Philadelphia Strawberry Cheesecake Snack Bars Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Philadelphia Strawberry Cheesecake Snack Bars Recipe

Here's a homemade recipe for a beloved, store-bought item - this Philadelphia Strawberry Cheesecake Snack Bars Recipe is creamy, easy and absolutely delicious!

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Plus cooling and chilling time0

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 239kcal

Author: Paige

Ingredients

FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
1½ cups Cinnamon Graham Crackers, crushed About 12 sheets uncrushed
⅓ cup Sugar
6 tablespoons Butter, unsalted, melted
2 8 ounce packages Cream Cheese, full fat
½ cup Sugar, granulated
¼ cup Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 large Eggs, large, room temperature
1½ cups Strawberries, washed and trimmed and cut into ½" inch pieces
½ cup Strawberry Jam or fruit spread
¼ Cup White Chocolate, melted

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 and position the rack to lower middle third of the oven.
Prepare an 8" square non-stick baking pan by spraying with baking spray and then lining it with parchment paper, then spray baking spray over the top
Note: Spraying the bottom of the pan first ensures the paper will stick to the pan.
FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
Crush the graham crackers into crumbs by putting them in a large plastic freezer or ziplock bag and pounding them with a rolling pin until are completely crushed with no chunks remaining. Alternatively, use a food processor.
Add the sugar and melted butter to the crumbs in a large bowl and mix, then lightly press the mixture into the baking pan, pushing an inch or so of the crumbs up the sides of the pan using a small flat bottom jar or glass to make the crumbs even.
Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool while you make the cheese mixture
FOR THE CHEESECAKE MIXTURE
Let the cream cheese soften for 45-60 minutes, then place in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixture until light, fluffy and free of clumps, about 3 minutes.
When the cream cheese is completely smooth, add the sugar, sour cream, vanilla and eggs, and continue to beat until combined and very smooth, 1-2 minutes.
Alternatively, add the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, vanilla and eggs to a food processor and mix until smooth.
Pour the cheese mixture into the cooled graham cracker crust and bake for 35-40 minutes. The middle will still jiggle a little, but it will set up as it cools.
Set aside to cool for 2 hours, then chill the bars covered with plastic wrap for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
FOR THE STRAWBERRIES AND CHOCOLATE
Wash and dry the strawberries, trim the leafy tops and discard. Chop into ½" inch pieces.
In a large bowl, toss gently with the strawberry jam.
For the chocolate, melt it by placing in a heat-proof glass bowl set over simmering water. When it begins to melt, take it off the heat and stir until smooth. (The chocolate will continue to melt as it's stirred).
Spoon the chocolate into a small plastic bag -this is easier to do if you set the bag in a glass jar or drinking glass with the plastic bag folded over the top to secure it in place. Twist the bag up, forcing the chocolate onto one corner of the bag.
Snip the corner off one end of the bag and drizzle the chocolate over each bar.
TO ASSEMBLE
Using a sharp knife with a cup of hot water handy, let the knife warm up in the water, then dry it off with a thick kitchen towel, then slice the bars horizontally. Wipe off the knife, and dip it in the hot water again (and after each slice) to make 12 pieces. You can slice each bar in half if desired to make 24 "bites" instead of bars too.
Spoon a little of the cheesecake out of the center of each bar, and fill with the strawberry mixture.
Drizzle some white chocolate over each bar and serve!

Notes

For best results, don't use non-fat or low fat cream cheese in this recipe
It's best to start this recipe the day before you plan to eat it due to the chilling time needed.
Try using fresh raspberries or other fruit instead of strawberries
Fill the bars with the strawberry sauce the day you plan to serve them
Keep the sauce and bars separate and chilled if there are leftovers - they don't hold well the next day if they are already filled with the strawberry mixture.

For celebration recipe ideas, take a look here!

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