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cream cheese blueberry recipe
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4.58 from 14 votes

Blueberry Lemon Bliss Cheesecake Bars

Sweet, juicy blueberries are bursting out of these lemon cheesecake shortbread bars! What a perfect combination!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Keyword: bars, blueberry, blueberry filling, cream cheese, lemon, shortbread crust
Servings: 9 large Servings
Calories:
Author: Kim Lange

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

  • 1 ¼ cup butter room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp salt

Blueberry Filling

  • 2 cups blueberries fresh
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Cheesecake Filling

  • 2 8 oz packages cream cheese room temperature
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs

Optional Topping

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray with non-stick spray or line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper.

    Shortbread Crust

    • Combine 1 tablespoon lemon zest with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and using fingers, rub the zest into the sugar to infuse the sugar with lemon.
    • In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and lemon zest on medium speed until well incorporated and creamy.
    • Beat in flour and salt until combined.
    • Press shortbread dough into bottom of prepared pan and bake until edges are golden, 25-30 minutes.

    Blueberry Filling

    • In a medium saucepan, combine blueberries with brown sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, and lemon juice and cook over medium heat, until berries are just soft, 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • After berries are soft, set aside to cool. They should thicken up some.

    Cheesecake Filling

    • Combine 1 tablespoon lemon juice with 1/2 cup sugar and using fingers or fork, mix together to infuse the sugar with lemon.
    • Beat cream cheese with the sugar/lemon mixture and vanilla in a large bowl on medium speed until smooth.
    • Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.

    Putting it all together

    • Dollop cream cheese mixture onto warm crust and spread to make an even layer.
    • Dollop blueberry mixture over top of cream cheese layer and gently use a knife tip through the top to create some random swirls.
    • Bake in oven until filling is set, 30-40 minutes.
    • Let cool and cut into bars, if you can wait that long. :)

    Notes

    Substitutions & Options
    • Fresh Blueberry Options: If you don't want to make the blueberry filling, you could use canned blueberry pie filling, but I would still add in some random fresh blueberries and some lemon zest, for a pop of fresh.
    • If you want thicker cheesecake bars, use an 8x8 pan.