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 below 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.
Sameye says
Tried them this weekend, they are good but not the "best". Its a pretty generic cheesecake recipe 🙄