These Cherry Cheesecake Bars are the perfect make-ahead dessert for any occasion! Creamy cheesecake sits atop a homemade graham cracker crust, and is finished off with a generous helping of cherries.

Love cheesecake but not the hassle of making it from scratch? Try these recipes instead! Mini cheesecakes, lemon cheesecake bars, or sopapilla cheesecake bars!

Easy Cherry Cheesecake Bars

I love homemade cheesecake. But sometimes I don’t want to go through the effort of making a regular-sized cheesecake and worrying about water baths, cracking, and all those considerations that come along with traditional cheesecake. These cherry cheesecake bars are super simple to make and are always a crowd pleaser!

The first step in this recipe is to make the crust. You’ll need graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar which get pressed into the bottom of a square pan, then baked until crisp. While the crust is baking, I prepare the filling. Here are the ingredients you’ll need for both:

Ingredient List

The filling is a simple combination of cream cheese, vanilla extract, eggs, sugar and heavy cream. If you don’t have heavy cream on hand, sour cream will also work. The cheesecake bars will need to chill for at least 2 hours, so plan accordingly! You can actually prepare the bars up to 3 days before you plan to serve them, then simply slice and top with cherries right before serving.

Crust:

• Graham Cracker Crumbs: Form the base of the crust.
• Sugar: Sweetens and helps bind the crumbs together once baked.
• Salted Butter: Adds moisture, richness, and also keeps the crust in place. Unsalted butter will also work if that’s all you have on hand. You can add a pinch of salt to the crust mixture separately.

Cheesecake Filling/ Topping:

• Cream Cheese: The star ingredient! This creates the classic rich and creamy cheesecake texture.
• Sugar: Sweetens up the filling.
• Sour Cream: Adds a touch of tang and keeps the filling moist.
• Heavy Cream: Enhances richness and also prevents cracks in the baked cheesecake.
• Eggs: Bind the ingredients and provide structure for a perfect slice!
• Vanilla Extract: Infuses the filling with a hint of sweet, aromatic flavor.
• Cherry Pie Filling: For the topping!

How to Make Cherry Cheesecake Bars

I actually think the trickiest part about this cheesecake bar recipe is cutting the bars into neat squares! The bars are easiest to cut straight from the fridge and when you use a hot knife. (See the tips below!) This recipe makes about 9 larger squares or 12 smaller squares.

1. Preheat Oven, Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1 or 2-inch overhang on either side of the pan, and spray with pan spray.
2. Graham Cracker Mixture: In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter together until it resembles wet sand. 
3. Add to Pan: Firmly press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the crust cool while you prepare the filling for the cherry cheesecake bars.

Cheesecake 

1. Beat Cream Cheese: Add the cream cheese to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer and beat until it is smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
2. Mix In Remaining Ingredients: Add the sugar, sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour the batter over the cooled crust.
3. Bake: Return the pan to the oven and bake for 28-30 minutes, or until the center is set. 
4. Chill: Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
5. Cut: Once chilled, carefully remove the cheesecake bars from the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into 9 or 12 squares, depending on your preference.
6. Add Topping: Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of cherry pie filling over each cheesecake bar and serve.

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