Description
Strawberry rhubarb cheesecake bars feature creamy vanilla cheesecake swirled with sweet strawberry rhubarb sauce for the perfect spring dessert!
Ingredients
Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce
- 2 cups sliced strawberries
- 3/4 cup thinly sliced rhubarb
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
Crust
- 1 package (8.8 oz) biscoff cookies
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 8 oz
reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature - 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Instructions
- For the strawberry rhubarb sauce, combine strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until strawberries are tender. Strain strawberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing firmly on berries to release juice. Return strawberry mixture to saucepan and whisk in lemon juice and cornstarch until smooth; let simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to cool. Refrigerate sauce until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper. For the crust, combine biscoff cookies and salt in a food processor and pulse together to form crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse until incorporated. Press mixture tightly and evenly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake crust for 15 to 17 minutes, until deeply golden and set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, and reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
- For the filling, place cream cheese and yogurt in a food processor and process until combined. Add sugar, salt, vanilla, and egg; process until smooth. Spoon cream cheese mixture over cooled crust and spread evenly. Dollop strawberry rhubarb sauce by teaspoons over cream cheese layer and swirl together with a toothpick or wooden skewer; gently tap pan once to remove air bubbles.
- Bake for 40 to 42 minutes, until center is set. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack; cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours. Just before cutting, chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. Carefully lift parchment and place bars on a cutting board; use a sharp knife to trim away raised edges, then cut into bars. Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
Notes
Strawberry rhubarb sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance. Once the sauce has cooled to room temperature, cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. If you can’t find rhubarb, feel free to swap in additional strawberries. You will have some leftover sauce – use it over ice cream, or as a topping for pancakes or waffles.