• Home
  • Recipes
    • Crock Pot Recipes
    • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Mac & Cheese Recipes
  • Crafts & DIY
    • Letter of the Week
    • Printables
  • Holidays
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Elf on the Shelf
    • New Year’s Eve
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Father’s Day
    • 4th of July
    • Back to School
    • Halloween
  • Cleaning
  • Family Life
    • Jokes & Riddles
    • Pet Life
↑
  • Houston TEXAS Mom BLOG
  • About
    • Advertising
    • Compensated Campaigns
    • Twitter Parties
    • Review/Giveaway Policies
    • Brand Ambassador
    • Ambassadorships & Affiliations
  • Email Us
  • Privacy Policy
subscribe to the latest sign up

The Simple Parent

Easy Ideas for Busy Parents | Houston Texas Mom Blog

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Crock Pot Recipes
    • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Mac & Cheese Recipes
  • Crafts & DIY
    • Letter of the Week
    • Printables
  • Holidays
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Elf on the Shelf
    • New Year’s Eve
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Father’s Day
    • 4th of July
    • Back to School
    • Halloween
  • Cleaning
  • Family Life
    • Jokes & Riddles
    • Pet Life
get all the latest tips, articles and more!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

    Home » Family Life » Cheesecake Bars

    Cheesecake Bars

    Family Life

    This post may contain affiliate links view our disclosure
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars are easy to make. They’re nice and creamy with a delicious graham cracker crust. If you want an easy way to serve homemade cheesecake, this recipe has you covered!

    Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars may have been discontinued but you can still enjoy the homemade version!

    Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars on wooden cutting board

    Philadephia Cheesecake Bars

    MORE ABOUT THIS RECIPE show
    1 Philadephia Cheesecake Bars
    2 Ingredients for Cheesecake Bites
    3 How to Make Cheesecake Bars Recipe
    4 STORING & FREEZING
    5 Recipe FAQs
    6 Cheesecake Variations
    7 Tips & Tricks
    8 More Easy Desserts You’ll Love
    9 Cheesecake Bars

    This recipe makes a classic batch of cheesecake bites that you can top with your favorite cheesecake toppings to customize! It’s a great cheesecake recipe for a crowd, making it perfect for entertaining.

    You’ll love this recipe because it’s so much easier to make than cheesecake and you don’t need a water bath! Desserts are always popular during the holidays, so having simple recipes on hand is important.

    Graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in mixing bowl

    Ingredients for Cheesecake Bites

    The ingredient list for this recipe is pretty easy! It takes about 15 minutes to prep these cheesecake bars and then 40 minutes of baking time before cooling.

    You’ll need:

    • 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (You will need about 12 full sheets of graham crackers if making your own crumbs)
    • ¼ cup butter, melted
    • 2 8-ounce packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened (You can use any brand of block cream cheese)
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 large eggs

    You can also top these with a variety of toppings to change the flavor. Scroll down for variation suggestions.

    How to Make Cheesecake Bars Recipe

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. (For thinner bars, use a 9×9 baking pan.)

    If you need to make your graham cracker crumbs you can use a food processor or place them in a zipper bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.

    Combine the graham crumbs and melted butter in a bowl until the ingredients begin to stick together.

    Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

    Butter and eggs in white mixing bowl

    Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs with an electric mixer until blended.

    Pour the cheesecake filling over the crust in the baking pan.

    Cheesecake filling in glass baking pan

    Bake for 40 minutes or until the center is almost set.

    Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 3 hours.

    Baked cheesecake in a glass pan

    Use a sharp knife to slice and serve. Cut into sixteen small bars.

    You can cut your bites to your preferred size. For larger groups, cut them into smaller bite-sized pieces!

    STORING & FREEZING

    Should you refrigerate cheesecake bars?

    Yes, after cooling, the cheesecake needs to be refrigerated to set completely. 

    To preserve the freshness and flavor, you should serve them within three days of refrigerating. They are best within a day or two.

    Once they’ve been sliced, store them in an airtight container.

    How long can cheesecake bars sit out?

    Don’t leave your bars out for more than two hours. If they’re going to set out for longer than that, put them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve them. 

    Classic Cheesecake Bars on wood cutting board

    Can you freeze cheesecake bars?

    These can be frozen once they have cooled completely. Wrap the pan tightly in a layer of foil and then plastic wrap before putting it in the freezer. 

    You can store them in the freezer for 2-3 months. When you’re ready to use them, thaw them completely and then cut them before serving.

    Recipe FAQs

    How do you tell if cheesecake bars are done?

    After baking, the filling should be set but slightly jiggle in the center. This is the best way to check because it won’t mess up the surface of the dessert.

    You can also touch the top of the center very gently. If it’s firm with a little bit of give, it is done.

    Using a thermometer, check the temperature of the filling about 1″ from the edge. You want it to be 150°F. This will leave a hole in your cheesecake though!

    How do you cleanly cut a cheesecake bar?

    Starting with chilled cheesecake is the most important.

    I recommend using a large kitchen knife.

    Get a bowl of hot water. Dip your knife in the water then wipe it clean on a cloth before each cut. This will prevent any cheesecake from one slice from getting on the next slice.

    If your cheesecake starts to get too warm, stop cutting it and put it back in the refrigerator to chill again. If it gets too soft, it will be a mess to cut.

    Can I make these ahead of time?

    Yes, you can make these up to two days before serving.

    Cheesecake Variations

    You can serve these as classic cheesecake bars or tweak this recipe with a variety of different flavors.

    • Top with whipped cream and fresh fruit – fresh berries are easy toppings.
    • Use fruit spread as the top layer – strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry are delicious!
    • Drizzle with chocolate or caramel sauce.
    • Like salty and sweet? Try a caramel drizzle with pretzel crumbs!
    • Try chocolate, peanut butter, or caramel chips on top.
    • You can also top these with your favorite chopped nuts.

    For some delicious combos, try pairing chocolate and strawberries together. I highly recommend chocolate, caramel, and nuts too!

    Tips & Tricks

    • Do not overbake your cheesecake! It can lead to cracks in the cake and change the texture a bit.
    • Line the pan with parchment paper and leave a bit of an overhang on the sides. This will allow you to lift the cheesecake out of the pan once it’s chilled. These are easier to slice when out of the pan.

    More Easy Desserts You’ll Love

    If you’re looking for more easy dessert recipes, try making Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip! It’s a twist on holiday cheesecake that you can make in minutes!

    Snickerdoodle Mug Cake is another easy recipe that you can make in minutes! If you’re up for more baking, try Cake Mix Banana Bread too!

    Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars on wooden cutting board
    print recipe pin recipe

    Cheesecake Bars

    Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars are delicious and easy to make! Perfect for entertaining!
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time40 mins
    Cooling Time3 hrs
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 285

    Ingredients

    • 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
    • ¼ cup butter (melted)
    • 2 8 oz packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened)
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla
    • 2 large eggs

    Instructions

    • Heat oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
    • Combine the graham crumbs and melted butter until the ingredients begin to stick together.
    • Press the crust ingredients onto the bottom of the pan.
    • Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs with a mixer until blended.
    • Pour the cheesecake mixture over the crust.
    • Bake for 40 minutes or until center is almost set.
    • Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 3 hours before slicing and serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 285 kcal

    Cream Cheese Cheesecake Bites

    • Share
    • Pin


    Have questions or comments about this post? Please join us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let's chat about it!

    Filed Under: Family Life

    About Mariah

    Mariah is the mom of 2 and a former educator (preschool - 4th grade & special education) with a degree in human development. As a busy mom living in with a multi-generational family under one roof (with 4 dogs!), life is sometimes chaotic! She aims to share easy ideas that we can all use in our lives! Read more about Mariah!

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Welcome!

    Subscribe

    the latest tips, articles and more!

    Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

      get all the latest tips, articles and more!

      Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

        HomeaboutHouston Mom BlogPrivacy Policy
        Copyright ©2023, The Simple Parent. All Rights Reserved. Design by Pixel Me Designs