New York Cheesecake Bars

Classic New York Cheesecake Bars are always AMAZING. With these foolproof instructions, you will be able to make these bars easily. The result is an incredibly delicious treat.

Ingredients

For this cheesecake recipe:

• Graham Cracker Crumbs. You can crush them yourself in a food processor or in a large ziplock bag and a rolling pin, OR you can buy pre-made crushed graham cracker crumbs.
• Granulated Sugar. The sugar will be used in the crust and in the cheesecake filling.
• Unsalted Butter. You'll need melted butter to bind the crust ingredients together.
• Cream Cheese. Trust me when I say the cream cheese MUST be completely softened to room temperature, but not liquidy soft. To bring your cream cheese to room temperature quickly you can place the foil-wrapped blocks of cream cheese in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes, but be careful you don't want to get it too warm.
• Salt. Just a bit helps balance all the other ingredients' flavor profiles.
• Sour Cream. Use full-fat sour cream that has been brought to room temperature. You could also get away with using full-fat Greek Yogurt.
• Lemon Juice. Just a little bit of fresh lemon brightens up the cheesecake bars.
• Pure Vanilla Extract. Just a little bit of vanilla warms the flavor of the bars.
• Large Eggs. The eggs provide structure, fat, color, and richness to the bars. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature so they properly incorporate into the batter.

You can top these bars with all kinds of delicious things like my Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe or Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce. Or try store-bought caramel or chocolate sauce, lemon curd, mini chocolate chips, or fresh fruit -- the options are endless!

For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and line a 9-inch X 13-inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil so that it overhangs on the sides and grease with non-stick baking spray. I have a 9X13 pan with a removable bottom that is perfect for this recipe linked in the recipe card below.

In a small bowl combine crushed graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar. Once evenly combined add melted butter to the crumbs.

Check out all my cheesecake baking tips here.

Mix until a wet sand texture is formed.

Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the graham cracker crust for 5-8 minutes to set the crust. Let cool on a wire rack and reduce oven temperature to 300F/ 149C.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer beat the cream cheese for 3 minutes at low speed. It should be smooth with no lumps.

Add the granulated sugar and salt then beat for another 2 minutes on low speed.

Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract- mixing until fully combined. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly combined.

Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly combined, this helps create a smooth creamy New York cheesecake bar.

Add the final two egg yolks together. You should have a creamy batter with no lumps and no signs of egg yolk. Pour into the prepared pan and gently tap on the counter to encourage any air bubbles to come to the top, use a toothpick to pop any bubbles. 

Place the cheesecake bars in the oven on the middle rack then place a large pan filled with hot water on the bottom rack, this helps create a steamy, moist environment for the cheesecake to bake in. Which helps prevent cracks. 

Bake for 35- 40 minutes, the middle 2-3 inches of the cheesecake should jiggle just a little bit. I like to use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature is 150F-155F or  65C-68C but be careful when you poke as if you are not covering the top in whipped cream you will see the mark.

Turn the oven off and open the door but let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour then cool it on a wire rack for another hour. Then wrap the cheesecake with plastic wrap. Let chill in the fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours.

If you used a pan with a removable bottom then you can easily remove the bars from the pan or use the parchment paper overhang to help you remove them from the pan. Slice and add a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top of each bar if desired.

Use a sharp knife to cut the bars, I like to make one cut and then wipe the knife clean so that I can get clean edges on all of my cheesecake bars.

Store leftovers New York cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How to freeze

These cheesecake bars can be frozen. To freeze the bars bake them and let them cool then chill them completely- they need to be set up properly before freezing. Then cut the cheesecake into the sizes you want and wrap each piece in plastic wrap tightly twice, then place it in a freezer-safe bag. This helps prevent freezer burn.

To thaw frozen cheesecake bars transfer them to the refrigerator to thaw overnight or at least a few hours depending on how large the slices you cut are.

More cheesecake recipe ideas

Lemon and blueberries are a match made in heaven in this lemon blueberry cheesecake recipe.

This salted caramel cheesecake recipe is a family favorite, it's so creamy and delicious!

The best mash-up has got to be this cinnamon roll cheesecake- so so good!

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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Recipe Card

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