Cherry Cheesecake Bars

Sink your teeth into these light and creamy cherry cheesecake bars, topped with a tangy cherry compote. These bars are the perfect treat when you’re craving something to satisfy your sweet tooth. These cherry cheesecake bars are paired perfectly with a Nilla wafer cookie crust.

Think of these cherry cheesecake bars as a super grab and go friendly snack or dessert. These bars are sure to be a hit at your next potluck. Or if you’re anything like me you’re not making these to share with anyone, no judgement here. Either way these cherry cheesecake bars deserve a spot in your recipe rotation. The cheesecake portion of these bars is ultra creamy, matched with a light and crunchy shortbread crust, and topped with a freshly made cherry compote. Give this recipe a try, thank me later.

The Importance of Room Temperature Ingredients

When taking on the task of making a homemade cheesecake one of the first things that you should do is removing your cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, and any other dairy products needed for this recipe from the refrigerator. If you attempt to make your cheesecake with cold cream cheese you will find that your cheesecake filling is quite lumpy and difficult to mix. My advice, skip the headache, remove these ingredients from the refrigerator ahead of time, give them enough time to come up to room temperature. You will find that your cheesecake batter is much easier to mix and your end product will be a smooth and creamy homemade cheesecake.

Perfecting The Crust

The crust of these cherry cheesecake bars may seem like an afterthought to most but I can assure you a bad crust can undoubtably sabotage an otherwise perfect cheesecake. When it comes to crusts there are many options to choose from however let’s focus on the buttery shortbread crust that we’ve paired with there’s cherry cheesecake bars.

• Use softened butter
• Cream butter and sugar together for 5 to 7 minutes
• Chill dough
• Pierce dough with a fork to allow for even baking

Mixing Slow and Low

When it comes to making cheesecake slow and low is the name of the game. You do not want to over mix your cheesecake filling. Over mixing your cheesecake batter or mixing on a high speed will incorporate too much air into your batter, this can lead to cracks in your cheesecake. When mixing your batter put your mixer on a low speed, be patient, once all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated turn your mixer off.

No Peeking

I know it’s tempting to open the oven door to take a peek at your cheesecake while it’s in there. You may also be tempted to poke at it with a cake tester to check it for doneness. Don’t do it. Sudden fluctuations in temperature and drafts can cause your cheesecake to crack.

Cheesecake is typically done before it looks done, no need to poke it with a tester. You’ll know your cheesecake it done when the edges are set but the center is still soft. Give the pan a little wiggle and if your center gives a slight jiggle you are good to go. Over baking your cheesecake is also a sure fire way to cause cracks on your cheesecake.

Cool it The Right Way

The way you cool your cherry cheesecake bars is just as important as the way you bake your cherry cheesecake bars. Cheesecakes are delicate, sudden changes in temperature can cause cracks to form. The best way to cool your cheesecake is to do it slowly so it has time adjust to the changing temperature.

Turn the oven off once its done baking and crack the oven door open. Let the cherry cheesecake bars cool in the oven for about an hour. After an hour transfer the cheesecake bars to a cooling rack until it comes to room temperature.

Next you’ll want to cover your cheesecake bars tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. This step is important, cheesecake tends to absorb odors from the refrigerator take your time and wrap it correctly. Refrigerate the cheesecake bars overnight for the best results.

Tips For Making The Best Cheesecake Bars

• Preheat oven
• Use full fat dairy ingredients
• Line your pan with parchment paper
• Use an electric mixer (do not mix by hand)
• Run a knife along the sides of the pan during the cooling process
• For clean cuts dip knife in hot water after each cut
• Do not skip any steps
• Be patient

Saving and Storing Leftovers

After all the work that you’ve gone through making these beautiful cherry cheesecake bars you’ll want store your leftovers properly so you can enjoy it in the days ahead. So first and foremost if storing your cheesecake bars in the refrigerator you will need to store it in an air tight container. Cheesecake loves to absorb odors from its environment, so unless you want your cheesecake absorbing any strange refrigerator odors then make sure it’s sealed tight.

Your cherry cheesecake bars will last 5 to 7 days in your refrigerator and about 2 to 3 months in the freezer. If opting to store your cheesecake bars in the freezer you’ll need to pack them in a freezer safe container, wrapping the cherry cheesecake bars in plastic wrap is a sure fire way to make a mess.

From a functionality standpoint you can slice your cheesecake bars before freezing and place a piece of parchment paper between each bar, then store in a freezer safe container. Following this method ensure that you can grab as many pieces as you desire at a time.