the crust for these bars first. For that, you have to:

• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup mild corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons frivolously packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup softened unsalted butter

This recipe makes use of quick-cooking oats. Rolled oats may also work, however do NOT use prompt oats.

I like including sliced almonds into the crust/crumb combination. If you’re allergic to nuts, be at liberty to go away these out.

If you happen to don’t need to use corn syrup, honey would work simply effective on this recipe.

Ensure your butter is softened earlier than you begin mixing the crust. If you happen to neglect to set it out forward of time, take a look at my submit on how you can soften butter rapidly.

For the cheesecake filling, you have to:

• 8 ounces softened cream cheese
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 giant room-temperature egg
• ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup cherry preserves

Just like the butter for the crust, ensure that the cream cheese is softened to make the smoothest filling. Try my suggestions for softening cream cheese rapidly.

Bonne Maman are my favourite fruit preserves and are what I like to make use of on this recipe. You can additionally use selfmade cherry jam.

Making these cheesecake bars

Seize your favourite 8×8-inch pan and line it with parchment, then give it a spritz of nonstick spray.

Utilizing a mixer, combine the oats, flour, almonds, cinnamon, corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter till crumbly. Take about 2/3 of the combination and press it into the underside of the ready pan. Put aside the remaining crumb combination.

In a separate bowl with an electrical mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla till clean. Pour this combination over the ready crust.

Microwave the cherry preserves for 5-10 seconds, simply till they’re straightforward to spoon onto the filling.

Drop spoonfuls of the preserves over the cream cheese combination, then use a knife or chopstick to swirl the 2 collectively. 

Sprinkle on the remainder of the crumb combination, then bake at 350°F for 25-Half-hour, or till the middle of the bars is ready.

Enable the cherry cheesecake bars to chill on a wire rack earlier than slicing and serving.

Recipe variations

I feel it’s fairly laborious to beat the mix of cherries, almonds, and cream cheese, however you should use different jam flavors to make these cheesecake bars, too!

Blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, and even peach preserves would all work effectively. You’ll be able to depart in or omit the almonds and almond extract with any of those flavors.

You can even make a citrus model! Omit the cinnamon and almond extract, add some lemon zest to the crust, and use lemon curd as an alternative of the preserves.