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Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake Bars

UPDATED with video! Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake Bars. A very festive and super easy to make, cheesecake cookie bar recipe. One of our most popular cookie bar recipes ever. Perfect for the Holiday freezer.

Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake bars featured image

Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake Bars

Here’s another very simple recipe to add to our growing collection of cookies, squares and bars. Creamy cheesecake sits atop a cookie base.

The bright red cherries add flavour and a festive look to these delicious little squares.

The cheesecake portion is quite dense and holds up well to freezing. That makes them a terrific addition to your Holiday baking list too.

Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake Bars close up photo

Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake Bars

UPDATE : Cheesecake and cheesecake related recipes have been very popular on Rock recipes from the beginning. Click this Cheesecake Link if you dare to see several pages of cheesecake indulgences that we have featured over the years. 

Top Ten Cheesecake Recipes photo collage with title text added for Pinterest

 

These cheesecake squares have been a particular hit, ending up on our list of our 25 most popular recipes on our 7th Anniversary. Maybe it’s because they turn out so pretty. Or that  they are easy even for a beginner baker. Maybe that they are a great way to portion control.  Perhaps that they freeze well for later, or…well, it starts to become obvious why they are so popular, doesn’t it?

Red Glacé Cherries for Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake Bars, pictured in a glass bowl.

Red Glacé Cherries for Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake Bars.

If this is your kind of cookie bar recipe then, you might want to try our Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Bars.

…or our incredibly popular Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars photo with title text overlay

Like this Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake Bars recipe?

Be sure to browse the photo index of over 200 cookies and cookie bar recipe is in our expansive Cookies Category.

It’s easy to keep up with the latest home style cooking & baking ideas from Rock Recipes. Be sure to follow Rock Recipes Facebook Page and follow us on Instagram

Plus you’ll see daily recipe suggestions from decadent desserts to quick delicious weekday meals too. 

Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake Bars image with title text for Pinterest

Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake Bars

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Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake bars featured image
Yield: 18 large cookie bars

Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake Bars

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake Bars – a very festive and easy cheesecake cookie bar recipe. One of our most popular cookie bar recipes ever.

Ingredients

FOR THE BASE & CRUMB TOPPING

  • 1½ cups flour
  • ⅓ cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup cold butter

FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING

  • 1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅔ cup glace cherries, , cut in quarters (well drained maraschino cherries will also work, I rinse them and drain them on paper towels before cutting them)

Instructions

  1. In a food processor pulse together the flour, brown sugar and butter until crumbly (or simply cut the butter through the flour and sugar with a pastry knife or two butter knives held between your fingers)
  2. Save a ½ cup of this crumble mixture to sprinkle over the top later.
  3. Press the rest of the crumble mixture into the bottom of a greased or parchment lined 8x8 inch square baking pan.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes while preparing the cheesecake filling.
  5. Beat together the cream cheese, white sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract until smooth.
  6. Beat in the egg.
  7. Fold in the chopped cherries.
  8. Spread the cheesecake mixture evenly onto the pre-baked cookie base and sprinkle the reserved cookie crumble over the surface.
  9. Bake at 325 degrees F for 20 - 30 minutes or until the cheesecake is set at the centre.
  10. Let cool completely in the pan before cutting and serving.
  11. Refrigerate in airtight containers. Freezes well too.

Notes

I've since made this recipe with fresh cherries that have been quartered and they were delicious as well.

Nutrition Information

Yield

18

Serving Size

1 grams

Amount Per Serving Calories 133Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 25mgSodium 56mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 0gSugar 10gProtein 2g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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Corky

Saturday 28th of September 2019

I absolutely love your recipes and having visited your amazing province last year tried some of the scrumptious food. Is there any way you can put nutrition on all your recipes for diabetic diets( carbs and sugar). I am sure others would like also for their specific diets. Happy Anniversary!

Barry C. Parsons

Saturday 5th of October 2019

We do for new recipes and when we update them. It is a manual process so it will take some time to go through all 1700 recipes here.

Amanda

Wednesday 27th of March 2019

I've made these with cherries for my Christmas cookie plate and they were delicious. Last night, I made them with dried apricots and they turned out fantastic. Lots of rave reviews. I did throw in some extra apricots (maybe an extra 1/4 cup chopped), but I love apricots. Will definitely make these again.

Jason

Monday 4th of February 2019

I made these last night and they are amazing. Wondering if you can sub in things like chocolate chips etc...

Barry C. Parsons

Thursday 28th of March 2019

Just got a note from a reader who used apricots!

Debbie Graham

Wednesday 26th of December 2018

Just as Jahyd I too baked these for around 35 minutes. The crust was still hot and I used a glass pan. Love these so much, will be made on a regular basis, not just Xmas!

Debbie Graham

Wednesday 26th of December 2018

I have baked for 50 years and start 2 months before Xmas and bake dozens of recipes. I must say this is now one of our favorites, very delicious, not too sweet, just right. Easy to eat out of hand. I did find I needed to bake them a little longer than it called for, bake just so it is a little jiggly in the center, just a little! Everyone went nuts over these! Have baked quite a few of your recipes and find they are all superior, especially your choc/chip cookies! Once people try some of your recipes it will become their go to site! Thanks for posting and sharing. Not all sites are good, believe me!

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