Gluten-Free Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
A scrumptious gluten-free dessert! A graham cracker crust + a creamy and luscious lemony cheesecake + juicy, jammy blueberries swirled on top. Unbelievably delicious and almost too pretty to eat, they are EASY to make and easy to serve, making them a great alternative to regular cheesecake, and a perfect summer dessert!
Servings: 16 bars
Ingredients
Homemade Blueberry Jam
- 2 cups fresh blueberries (about 1 pint), rinsed, any stems removed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1½ cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs we used 1 5.6oz box Schar Gluten-Free Honeygrams,(amazon affiliate link) finely ground using a food processor -- sometimes it's just less than 1 1/2 cups and that's fine.
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter or dairy-free butter, melted
- 1 large egg white
Cheesecake Layer
- 2 8oz bars cream cheese or dairy-free cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons milk or dairy-free milk
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest packed (about one lemon)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Homemade Blueberry Jam (make first so that it can cool and thicken)
- Add all ingredients into a small saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer another 10 minutes until thick. Some of the blueberries will naturally break apart, feel free to use the back of a spatula to smush more as desired. Remove from heat and set aside. Makes 1 cup and will thicken as it cools.
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper so that it is hanging over or tucked into pan. Set aside.
- Add graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter and egg white to a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined and "moist". (I used a stand mixer but should mix well by hand). Add mixture to lined baking pan and gently press evenly into the pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Cheesecake Layer
- While the graham cracker crust bakes, place cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, blend until very smooth.
- Add eggs, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix until combined, scrapping down the sides and base of bowl at least once before then mixing 1-2 minutes until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
- Pour mixture onto warm and baked crust in pan. Use a spatula to smooth the top or put on oven mitts and gently rock the pan from side to side. (remember the pan will still be HOT)
Blueberry Topping
- Using a spoon, drop several spoonfuls of the cooled blueberry jam across the cheesecake. (the jam will have thickened so give it a good stir with a spoon beforehand as necessary). Then using the back of a butter knife, gently swirling the jam into the top of the cheesecake. The knife should just barely grab the cheesecake filling. Continue spooning and swirling the jam on top of the cheesecake until it is all added. There is no right or wrong here, have fun with it!
Bake
- Bake 30 minutes, then cover loosely with foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until set (filling should jiggle only slightly when pan is gently shaken).
- Cool completely in pan. Cover pan loosely with wax paper and chill until firm --about 2 hours or longer.
- After chilling the bars, gently lift the parchment paper and squares from the pan. Gently pull parchment paper away from sides. Cut into 16 square. Pro tip: for the cleanest cuts, use a sharp knife run under hot water and clean the knife as needed between cuts.
- Serve and enjoy! Store in the refrigerator in a sealed or covered container for 2-3 days.
Tried this recipe?Mention @HealthyGFFamily or tag #HealthyGFFamily!
