Unlimited Cheesecake Bars

We've made these for years, our most popular bar recipes.  Don't miss them.

We make them with pastry fillings. Pastry fillings have more flavor than pie fillings. These are two-pound dispenser packs so you can make a lot of cookies and desserts.  See the selection of pastry fillings.

If you prefer, you can use jams. Ounce for ounce, jams are more expensive. Here are some quality rare and hard-to-find jams.

In this article, you will learn how to make the best cheesecake bars with the following recipes:

• The Unlimited Cheesecake Bar Recipe
• Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
• Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
• Black Forest Cheesecake Bars
• Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
• Lemon Cheesecake Bars
• Apple Cheesecake Bars

I love these cheesecake bars.  The cheesecake part, that’s what you expect. But the filling, the choice of fillings, that’s what makes this recipe unforgettable.  That’s where you can become your own creator.

You can use a palette of colors and flavors to build your bars. Choose from a collection of pastry fillings or an array of jellies, jellies like pomegranate, or pina colada, or chokecherry or the red and maroon of currants. Or, you can build your collection with pastry fillings with lemon and strawberry, or apricot and pineapple--all against a backdrop of sweetened cream cheese. Each creation is delectable.

This is a recipe without limits, a recipe for any occasion or preference. Often, I prefer a simple filling, like the lemon above, made with a lemon pastry filling, a curd, that tastes like lemon pie. Lemon pie was my favorite as a child and growing up.

The pomegranate is sweet and luscious but the currents, red and black, are sparkling tart. Huckleberry has its own maroon purple. Americolor, the food color people, call it Electric Purple.

This recipe does that. It’s simple and complex; it’s versatile. You choose the filling and then make the crust with a simple cake mix. You’ll have a good time. Your family will love what you make.

What’s the difference between a jam, a pastry filling, and a pie filling? You can use any of the three. A pastry filling has more flavor than a pie filling and adds more depth of flavor. A jam can be a craft piece, the dedicated creation of someone who loves ripe fruit. No wonder this recipe is has such a regard.

Choose a jelly or jam.

       Cherry

       Lemon

       Apple

       Raspberry

       Strawberry

       Peach

       Apricot

Choose a pastry filling.

       Cherry

       Lemon

       Apple

       Raspberry

       Strawberry

       Peach

       Apricot

Complimentary Colors by Merri Ann Weaver

This photo was taken at Baugh Creek in central Idaho on a beautiful spring day. We were fishing but the incredible array of butterflies and flowers were the main attraction.

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For the filling

The recipe calls for eight ounces of fruit filling. That’s the size of many jams. Most commercial pastry fillings are two pounds, that’s enough for four batches.

Of course, you can use more than eight ounces of filling if you like.

This recipe makes a large 9 x13-inch pan of cheesecake bars.

The easiest way apply your fruit filling, is with a pastry bag. (If you use a pastry filling, the bag acts as a pastry bag—cut off the corner and squeeze. That's filling a cupcake with a pastry fillings. That's the way pastry fillings come.)

When you’re through, fold over the open end and put a clip on it. Refrigerate the bag and use the remainder within six months.)

If you are using a jam or other filling and don’t have a pastry bag, use a zipper-type plastic bag and clip the corner. If the jam is too thick to drizzle, heat it in the microwave.

For the crust

You will also need a Baby Cake Mix, which is a cream cake mix, or equal.

• 1/2 cube butter
• 1 egg
• 1 8-oz package of cream cheese
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 pound of powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan with shortening.
2. Melt the butter and whisk the egg. In a medium bowl, stir the cake mix, egg, and melted butter together. To form the crust, press the mixture into the bottom of the 9 x 13-inch pan.
3. For the cream cheese filling: In the bowl of your stand-type mixer (with the paddle attachment), beat the cream cheese until it’s soft. Add the three eggs, vanilla, and powdered sugar and beat until well-combined. Scrape the filling into the crust and smooth it out.
4. Cut a 1/4-inch corner off a squeeze bag of fruit filling (you may use other fillings). Squeeze eight strips of filling across (not lengthwise) over the cream cheese filling. Create a pattern by dragging the edge of a spatula across the lines of filling at 90 degrees and at 3/4 inch intervals. That will create woven look to your dessert. The topping will melt into the cream cheese in the oven.
5. Bake for 30 to 33 minutes or until the top of the bars become a pretty golden brown. Chill the cake. After it is chilled, cut it into bars with a knife or pizza wheel.

Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

For these cheesecake bars, we used the basic recipe that is listed at the beginning of this article and choose to use the raspberry pastry filling and the Vanilla Baby Cakes mix. Follow the basic directions as written above.

Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars

For these cheesecake bars, we used the basic recipe that is listed at the beginning of this article and chose to use the lemon pastry filling and the blueberry pastry filling. We also used the Vanilla Baby Cakes mix. Follow the basic directions as written at the beginning of this article.

Black Forest Cheesecake Bars

For these cheesecake bars, we used the basic recipe that is listed at the beginning of this article and chose to use the cherry pastry filling and the Fudgy Baby Cake mix. Follow the basic directions as written at the beginning of this article.

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

For these cheesecake bars, we used the basic recipe that is listed at the beginning of this article and chose to use the strawberry pastry filling and the Vanilla Baby Cakes mix. Follow the basic directions as written at the beginning of this article, but add some pink food coloring in the cheesecake portion of the recipe to give it a prettier hue.

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

For these cheesecake bars, we used the basic recipe that is listed at the beginning of this article and chose to use the lemon pastry filling. We also used the Vanilla Baby Cakes mix. Follow the basic directions as written at the beginning of this article.

Apple Cheesecake Bars

For these cheesecake bars, we used the basic recipe that is listed at the beginning of this article and choose to use the apple pastry filling. We also used the Vanilla Baby Cakes mix and then drizzled the finished bars in Caramel Designer Dessert Sauce. Follow the basic directions as written at the beginning of this article.

The Cathedral in the Woods by Merri Ann Weaver

This is at the end of a lonely road in the shadow of the Tetons.  It's private, quiet, and still. It's like being in church.