Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

White chocolate and raspberry is just a magical combination with the sweet creaminess of white chocolate contrasting the tart red berries. These Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Bars are so delicious, smooth and creamy with a tart and sweet raspberry swirl through silky white chocolate cheesecake on simple cocoa cookie crust. All of these flavors together make an incredible dessert that is not short on wow-factor. If you love baking with fresh strawberries, check out my Strawberry Matcha Latte Cheesecake Bars and if you love cheesecake, then here is my New York Style Cheesecake as well!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Easy chocolate cookie crust - the base is so quick and easy to make with flour, sugar, cocoa and melted butter.
• Creamy white chocolate cheesecake - the cheesecake batter bakes up into a velvety texture and it is so creamy with white chocolate. The sweet, cheesy, creamy notes really pair well against the tart raspberry swirl and chocolate crust.
• Fresh raspberry swirl - the raspberry swirl is so delicious and it's simply made from raspberries, sugar, lemon juice and corn starch.
• Simple ingredients - this recipe requires few simple ingredients and is very easy to prepare.
• Silky smooth texture - these bars have the smoothest texture. It is important that you let them chill completely before slicing.

INGREDIENTS FOR RASPBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE BARS

• Flour - you'll need all purpose flour just to make the crust for these cheesecake bars.
• Cocoa powder (I prefer this one) - this is what brings the chocolate flavor in the crust and it's so simple to make in minutes with just a handful of ingredients.
• Butter - you can use unsalted or salted butter to make the crust.
• Cream cheese - you will need one brick of cream cheese for this recipe. Do not use the whipped or spreadable kind as it can have a higher water content and thus a lower fat content which will affect the consistency of the baked cheesecake.
• Granulated sugar - I use regular white granulated sugar for the filling so that the flavor of the milky white chocolate and tart raspberries shines.

• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla boosts the creamy flavor and is a must for this recipe. I prefer this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Egg - one whole egg will set the filling into a silky smooth custard. After all, cheesecake is essentially a baked cheese custard!
• White chocolate - make sure you use pure white chocolate which has cocoa butter as the only fat on the ingredient list.
• Fresh or frozen raspberries - first you will cook some raspberries down into a compote to concentrate the color and the flavor to make the raspberry swirl.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Make & cool the raspberry sauce. Combine raspberries, granulated sugar and lemon juice together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cover and let cook for 3 minutes until the berries are thawed and start breaking down. Once the raspberries have broken down and are simmering, mix water with cornstarch in a very small bowl. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir it in. Continue to cook and stir until it begins to bubble and thicken. Cool completely and chill for at least 30 minutes before using.
• STEP 2). Make the crust. Combine flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl and mix well so there are no lumps of brown sugar and everything is evenly blended. Add the cooled melted butter and mix with a spoon until it begins to form crumbs, then use your hands to mix it well so all of the ingredients are incorporated and it holds together in clumps.
• STEP 3). Bake the crust. Turn it out into prepared pan and press it down in an even layer. Bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly puffed and feels somewhat dry. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• STEP 4). Make the cheesecake filling. Beat soft cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar and vanilla and beat until very silky and glossy. Beat in egg until well combined, then mix in sour cream. Finally, add the melted white chocolate and mix it in until incorporated. Spread this batter evenly over the slightly cooled crust.
• STEP 5). Swirl with raspberry. Take spoonfuls of the raspberry compote and dollop them randomly over the surface of the cheesecake, then take a butter knife or a skewer and swirl it through the batter.
• STEP 6). Bake for 15-20 minutes until set around the edges with a very slight wobble in the middle. It should look matte on the surface but will not get browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Start with room temperature ingredients. This is so important! Take the cream cheese out of the fridge for 2 hours prior to baking so it is soft.
• Blend the cream cheese with sugar FIRST. You need to beat the cream cheese so it is smooth, then add the sugar. The sugar crystals will tear through the cheese and break it down so it is creamy. You'll notice that once it is well combined, it will turn glossy. This is a sign that the sugar has bound the moisture in the cream cheese.
• Add the egg only AFTER the sugar is blended. If you add the egg before the sugar, it will most likely leave you with a lumpy batter. That's because eggs have a very high moisture content and it will be difficult to blend smoothly unless there is sugar present to bind the water.
• Use a room temperature egg. A cold egg will not incorporate as smoothly
• Do not over-beat. Over-mixing or mixing at a very high speed will incorporate too much air into the mixture which will create air pockets that can lead to cracking.
• Gentle baking. To ensure the filling is extra silky smooth, it is important bake these gently at a slightly lower than moderate temperature.

RECIPE FAQ

STORING AND FREEZING

If you love cheesecake, check out these recipes!

Baking with raspberries

Looking for more raspberry recipes like this? Try these:

Cheesecake recipes

These are some of my favorite cheesecake recipes on the site:

Video

Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Christina Marsigliese

Silky smooth and ultra creamy white chocolate cheesecake bars are swirled with homemade raspberry compote on a buttery chocolate crust. These squares are so dreamy and easier to make, plus quicker to bake, than a full cheesecake.

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 hour hr

Servings 16 squares

Ingredients

  

Raspberry swirl:

• 1 ¼ - 1 ½ cups (170g) fresh or frozen raspberries do not thaw if using frozen berries
• 2 tablespoon (25g) granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon (10ml) water
• 1 ½ teaspoon (4g) cornstarch

Crust:

• ⅔ cup (90g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (21g) cocoa powder (I prefer this one)
• ⅕ cup (70g) packed light brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter melted

Cheesecake filling:

• 9 oz (250g) brick cream cheese softened
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• ¼ cup (60ml) full fat sour cream
• 3 oz (85g) pure white chocolate, melted

Instructions

 

• Make & cool the raspberry sauce. The raspberry sauce must cool down completely before using, so I recommend making it first. Combine raspberries, granulated sugar and lemon juice together in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cover and let cook for 3 minutes until the berries are thawed and start breaking down. Stir the mixture as it comes to a simmer, breaking up some of the raspberries as you stir.
• Once the raspberries have broken down and are simmering, mix water with cornstarch in a very small bowl. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir it in. Continue to cook and stir until it begins to bubble and thicken. Remove the pan from heat and pass it through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds if desired. I like to leave the seeds in. Allow the raspberry sauce to cool completely and chill for at least 30 minutes before using. Cover and store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang along each side.
• Make the crust. Combine flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl and mix well so there are no lumps of brown sugar and everything is evenly blended. Add the cooled melted butter and mix with a spoon until it begins to form crumbs, then use your hands to mix it well so all of the ingredients are incorporated and it holds together in clumps. Turn it out into prepared pan and press it down in an even layer. Bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly puffed and feels somewhat dry. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• Make the cheesecake filling. Beat soft cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar and vanilla and beat until very silky and glossy. Beat in egg until well combined, then mix in sour cream. Finally, add the melted white chocolate and mix it in until incorporated. Spread this batter evenly over the slightly cooled crust. Take spoonfuls of the raspberry compote and dollop them randomly over the surface of the cheesecake, then take a butter knife or a skewer and swirl it through the batter.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until set around the edges with a very slight wobble in the middle. It should look matte on the surface but will not get browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing. Serve with extra fresh raspberries.