Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

These Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars pair a buttery graham cracker crust with creamy lemon cheesecake and a homemade raspberry swirl. Baked in a 9-inch square pan, they chill into clean, sliceable cheesecake bars with bright lemon flavor and tart raspberry ribbons in every bite.

Cheesecake bars are one of my favorite ways to make cheesecake feel a little more casual.

You still get the buttery graham cracker crust. You still get the creamy, rich filling. You still get the “please chill completely before slicing” part, because cheesecake is cheesecake and it likes to make us wait.

But instead of a tall, full-size cheesecake, these bake in a 9-inch square pan and slice into neat little bars.

And sometimes, bars just make more sense. They’re easier to pack up, easier to transport, and much easier to serve when you don’t want to stand there cutting thin wedges of cheesecake while everyone politely pretends they’re not impatiently waiting for dessert.

This version has a lemon cheesecake filling made with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, so the lemon flavor comes through without making the filling too sharp.

A quick raspberry sauce gets swirled over the top before baking, which gives these bars those pretty ribbons of raspberry.

The result is creamy, bright, and just tart enough to balance all that cream cheese. Basically, lemon raspberry cheesecake in a much easier-to-share form.