Cranberry Cheesecake Bars

A stack of two pieces of cranberry cheesecake with cranberry sauce swirled throughout, and the top is topped with whipped cream and a candied cranberry.

These Cranberry Cheesecake Bars feature my favorite, tested for years, creamy cheesecake base, with the best buttery graham cracker crust, and a tangy swirl of cranberry sauce. Each bite is smooth, sweet, and a little tangy, with beautiful cranberry swirls that add a nice pop of color and flavor! These bars are so beautiful topped with whipped cream, and candied cranberries, making them perfect for parties or when you need a special dessert!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, USA

Keyword: cheesecake bars, cranberry, cranberry cheesecake bars

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 45

Chilling Time: 2

Total Time: 3

Servings:

Calories: 371kcal

Ingredients

For the Cranberry Sauce:

1 1/2 cups Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Water
1/2 TBS Cornstarch

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (about 12 cracker sheets)
2 TBS Granulated Sugar
6 TBS Unsalted Butter (melted)

For the Cheesecake Filling:

16 oz Cream Cheese (Two blocks, softened)
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup Sour Cream (Room Temperature)
2 large Eggs
1/2 TBS Vanilla Extract
1 pinch Salt

For Serving:

2 cups Whipped Cream
1/2 cup Candied Cranberries
Fresh rosemary (for garnishing)

Instructions

For the Cranberry Sauce:

Add the cranberries, sugar, water, and cornstarch to a small pot over medium heat. Stir frequently while cooking until the cranberries burst and the sauce starts to thicken. 1 1/2 cups Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar, 1/2 cup Water, 1/2 TBS Cornstarch
Remove from the heat and press the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove the skins and some of the seeds. Set the sauce aside to cool.

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
Add the graham cracker crumbs and sugar to a medium bowl and whisk them together. 1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs, 2 TBS Granulated Sugar
Pour the melted butter over the top and stir together until you have a crumbly mixture. 6 TBS Unsalted Butter
Pour the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan and spread it to the edges of the pan evenly. Press it down with a spatula or the bottom of a greased cup.
Bake the crust for about 8 to 10 minutes until golden and fragrant. Let it cool for about 20 minutes.

For the Cheesecake Filling:

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until it is smooth. 16 oz Cream Cheese
Add the sugar, and sour cream and mix for about 2 minutes until nice and smooth. 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar, 1/4 cup Sour Cream
Add in the eggs, one at a time and the vanilla extract, and salt and mix at low speed until just combined. 2 large Eggs, 1/2 TBS Vanilla Extract, 1 pinch Salt
Pour half of the cheesecake mixture into the prepared pan and spread it evenly to the edges.
Spoon half of the cranberry sauce over the cheesecake filling.
Spoon the remaining cheesecake filling over the top. Then add remaining cranberry sauce, drizzled over the top.
Use a toothpick or butter knife to gently marble the cranberry sauce on the top of the cheesecake, going both directions.
Bake the cheesecake for for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is slightly jiggly.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Then place it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, up to 3 days.

For Serving:

Add a dollop of Whipped Cream on top of each slice of cheesecake. 2 cups Whipped Cream
Top each piece with a couple fresh cranberries, and a sprig of rosemary if desired. 1/2 cup Candied Cranberries, Fresh rosemary

Notes

Line your Pan: Line your pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil to make the bars easy to remove, and easier to cut into nice even slices.
Softened Ingredients: Let the cream cheese, sour cream and eggs sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before mixing into the filling to avoid lumps, and ensure everything mixes together nicely.
Don’t Over Bake: These cheesecake bars will be slightly jiggly in the center when they are done baking, they will keep cooking in the pan after they are removed from the oven. If the cheesecake is loose or jiggles a lot then the bars are not done, and bake a little longer. Do not bake until the cheesecake is fully set in the oven.
Add Orange: If you like cranberry and orange together like I do, you can add about 1 TBS of orange zest to the cheesecake filling, or cranberry sauce.

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