Berry Oatmeal Cheesecake Bars

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These Berry Oatmeal Cheesecake Bars are made with a chewy oatmeal cookie base and a creamy white chocolate cheesecake layer loaded with berries! They’re finished off with more streusel-like oatmeal cookie topping. The flavors are all a match made in heaven and we can’t stop eating them!

Why You’ll Love These Berry Oatmeal Cheesecake Bars

This is one of those recipes you’ll come back to over and over again. The bars are pretty easy to make and they are delicious any time of year. They will have those you serve them to begging for the recipe. Here’s a few more reasons you need to make them.

• Great textures. The cookie base for these cheesecake bars is so tender and chewy. It creates the perfect base for the creamy cheesecake filling. Top it off with crunchy cookie crumbles and I’m sold!
• Unbeatable flavor combo. I am obsessed with the way the creamy richness of the cheesecake filling marries with the sweet berries and the little hint of cinnamon in the cookie base. SO good!
• Customizable. Choose a different fruit, try a different cookie base, or turn the white chocolate cheesecake filling into a chocolate cheesecake filling. There are so many fun ways you can play with this recipe to make it your own. Check out the section below titled “Fun Variations” for inspiration.

I based the cookie base for these bars on my delicious Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (I just left out the raisins). If you like these bars, you have to try the cookies as well!

Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make these sweet cookie cheesecake bars. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for precise measurements.

• All-purpose flour – Be sure to measure your flour accurately. Over measuring can give you a dry cookie base.
• Baking soda – To help the cookie dough rise and add to it’s tender texture.
• Ground cinnamon – You can’t have oatmeal cookie dough without a hint of cinnamon! I also love the combination of berries with a touch of cinnamon!
• Salt – Don’t leave it out. Without it, you’re cookie dough will be bland.
• Unsalted butter – The butter should be at room temperature. If it is too cold (or too melted), it won’t cream properly with the sugars.
• Light brown sugar and granulated sugar – The use of brown sugar in addition to granulated sugar brings a little extra moisture and richness to the cookie layer.
• Eggs – Be sure to use large eggs, not medium or extra large.
• Vanilla extract
• Uncooked quick-cook oats – You can use quick-cook oats or old-fashioned oats – whichever you have on hand. I tested both and it didn’t affect the end result much.
• Cream cheese – Be sure to use full-fat brick-style cream cheese. Reduced fat or tub-style cream cheese has a thinner consistency and isn’t ideal for these bars.
• White chocolate chips – These add flavor to the bars, but the cheesecake layer isn’t overly white-chocolate flavored. It’s a bit hidden and yet you miss it if it’s not there.
• Strawberries and blueberries – You could use other berries as well. Or even diced peaches or another fruit of your choosing.

How To Make Berry Oatmeal Cheesecake Bars

Here comes a quick rundown of how to make this summery dessert. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more thorough instructions.

• Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper that reaches over the long sides of the pan. Spray the short sides with baking spray.
• Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
• Combine the wet ingredients. Cream together the butter and sugars until light in color and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla.

• Put it all together. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and fold in the oats.

• Press. Press half of the dough into the bottom of the cake pan and set the remainder aside.
• Make the cheesecake layer. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Stir in the egg yolk followed by the egg white. Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave and stir them into the cream cheese mixture.

• Assemble. Spread the cheesecake mixture over the oatmeal cookie base and sprinkle with the berries. Crumble the remaining cookie dough on top of the fruit.
• Bake. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

• Cool. Allow the dessert to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack and then chill in the fridge until cold and firm.
• Serve. Slice into bars and serve.

Can I use a smaller pan?

I have tried making these bars in a 9X13-inch pan and in a 9-inch square pan. Both work but I prefer the 9X13-inch pan. The bars come out a little thinner and are less messy to eat. That being said, if you’d like to make thicker bars, you can totally use a 9-inch square pan. Don’t change the ingredient amounts. Just bake the bars for a little longer, about 30-35 minutes.

Tips for Success

• Room temperature butter. Allow the butter to come to room temperature before beginning. If it is too cold or too melted, it won’t cream properly with the sugars (see my next point).
• Don’t skimp on creaming time. When creaming together the butter and sugars, do so until the mixture has lightened significantly in color and become fluffy. This process incorporates air into the dough so your cookie layer doesn’t turn out overly dense.
• Don’t over-mix. When mixing the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients for the cookie dough, mix just until combined. Over-mixing can cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop which can give you a tough, overly dense cookie layer.
• Even layer. When pressing the cookie dough into the cake pan, aim for a nice, even layer. This will help ensure even baking.
• Separate the egg. You’ll want to stir the egg yolk and egg white into the cheesecake filling separately. Adding them at the same time can give you a lumpy filling.
• Don’t over-bake. The cheesecake filling will be a tiny bit jiggly when you remove the dessert from the oven. Don’t worry. It will set as it cools. Don’t over-bake or your cookie base will dry up.
• Don’t skip the chill. Once the bars have cooled to room temperature, allow them to chill in the fridge for a couple of hours. They will firm up and be much easier to slice and serve.

Proper Storage

• Refrigerator. Seal leftover oatmeal cheesecake bars in an airtight container. Use a sheet of parchment paper to separate any layers. You can store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer. Arrange the bars on a baking sheet and pop them in the freezer for a couple of hours to firm up. Transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the leftovers to thaw in the fridge when you are ready to enjoy.

More Easy Dessert Bars

• Sugar Cookie Bars
• Cranberry Bliss Bars
• Easy Lemon Bars Recipe
• Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars
• Carrot Cake Shortbread Bars
• No Bake Nutella Pretzel Bars

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