These Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars are part cheesecake, part crumb bar-rich, fruity, and buttery. They come together in about an hour with a simple shortbread crust, creamy filling, sweet blueberries, and a golden crumble topping.
No water bath, no springform pan-just pantry staples and easy steps. Use fresh or frozen berries and enjoy these for brunch, potlucks, or whenever you need a slice-and-snack treat.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- â¤ď¸ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- đŤIngredients You'll Need
- đ¨âđł Quick Overview: Making Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars
- đ¤ Ingredient Variations & Flavor Options
- đ Pro Tips for Perfect Bars
- âď¸ How to Scale This Recipe (Half, Full, or Double)
- 𼣠More Blueberry Recipes to Try
- âď¸ How to Store and Freeze
- âFAQs
- đThe Recipe Card
Featured Comment by Becky:
"Great recipe! Combines two favorites - blueberry crumb bars and blueberry cream cheese bars."
â¤ď¸ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Cheesecake meets crumb bar - All the flavor without the hassle.
- Fresh or frozen berries - Works with what you've got.
- Beginner-friendly - No water bath, no fancy pans, just simple steps.
- Freezes well - Great for make-ahead treats or gifting.
- Easy to scale - Make it small-batch or party-sized with the same recipe.
đŤIngredients You'll Need
- Blueberry Filling-blueberries (fresh preferred or frozen), sugar, cornstarch
- Cream Cheese Filling-cream cheese (full fat preferred), sugar, egg
- Crust and Crumble Topping-flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, egg, butter (cold)
đ¨âđł Quick Overview: Making Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars
1. Make the Shortbread Crust and Crumble Topping
Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and egg.
Add the cold butter and cut it in until the mixture is crumbly.
Press half of the mixture into a buttered baking dish and bake at 375°F for 8 minutes.
2. Prepare the Blueberry Filling
Clean and dry the blueberries. Toss with sugar and cornstarch.
3. Make the Cream Cheese Filling
Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and egg until smooth with a hand mixer.
4. Assemble and Bake
Layer the cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust, then add the blueberries and the remaining crumble.
Bake until golden-about 40 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting.
đ Scroll down for the printable recipe card and step-by-step photos-or keep reading for pro tips, scaling, and storage info.
đ¤ Ingredient Variations & Flavor Options
- Use other fruit - Try cherries, blackberries, raspberries, apples, peaches, or a mixed blend. Frozen works too. You can also swap in canned pie filling for a shortcut.
- Boost the filling flavor - Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture.
- Spice it up - Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to the crumble topping.
- Use brown sugar - Replace half the white sugar in the crust and topping with brown sugar for a deeper flavor.
đ Pro Tips for Perfect Bars
- Use cold butter - It keeps the crumble texture crumbly. Don't soften it.
- Room temp cream cheese mixes better - Let it sit out for 30-60 minutes if you have time.
- Using frozen berries? Do not thaw first, but add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch to handle the extra liquid.
- Add parchment if sticking is a problem - Butter the pan well, but parchment on the bottom guarantees easy lifting.
- Let them chill before cutting - Two hours in the fridge helps them firm up for clean cuts.
- Adjust sugar to taste - Scale it back if your fruit is very sweet.
- Want it cheesecake-style? Use an 8- to 9-inch springform pan and serve it as a whole round dessert.
âď¸ How to Scale This Recipe (Half, Full, or Double)
Use the recipe card to adjust the servings number, but remember: only the ingredient list updates automatically-not the instructions.
- Half Recipe
- Use an egg white instead of half an egg.
- Bake time will be a bit shorter-watch the color.
- Pan size is tricky: you'll need something at least 1 inch deep and about 25-30 square inches in surface area. A 6-inch round dish or small rectangular baker can work.
- Full Recipe
- Fits in an 8x8, 9x9, or 9-inch round baking pan.
- Standard bake time applies.
- Double Recipe
- Use a 9x13-inch cake pan.
- Bake time will be a little longer-go by color and set center, not the timer.
Always bake until the top is golden and the center looks set. Trust your eyes more than the clock.
𼣠More Blueberry Recipes to Try
If you like these bars, you'll love these other reader favorites:
- Baked Blueberry Pancakes
- Blueberry Cobbler
- Blueberry Muffins
- Blueberry Crumb Pie
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
For other bar recipes, try Cheesecake Bars, Lemon Bar Recipe, and Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars.
âď¸ How to Store and Freeze
Refrigerate - Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not leave at room temperature-cream cheese filling isn't food-safe unrefrigerated.
Freeze - Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
âFAQs
Butter the pan generously. For extra insurance, line the bottom with parchment paper-it makes lifting and cleanup easier.
Chill the bars for at least 2 hours. Use a long, sharp knife and wipe or rinse it clean between cuts for tidy slices.
Yes. Any fruit filling-blueberry, cherry, apple, or peach-will work. Just skip the sugar and cornstarch step when using canned filling. One standard can is usually enough.
Absolutely. They keep well refrigerated for a few days and freeze great for up to 3 months. Perfect for prepping ahead of time.
đThe Recipe Card
lueberry Cream Cheese Bars (Easy with Crumble Topping)
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- ž cup sugar
- 1 stick butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Âź teaspoon salt
- 1 pint blueberries - fresh or frozen
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoon corn starch - increase to 3 teaspoons if frozen berries
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the Shortbread Crust and Crumble Topping
- Preheat oven to 375° conventional, not convection. Coat an 8X8 baking dish with butter.
- Mix 2 cups of flour, ž cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, Ÿ teaspoon of salt, and 1 egg.
- Cut the cold butter into the mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until it is crumbly. A food processor may be used.
- Press half of the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake at 375°F for 8 minutes.
Prepare the Blueberry Filling
- While the base is baking, clean and dry 1 pint of fresh blueberries. Add 2 teaspoons cornstarch and ½ cup sugar, and stir to coat. You may use frozen blueberries, but increase the cornstarch to 3 teaspoons.
Make the Cream Cheese Filling
- Beat 8 oz of cream cheese, ½ cup sugar, and 1 egg with a hand mixer until smooth.
Assemble and Bake
- Layer the cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust, then top with blueberries and the remaining crumble.
- Bake until nicely browned-about 40 minutes. Cool in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours before cutting.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This recipe is for an 8X8, 9X9, or 9-inch round baking dish. Please refer to the discussion in the post for instructions on adjusting the recipe size and pan sizes.
- If you want to use it as a whole cheesecake, use an 8 or 9-inch springform pan.
- Options and variations are in the post.Â
- My serving size is about 2X2, but it varies according to your needs.
- Be sure to refrigerate for 2 hours before cutting.
- Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It will be good frozen for 3 months.
- Do not store cream cheese bars at room temperature-they must be refrigerated.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published September 7, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
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Elaine Perea says
I wanted to let you know that I made these in muffin tins. I used jumbo liners so the paper was higher than the edge of the tins. Worked out well, and tidy for a camping trip! I only had one egg, so I used a "flax egg" in the crust, and it set up well. Thanks for a great recipe!
Becky says
Great recipe! Combines two favorites - blueberry crumb bars and blueberry cream cheese bars. I beat the egg with a bit of vanilla before adding it to the crust and a bit in the cream cheese. Also use half brown sugar in crust and add a dash of cinnamon. Delicious!
DrDan says
I love crumble toppings. While this recipe was a bit more work than normal for me, it is well worth it. Also, I'm a lot faster doing it when I don't take pictures.
Thanks so the note.
Dan
Leslie says
I made these with a few modifications, added 1/4 tsp of almond flavoring to the base/topping mixture & mixed approx 1/3 cup of blanched chopped almonds with the topping part of mixture. Also, added 1 tsp of lemon zest and 1 tsp of lemon juice with blue berry mixture and 1 tsp of vanilla flavoring with the cream cheese mixture.
Good luck with your changes at work, hope to see some old favorite recipes and new ones soon. Thanks again for all your recipes