These easy Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars are perfectly creamy, baked on a buttery graham cracker crust, and topped with fresh strawberry topping and white chocolate drizzle. They’re the perfect copycat of the original Philadelphia Snack Bars! Plus they're simple to make and skip all the hassle of a full cheesecake.
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These Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars are just like the original Philadelphia Snack Bars, but BETTER. They start with the original Philadelphia cream cheese bars, but become over the top delicious when you add the sticky strawberry topping and drizzle of white chocolate on top. Honestly so good!
If you’re a cheesecake lover, you might also like this White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake or this Blackberry Cheesecake. We have dessert recipes to hit every craving. 😉
🏅 Why Philadelphia Snack Bars are great!
- Creamy in the middle (not rubbery or gritty)
- Beautiful red, sticky, flavorful topping made with fresh strawberries
- Much easier than a full cheesecake
- No water bath required
🍓 Ingredients
A full list of the ingredients for Philadelphia Strawberry Cheesecake Bars is in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy tips:
- Graham cracker crumbs: You can buy these as crumbs, or buy the crackers and pulse in a food processor.
- Cream cheese: Although these are Philadelphia cheesecake snack bars, you can use any brand of cream cheese. Just be sure to choose a full-fat option so you get a really creamy filling, and start with them at room temperature.
- Strawberries: Fresh berries are the best option because you can chop them first for the right texture. You can substitute with frozen, but the texture will be different.
🔪 How to make Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars
- Make the crust: Combine the crumbs and butter well, then press firmly into a prepared 8x8 or 9x9 pan (affiliate).
- Make the filling: Combine the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla in a large bowl on medium speed. Then add the eggs and combine on low. Pour over the prepared crust.
- Bake: Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, or until the center is slightly underset. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Make the topping: While the bars are baking, simmer the the strawberry sauce ingredients on the stove for about 15 minutes. Then allow to cool.
- Assemble: Slice the cheesecake into 8-10 bars. Then top with the strawberry topping and drizzle with melted white chocolate chips.
👨👩👧👦 For a crowd
One recipe makes 8-10 bars, depending on the size pan you choose. You can easily cut these into smaller bars to serve more, or double the recipe and bake in two separate pans. This would be a fun treat for summer, Valentine’s Day, 4th of July, or Christmas!
🙋 Questions and Answers
This is a fair question that we may never know the full answer to… but honestly, the homemade version of Philadelphia snack bars are so much better!
Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
You can make the bars and topping ahead and store them separately for up to 2 days. Add the topping within a few hours of serving.
You can freeze the bars for 2-3 months. It’s best to freeze them without the topping and add it fresh before serving, but you can freeze them with the topping if needed. Freeze them unwrapped on a cookie sheet until solid, then wrap in plastic and foil or store in an air tight container.
👨🏼🍳 Tips & Tricks
- Don’t overbake! This is key to getting a creamy, smooth texture.
- The bars may be puffy on the edges when you take them out, but should fall flat as they cool.
- Cook the strawberry sauce long and slow. This is the key to getting the deep red color and vibrant flavor.
- Cut clean, even slices by using a large, sharp knife. Wipe the blade clean between cuts to keep the cuts smooth.
📖 Other great recipes
- Golden Oreo Cheesecake
- Copycat Crumbl Peanut Butter Cookies
- Moist Orange Loaf Cake with Glaze
- Maple Pecan Pie (no corn syrup!)
👋🏻 Connect with us!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating to let us know how it is! We’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag @borrowedbites or hashtag #borrowedbites to show us your food!
📋 Recipe
The BEST Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars (Snack Bars)
Equipment
- 8x8 or 9x9 pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs about 11 full crackers
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs room temperature
Strawberry Topping
- 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries chopped
- 5 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
White Chocolate Drizzle
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with a parchment sling. Then spray with baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the crumbs and melted butter until evenly combined. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan, using a flat measuring cup or tamper to press down and pack the crust firmly.1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup butter
- In a large bowl, use hand beaters to combine cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. Scrape well.2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup sour cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the eggs and combine on low speed until just combined. Don't overmix.2 eggs
- Pour filling over the crust. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the center is almost set, but still a bit jiggly. Remove and set on a wire rack to cool to room temperature (1-2 hours). Once cool, refrigerate in the pan for 3-4 hours.
Topping
- While the cheesecake bars are baking, make the strawberry sauce. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring all the sauce ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and a deep red color, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, 5 tablespoon sugar, 3 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoon cornstarch
Assemble
- Once cool, slice the cheesecake bars into 8-10 even slices using a large, sharp knife.
- Using a spoon or offset spatula, add strawberry sauce on top of each bar, pushing it to the edge. OPTIONAL: If you want the original Philadelphia Snack Bar style, see the notes for how to create a well in the center of the bar.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the white chocolate in 20 second increments, stirring between each until smooth. Pour the melted chocolate into a zipper bag and cut a tiny hole in the corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the bars and serve.½ cup white chocolate chips
- We love comments! Please come back and leave us one after you’ve tried this recipe.
Notes
- Don’t overbake! This is key to getting a creamy, smooth texture.
- The bars may be puffy on the edges when you take them out, but should fall flat as they cool.
- Cook the strawberry sauce long and slow. This is the key to getting the deep red color and vibrant flavor.
- Cut clean, even slices by using a large, sharp knife. Wipe the blade clean between cuts to keep the cuts smooth.
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Danielle says
I have looked for these actual bars for years since i was an undergrad in college and that’s was a long time ago. Me and my roommate use to eat them daily. I got nervous after reading some of the reviews but i had already started and had to commit to the process and I’m glad i did. They turned out really good. I follow the recipe and everything turned out great. I can’t remember if they taste exactly like the bars considering it’s been so long ago. But I’m definitely saving and will be making them again.
Thank you!
Danielle says
Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know! We love these ones so much.
Tracy says
Tastes nothing like the Philadelphia snack bars. Super bland and the crust is so crumbly and messy.
Danielle says
I am so sorry that was your experience. We have to say, everywhere we take these they get rave reviews. They do have a couple crumbles but shouldn't be overly crumbly. As far as the crust being bland, you could definitely try adding a tablespoon or two of sugar, but also consider trying a different brand of graham crackers. They don't all have the exact same flavor. If you would like help troubleshooting further please feel free to reach out. We would love to help!
Korin Tampos says
I never share my experiences with recipes in comments but felt compelled with this one as I made it as a requested order. First off... Not prebaking crust would cause it to be more crumbly. Adding spices or a tbsp of sugar to crust would've made it more flavorful. The cooling instructions where left to interpretation. With this being said ... This recipe is perf for anyone who has had some experience baking. Leaving room for your own tweaks and taste. As is, it's exactly what the copycat recipe was based on. Thank you for an easy to make cheesecake bar 🤗
Danielle says
Thanks for your feedback! So happy you enjoyed them! Happy eating!
Jean Vaughn says
My daughter sent me this recipe last Christmas and ask me to make them for her and I did………THEY ARE AWESOME
Misty says
We love to hear that. Thank you!
Liz says
I just stumbled upon your site through searching "Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars" . I felt the need to comment to say that you are a GENIUS! I cant tell you how frustrated I get when havingvto flip back and forth from instructions to ingredients list. Ive often wondered why no one adds the measurements like you have. I am subscribing as we speak! Thank You for making my day:)
Danielle says
So happy that you are impressed by our genius.😉 The credit actually has to go to the developer of the recipe card we pay for. That feature wasn't available when we started blogging so not all of our recipe cards are formatted that way yet, but we are working on it as we can. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, and happy baking!
Mckenzi says
Yesss!!!! My thoughts exactly!!!
Tahlia says
I’ve never given a review for a recipe, but since this recipe doesn’t have many reviews, I feel I have to let people know how delicious this came out! I’ve also never made cheesecake or anything like it purely because it always seemed to be rather difficult and time consuming; however, this recipe was really easy and straightforward. The bars came out great with the right amount of sweetness. The crust was a bit too crumbly, but next time I will tweak the ingredients to make it more cohesive. That said, it still tasted delicious. This recipe definitely reminded me of the Philadelphia bars, but also of the cheesecake slices with strawberry topping I used to love at Chick-fil-A! Thanks for the recipe—I’ll certainly be making them again!
Danielle says
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed them so much!
Amanda Beville says
Do you let the cream cheese bars cool for 1-2 hours, then slice, then add the strawberry sauce, and then refrigerate for 3-4 hours? Then add the white chocolate drizzle. I’m confused as to when to add the strawberry sauce.
Danielle says
So sorry about that! We definitely do not want you to be confused. Once the bars have cooled at room temperature (1-2 hours) they need to go in the fridge for 3-4 hours. After that they get cut, then the sauce goes on. Once the sauce is on the the white chocolate gets drizzled over the top. Hope that helps. If not please do not hesitate to ask again. Happy baking!
MTaylor says
What could go wrong: The crust is so crumbly it made a mess when you took them out of the pan and when you took a bite. You didn't add any sugar to the crust so it is bland. The sour cream did nothing for the taste... gave it a sour taste. And you could have used strawberry preserves and saved a heck of a lot of time. Just want to give you some feedback. They looked good but no one really thought they tasted like the Philadelphia cream cheese bars of yesterday.... not at all. You need to tweak this one.
Danielle says
I’m so sorry to hear that you weren’t happy with the outcome. We work very hard to make sure our recipes are delicious. In this case we made many different versions of Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars, then we tweaked these to be as close to the original recipe as possible. It is a SIMPLE cheesecake bar. Graham cracker crusts are notoriously crumbly, but ours never fell apart. You can see in the images how ours behave. In our opinion the sour cream isn’t distinguishable in flavor but it definitely helps with the moistness. To your point about strawberry jam, we tried that. It was not even close to the same as slowly cooking down your own strawberries. We have made these many times for parties and events and they get rave reviews each time. However, I really am sorry you didn’t enjoy them. Maybe one of our more elaborate cheesecakes are up your alley?