No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
These No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars feature a creamy cheesecake filling swirled with fresh blueberry jam on top of a buttery graham cracker crust. They’re perfect for a hot summer day!
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Did you know that blueberries are one of the few foods that are naturally blue? We’ve talked about blue raspberry before…and how strange it is to take a red fruit and invent a flavor called ‘blue raspberry.’ But blueberries are actually blue.
The fact that blueberries are blue isn’t that surprising. But what about smoked blueberries? Yup, that’s right. Smoked blueberries. When Lewis and Clark went on their Expedition through the northwest areas of the United States, they came across Native Americans who smoked their blueberries. It was a way to preserve the berries for the cold winter months.
Those smoked blueberries were then pounded into meat. Sounds different, but I’m intrigued! Perhaps we’ll need to fire up the smoker this summer while blueberries are in season.
No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
No need to fire up the smoker – or the oven – for this recipe! Aside from cooking the berries on the stovetop for a few minutes, these No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars require no heat. The freezer does all of the work for you.
Unlike traditional cheesecake fillings which need to be baked due to the raw eggs, no bake cheesecake fillings do not need to be baked. The filling itself is a simple combination of cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar and whipped topping (i.e. Cool Whip). The filling gets spread over a graham cracker crust and the whole thing goes into the freezer for a couple of hours. This recipe is super easy and it tastes like summer!
Once it’s ready, the no bake cheesecake gets cut into bars and served as a frozen treat. (The bars should be served from the freezer as they will melt and soften fairly quickly.) When it comes to a refreshing dessert for a hot summer day, no bake cheesecake bars are right up there at the top of the list.
For this recipe, we made a simple blueberry sauce that gets swirled into the cheesecake filling. Talk about summer at its best! The blueberry filling is slightly sweet and slightly tart, and it pairs quite well with the cheesecake. Add in the sweet graham cracker crust, and you’ve got a recipe that will become a family favorite.
Can I make No Bake Cheesecake in advance?
Yes! In fact, given the time it takes to freeze, these No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars need to be made in advance. However, once they are made, they will hold in the freezer for several weeks. (Just make sure to wrap the pan or the bars tightly with plastic wrap.)
Can I use other berries besides blueberries?
Absolutely! Strawberries, blackberries and raspberries would all be good substitutions here. For a completely different vibe, we’ve also made these bars with peanut butter. In that case, we used Oreo cookies instead of graham crackers to create a chocolate + peanut butter treat. It was delicious!
If you’re looking for a delicious summer dessert, then put these No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars on the list. They’re light and airy and quite refreshing on a hot evening. I hope you enjoy these bars as much as we do here in our house. Cheers!
Did you make this No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- 1¾ cups graham cracker crumbs ~13 full cracker sheets
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
For the Blueberry Jam
- 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ Tbsp lemon juice
For the No Bake Cheesecake
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 8-oz. container whipped topping, softened at room temperature slightly
Instructions
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- Using a food processor, pulse the graham cracker sheets until fully crumbled.
- Using a medium bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter; stir until well combined.
- Line an 8”x8” baking pan with parchment paper or wax paper. Spray top of paper with nonstick cooking spray.
- Press the graham cracker mixture evenly into the bottom and sides of pan. (Tip: A flat-bottomed glass helps pack the crust mixture down evenly.)
- Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
For the Blueberry Jam
- Using a medium saucepan, add the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice; stir until well combined.
- Place over medium-high heat until mixture begins to simmer. (Note: The blueberries will pop at this stage.)
- Reduce heat to medium and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Transfer mixture into a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until cold. (Note: Mixture will thicken as it cools.)
For the No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
- Using a hand mixer, blend together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Fold in the whipped topping.
- Spread the cheesecake filling evenly on top of the graham cracker crust.
- Drop several spoonfuls of the blueberry jam on top of the cheesecake layer. Using a knife, swirl the blueberry jam into the cheesecake.
- Cover and freeze for at least 2 hours or overnight. Slice into bars before serving.
Looking for more no bake dessert recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
I need to try this soon for me BTW cant wait to make your recipes soon for me
Thanks, Ramya – I hope you enjoy this dessert!
I think I’m even capable of making these! I bet they’re so good!
I’m certain you can make these, Mimi! They’re pretty simple…and perfect for really hot days!
Sounds delightful, David! I’m a big fan of blueberries. (And didn’t know you could smoke them! I’d be curious to taste them.)
You may laugh but this reminds me a bit of a “semifreddo” where whipped cream provides enough air that you can freeze the dessert solid, but it stays soft enough to eat. I imagine the whipped topping must play a similar role here.
You know, that’s an excellent point, Frank. This is like a shortcut semifreddo recipe. I’ve made semifreddo before – it’s fantastic! Also, those smoked blueberries. Certainly sounds odd, but I’m like you – I wonder what they taste like??
These bars look fantastic, David! Blueberry and cheesecake are such a classic combination, and no-bake desserts are perfect for summer.
It’s been really hot here lately, Ben – no bake desserts are perfect for this kind of weather!
This sounds so delicious, David. And I guess you could use any Berry that you fancy in the jam.
Sherry
Absolutely! You could easily substitute the blueberries for a different berry to create a different flavor here, Sherry. Cheers!
Everything about your blueberry cheesecake bars hits the spot right now. With the temps consistently above 100 here, I am all about quick and easy, and of course frozen desserts! I especially love how these are not overly sweet. This allows the slightly tart blueberries and cream cheese flavors to really shine. So yum!
We’ve been running really hot here the past couple of weeks, too, Heidi – no-bake desserts are the best during these hot summer days! These bars didn’t last long at all around here!
What an easy summer recipe! The homemade blueberry jam swirl over that classic graham cracker crust looks absolutely perfect. I am literally drooling looking at those gorgeous swirls. I love that the freezer does all the work for this no bake cheesecake dessert. I can’t wait to try it!
The homemade blueberry jam is so easy to make, too! It’s a great way to use those fresh summer berries. 🙂
These no‑bake blueberry cheesecake bars look dangerously good, like the kind of summer dessert you “cut into neat squares” and then immediately lose all self‑control 🤣
Haha – I totally know what you mean, Raymund! The way to counter the “lose all self-control” part is to just invite more friends over. 🙂
One of my favorite things to make with fresh blueberries! So delicious, I can never stop at one!
I couldn’t agree more, Michelle – cheers!!
Such a fun recipe – and thank goodness the blueberries are cooked on the stovetop {what with poopgate and all, fresh everything is sus these days 🙂 } These bars sound delish, though I might not have any control with that blueberry jam layer and might eat it all before these bars could be made!
Haha – I’m hoping the whole fresh veggies/fresh fruit worry is over now. That was no fun for folks who like to cook at home…especially during the summer months when fresh produce is so plentiful! These bars are quite tasty – and easy to make, too. Thanks, Shashi!
To me this sounds like the perfect treat! I mean, homemade blueberry jam swirled into the cheesecake which, by the way, is absolutely gorgeous! I could not ask for more this Summer! ~Nessa
Thanks, Nessa! These bars really do scream summer, right?? And they’re super easy to make, too!