Description
Strawberry shortcake cheesecake bars are a decadent layered dessert featuring a buttery shortcake crust, silky cheesecake filling, juicy strawberries, and a crunchy crumble topping. They offer a luxurious blend of textures and flavors, perfect for summer gatherings, festive holidays, or year-round indulgence. The recipe is simple, adaptable, and can be customized for gluten-free, dairy-free, low-sugar, vegan, nut-free, or low-carb diets.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortcake Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ cup melted unsalted butter
Cheesecake Filling
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Strawberry Layer
- 2 cups diced strawberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Crumble Topping
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang.
- Whisk flour, sugar, and salt for the crust. Stir in melted butter until mixture resembles damp sand.
- Press crust into pan and bake 10–12 minutes until just set; keep oven on.
- Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time. Blend in sour cream, vanilla, and lemon juice.
- In another bowl, toss strawberries with sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest.
- Pour cheesecake batter over the warm crust and smooth the top.
- Spoon strawberry mixture evenly over the batter.
- For crumble: combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add melted butter and vanilla; mix until clumps form.
- Sprinkle crumble evenly over the strawberries.
- Bake 28–35 minutes, until edges are set and the center jiggles slightly.
- Cool completely, then chill at least 3 hours before cutting.
- Lift out using parchment, slice into 16 bars, and serve chilled.
Notes
- Use room-temperature ingredients for smooth cheesecake texture.
- Avoid overmixing the cheesecake batter to prevent cracking.
- Chill fully before slicing for clean cuts.
- Customize with spices (cinnamon, cardamom), mixed berries, or low-sugar alternatives.
- Vegan options include dairy-free cream cheese, plant-based butter, and flax eggs.
- Store chilled up to 4 days or freeze up to 1 month (wrapped individually).
- Thaw overnight; do not microwave to maintain texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: ~235
- Sugar: ~18 g
- Sodium: ~135 mg
- Fat: ~13 g
- Saturated Fat: ~8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ~4 g
- Trans Fat: ~0 g
- Carbohydrates: ~26 g
- Fiber: ~1 g
- Protein: ~3 g
- Cholesterol: ~55 mg