4th of July Cheesecake Bars (Red, White & Blue)
Celebrate Independence Day with our festive 4th of July cheesecake bars! These creamy, delicious bars are adorned with red, white, and blue swirls, making them the perfect patriotic dessert for your holiday gathering. Easy to make, this recipe combines rich cheesecake and a buttery graham cracker crust for an unforgettable treat.
Equipment
- Baking dish (9x13-inch)
Ingredients
- 4 pkg cream cheese 8 ounces each - softened
- 2 cups graham crackers smashed into crumbs
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar 1/4 cup for the crust and 1 cup for the cheesecake
- 4 large eggs
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp table salt
- Red and blue food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil. Spray the aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray.
- Let the cream cheese sit on the countertop to soften.
- Soften the butter for about 20 seconds in the microwave using a microwave-safe bowl.
- Put the graham crackers in a baggie, then crush them with the rolling pin.
- In a large bowl, add the crushed graham crackers, the amount of sugar mentioned for the crust, and the softened butter. Mix thoroughly.
- Pour the graham cracker crumb mixture on top of the aluminum foil in the baking dish. Press the crust down evenly in the dish. Set it aside for now.
- Put the cream cheese In a large bowl. With a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese on high speed for about two minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract, salt, and the remaining sugar to the beaten cream cheese. Mix until well blended to form the cheesecake filling.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each egg is added.
- In two separate bowls, put 1/4 of a cup of the cheesecake filing in each bowl.
- Put blue food coloring in one bowl, and red food coloring in the other bowl. Stir each bowl until completely mixed. Set aside for now.
- Pour the remaining non-colored cheesecake filling on top of the graham crust in the baking dish.
- By spoonful, drop the red and blue colored cheesecake filling in rows on the top layer of cheesecake filling in the baking dish. We ended up with 20 drops.
- In a straight line, use a knife to connect the drops of colored red and blue cheesecake filling.
- Use the heat-resistant oven mitts to place the cheesecake bars in the oven. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake bars sit in the oven for one hour.
- Remove the cheesecake bars with the oven mitts, then place them in the refrigerator overnight to chill and set up. To serve, cut into 24 squares the next day.
Notes
- Don't skip the required refrigerator time. This chill time firms up the cheesecake bars.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!