I have said it before and I am positive that I will say it again, but this is the best thing I have ever made. Usually, I make something and most people like it, but there are always one or two that aren’t fans. These Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake Bars killed it across the board. My friends and family were raving about this recipe and, honestly, I’m not surprised!
I talked about how much I’m loving roasted berries this summer in this post, but adding them to a creamy cheesecake with a brown butter crust takes them to a whole other level. The crust is extremely simple. Graham crackers, granulated sugar, salt, and brown butter mixed together and baked for 8 minutes to make the crust nice and golden brown. It’s definitely not the star of the show, but it contributes to the overall flavors in incredible ways.
The strawberries are cut up and tossed in sugar, then roasted for 20-25 minutes until they are nice and soft and the liquid they release has started to thicken. The cheesecake mixture is simple, but so rich and creamy. The brown butter crust, cheesecake filling, and roasted strawberries come together to make my new favorite dessert. One I am sure will quickly jump to the top of your list, too!
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For in-depth “whys” and “howtos”, skip to the end of this post!
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Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For Strawberries:
- 1 pound fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
For Crust:
- 5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter
- 8 graham cracker sheets finely crushed
- 4 tablespoons (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For Cheesecake:
- 3 packages (681 grams) cream cheese room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup (297 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (75 grams) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
For Strawberries:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F). Have a pie plate or shallow baking dish ready.
- Cut the tops of the strawberries off and cut the strawberries into quarters. Place in the prepared dish.
- Sprinkle the sugar over the strawberries and stir to coat all of the strawberries.
- Roast the strawberries for 20-25 minutes or until the strawberries are softened and the liquid is thickened. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
For Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F). Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper or foil. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. The butter will start to foam and you will see orangey-brown bits form at the bottom of the pan. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add the crushed graham crackers, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of prepared pan.
- Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool completely.
For Cheesecake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together on low speed until fully combined and smooth.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions.
- Add the heavy cream and vanilla. Mix until fully combined.
- Gently pour the cheesecake filling into the crust. Spoon the roasted strawberries and the thickened juice on top of the filling. Use a butter knife to swirl the strawberries into the filling.
- Bake the cheesecake bars for 30-40 minutes or until the filling is set, but still a bit jiggly in the center.
- Remove the bars from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Transfer to the fridge until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, cut the cheesecake into 9 equal bars.
Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Roasted Strawberries
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F). Have a pie plate (I used this one) or shallow baking dish ready.
- Cut the tops of the strawberries off and cut the strawberries into quarters. Place in the prepared dish.
- Sprinkle the sugar over the strawberries and stir to coat all of the strawberries. The sugar will add sweetness and help to draw the liquid out of the berries.
- Roast the strawberries for 20-25 minutes or until the strawberries are softened and the liquid is thickened. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Brown Butter Crust
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F). Line an 8×8 pan (I used this one) with parchment paper or foil. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan (I used this one). The butter will start to foam and you will see orangey-brown bits form at the bottom of the pan. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add the crushed graham crackers, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of prepared pan. It can help to use a cup to press the crumbs tightly.
- Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Cheesecake Filling
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (I have this one) or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together on low speed until fully combined and smooth. You don’t want to beat the mixture at a high speed and add too much air into it.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions.
- Add the heavy cream and vanilla. Mix until fully combined.
- Gently pour the cheesecake filling into the crust. Spoon the roasted strawberries and the thickened juice on top of the filling. Use a butter knife to swirl the strawberries into the filling.
- Bake the cheesecake bars for 30-40 minutes or until the filling is set, but still a bit jiggly in the center.
- Remove the bars from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Transfer to the fridge until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, cut the cheesecake into 9 equal bars.
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Hannah Mars says
July 11, 2020 at 9:33 amYet again, another GREAT recipe by Ellie!! I am obsessed with these bars! Sooo good and creamy and flavorful. Will absolutely make them again! Next time I do, I will make it in a 9×13. Maybe that will slow me down from eating the whole pan on one day. 😂😋
Marie says
December 25, 2020 at 12:37 pmMade these last night for a holiDay dinner. They are aMazing! The texture is creamg without being overly sweet, and the Roasted strAwbeRries gives These bars great flavor. I did have to Bake them for lOnger than the Recipe indicateS, but that may be because my oven is off. I’ll maKe these again. THanks!