After one bite of these Philadelphia Strawberry Cheesecake Snack Bars, you will be in dessert heaven. With a buttery graham cracker crust, a creamy cheesecake layer, and homemade strawberry topping, this recipe is a keeper!
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These strawberry cream cheese bars take way less time than a regular baked cheesecake but taste just as good!
And I think this copycat recipe tastes even better than the original Philadelphia Cream Cheese Snack Bars that were sold in grocery stores in the 2000s.
If you like this recipe, you'll also love these Key Lime Bars and Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits in a Jar.
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❤️ Why You'll Love Philadelphia Cheesecake Snack Bars
- Tastes just like a New York cheesecake but made in half the time.
- They have the classic flavor of strawberry cheesecake.
- This is a super easy, no-fail recipe.
- You will love the strawberry filling and white chocolate drizzle topping.
🍓 Recipe Ingredients
These real Philadelphia strawberry cheesecake bars are made with the following simple ingredients:
- Graham cracker crumbs. Use graham cracker crumbs, or make your own by pulsing graham crackers in a food processor. You will need to use about one sleeve of graham crackers. For a different flavor, you could also use crushed pretzels.
- Butter or margarine. This is used with the graham cracker crumbs to form the base of the cheesecake bars.
- Cream cheese. I used full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese.
- Sour cream. You could also use Greek yogurt or vanilla-flavored yogurt.
- Fresh strawberries. I used fresh strawberries, but you could also use frozen strawberries.
- Cornstarch. This is used to thicken the strawberry topping.
- White chocolate. I used white chocolate bars but you could also use white chocolate chips.
See the printable recipe card below for quantities and a full list of ingredients.
🥄 How To Make Philadelphia Strawberry Cheesecake Snack Bars
These delicious cheesecake bars are very easy to make. Read the detailed step-by-step instructions below or watch the video on how to do it.
Make The Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, add graham cracker crumbs, and mix well.
- Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 11.5-inch pan. Use the bottom of a glass to pack the crust down. Use parchment paper for easy removal.
- Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
How To Make The Cheesecake Filling
- Use an electric mixer on medium speed to whip the cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg. Add the vanilla extract and mix again until smooth.
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the graham crust and use a spatula to smooth the top.
- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is just a bit jiggly and the outside of the cream cheese layer is a light golden brown. Don't worry if it cracks, the strawberry topping will cover it.
- Place the cheesecake on a wire rack to cool for 1 hour. Then, refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
Make The Strawberry Topping
- While the cheesecake is cooling, make the strawberry topping. Combine strawberries, sugar, water, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Once it comes to a boil, turn the stove to medium-low heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, occasionally stirring. It should be the consistency of jam. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
- Cut the cheesecake into 18 small bars or 9 large bars (I did large bars, because, well, you know... it's cheesecake) and remove them from the pan.
- Spoon the completely cooled strawberry topping onto the bars.
- Melt the white chocolate by microwaving it or reheating it in the air fryer at 20-second intervals. Stir each time you check it. When it is smooth, it is ready.
- Drizzle the white chocolate sauce on each cheesecake bar using a spoon or Ziploc bag with a small hole cut in one corner. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Top Tip
For a quicker and easier version, leave the cheesecake in the pan and add the strawberry sauce and white chocolate drizzle. Slice the strawberry cheesecake bars in the pan and serve.
🍫 Variations
- Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the batter before baking.
- Add ½ cup of chopped pecans to the batter.
- Instead of placing the cheesecake in a baking pan, use a springform pan and make a baked cheesecake.
- Add some whipped cream or Ninja Creami Vanilla Ice Cream on top.
Try this Homemade Cheesecake Without Cream Cheese for a delicious variation made with cottage cheese!
🌡️ Storage Tips
Fridge: Cover with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, place in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to two months.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature cream cheese for the smoothest cheesecake bar.
- Make this strawberry cheesecake recipe even faster by using strawberry jam or Homemade Strawberry Jam.
- Don't overmix the batter.
- Do not overbake the bars, which may dry them out and make them crumbly. Instead, bake just until the center is a bit jiggly.
- Let the bars cool completely before cutting.
📑 Recipe FAQs
Kraft and Philadelphia discontinued their Cheesecake Snack Bars in 2005.
Kraft decided to stop them as they were experiencing challenges in production.
Yes, any cheesecake must be refrigerated, even after it has been baked. Place bars in an airtight container or cover them with plastic wrap before placing them in the fridge.
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Recipe
Philadelphia Strawberry Cheesecake Snack Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese softened at room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
Strawberry Topping
- 2 cups strawberries chopped
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
White Chocolate Drizzle
- ½ cup white chocolate, chopped or white chocolate chips
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add graham cracker crumbs and mix well.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 11.5-inch pan. Use the bottom of a glass to pack the crust down.
- Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Cheesecake Filling:
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to combine cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add the vanilla extract and mix again until smooth.
- Pour the filling over the graham crust and use a spatula to smooth the top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is just a bit jiggly and the outside is a light golden brown color.
- Remove the cheesecake and place it on a wire rack to cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
Strawberry Topping:
- While the cheesecake is cooling, combine strawberries, sugar, water, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Mix well until the mixture starts to come to a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is the consistency of jam.
- Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Assemble
- Slice the cheesecake into 18 bars and remove from the pan.
- Spoon the cooled strawberry topping onto the bars.
- Melt white chocolate in the microwave or air fryer at 20-second intervals until smooth. Use a spoon or Ziploc bag with a small hole cut in one corner to drizzle the white chocolate sauce on each cheesecake bar.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
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Recipe Notes:
- Use room-temperature cream cheese for a smoother cheesecake bar.
- Use parchment paper to make removing the bars easier.
- Use strawberry jam in your freezer to make this recipe faster.
- Don't overmix the batter.
- Do not overbake the bars, which may dry them out and make them crumbly. Instead, bake just until the center is a bit jiggly.
- Let the bars cool completely before cutting.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
About Jeri Walker
Jeri Walker is the founder and CEO of Winding Creek Ranch. She is a self-taught home cook who specializes in easy family-friendly recipes. Jeri is also a food writer who regularly writes articles for MSN. Read about Jeri's journey and connect with her on your favorite social media channels!
Amy says
Great recipe! Will be making it again for sure:)