Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
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The following recipe and photography were provided by local blogger Kathleen Ann of Bread Over Heels.
These Strawberry Cheesecake Bars are an indulgent yet light-tasting way to make the most of Heinen’s delicious fresh strawberries.
The filling uses 1 ½ pounds of strawberries, which are turned into both a syrup and a pulp, providing intense flavor and sweetness and allowing for a low level of added sugar in the filling.
Combined with an easy crust made from shortbread cookies, the result is a brightly colored, deeply strawberry-flavored dessert that’s sure to be the perfect accompaniment to Mother’s Day brunch!
Interested in making these recipes? Order the ingredients online for Curbside Grocery Pickup or Delivery.
Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Cook time: 15min Prep time: 20min Total time: 35min
Servings: 16
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 16 shortbread cookies (300 grams), such as Walkers
- 4 Tbsp. butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
For the Filling
- 2 lbs. strawberries, divided
- 2/3 cup sugar, divided
- 16 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 pack (2 tsp.) unflavored gelatin
Instructions
- Set aside ½ lbs. strawberries for topping. Wash the remaining 1 ½ lbs. of strawberries to use for the filling.
- Cut off stems and chop into quarters. Transfer to a large food processor and pulse about 10 times to chop down further. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Combine with 1/3 cup sugar. Cover and let sit for an hour, stirring occasionally.
- Line an 8×8 baking tin with wax paper greased with butter. Set aside.
- In a food processor, grind shortbread cookies into small crumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add melted butter and 1 Tbsp. sugar. Mix to combine.
- Press into prepared baking tin.
- After strawberries have sat for an hour, use a fine-mesh sieve to drain strawberries into another bowl. You will have about 2/3 cup strawberry syrup.
- In a small bowl, set aside ¼ cup of strawberry syrup. Sprinkle gelatin on top and set aside.
- Transfer remaining strawberry syrup to a small pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken, stirring occasionally and making sure syrup does not boil over.
- While syrup is cooking, return strained strawberries to the food processor. Process for about 30 seconds or until liquefied.
- Drain strawberries again using a fine-mesh sieve, pushing with a spoon or spatula to drain all the liquid. Discard the remaining strawberry seeds and pulp.
- Remove syrup from heat and add remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add syrup mixture to gelatin bowl and stir with a whisk to combine.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and strained strawberries. Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed until completely smooth. Add gelatin syrup mixture and whisk to combine.
- Pour strawberry cheesecake mixture into prepared crust. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours to set filling. If desired, freeze bars for an hour to facilitate smoother slicing.
