Food Recipe Collections & Favorites Desserts Strawberry Cheesecake Bars Be the first to rate & review! For lovers of the salty-sweet combo, these pastel pink cheesecake bars are sure to delight. By Tricia Manzanero Published on March 23, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Victor Protasio Prep Time: 40 mins Total Time: 6 hrs Servings: 15 bars This strawberry cheesecake bars recipe has double the strawberry power thanks to a mix of roasted strawberries and freeze-dried strawberry powder. Roasting strawberries enhances the fruit’s sweetness while the freeze-dried strawberries provide a pleasant tartness and gentle color to the cheesecake mixture. The flavor is reminiscent of strawberries and cream with a salty pretzel crust for extra oomph. Cheesecake bars are faster to bake than many traditional cheesecakes and fuss-free (ahem, no water bath!), plus they’re portable, which makes them a perfect pick for a picnic. Freeze-dried fruits are oddly fun to eat (they melt in your mouth!). They’re also a handy tool for bakers. When ground to a powder and sifted, they add concentrated flavor and subtle color to whipped cream, frosting, pudding, and baked goods. Look for them in the snack aisle at the grocery store. Ingredients 1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and halved (about 3 cups) Cooking spray 1 2/3 cups (about 8 oz.) packed finely ground pretzels (from 5 to 6 cups mini pretzel twists) 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted 3 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 3 Tbsp. cornstarch 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 4 large eggs, at room temperature 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries, finely crushed and sifted 1 or 2 drops super-red food coloring gel (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Place strawberries in an 8-inch square baking dish. Roast, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and very soft, 35 to 45 minutes. (Do not turn off oven.) Process strawberries in baking dish with an immersion blender until smooth (or blend in an upright blender), about 1 minute. Pour strawberry puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible; discard any solids. Refrigerate puree until slightly cooled, about 20 minutes. While puree cools, coat a 13-by-9-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Stir together ground pretzels and brown sugar in a medium bowl; stir in butter. Press mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until lightly golden and dry to the touch, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack, about 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add granulated sugar and beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add cornstarch, vanilla, and salt; beat until just combined, about 15 seconds. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each addition until just combined, 1 to 2 minutes total. Transfer 1/2 cup cream cheese mixture to a small bowl; set aside. Add strawberry puree, freeze-dried strawberry powder, and food coloring (if desired) to cream cheese mixture in large bowl; beat on low speed, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed, until well combined, about 45 seconds. Pour strawberry mixture into cooled crust. Dollop reserved 1/2 cup cream cheese mixture over top; swirl into strawberry mixture with a wooden pick. Gently tap pan on counter to release any large air bubbles. Bake at 300°F until cheesecake is set around edges but still slightly jiggly in center, 35 to 40 minutes. Turn off oven and let cheesecake cool inside for 30 minutes with door ajar. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours. Using parchment paper as handles, transfer cheesecake to a cutting board. Cut into 15 bars. Serve chilled. Save some time and prepare the roasted strawberry puree up to 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before mixing into the batter. To store the completed bars, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Rate It Print