Cheesecake Cranberry Bars

ByAnna + Liz Published
6 Comments
Jump to Recipe

Our Cranberry Cheesecake Bars are very easy to make. When you combine cranberry sauce and white chocolate chips with cheesecake to make these Cheesecake Cranberry Bars, you’ve created a fantastic dessert! The tart flavor of cranberries paired with the sweet cream cheese, white chocolate chips, and oats, makes these bars very crumbly-berry delicious! Perfect to make ahead and freeze for the holidays.

A white cake plate filled with a pile of cranberry cheesecake bars.

Tell Us About These Cheesecake Cranberry Bars… 

  • Very Festive: Cheesecake Cranberry Bars are festive enough for any holiday season.
  • The Ease: These are very easy to make, bake, and chill!  🙂
  • Easy to Travel: Perfect to bring these cheesecake cranberry bars to any get-together or gathering, and they will disappear in a flash!
  • Loved By All: These are so good that we guarantee these bars will be loved by kids and adults alike, and we are sure of that!
  • The Cranberry Sauce: For my recipe, I used wholeberry cranberry sauce.  Plus, my crumble mixture is used for both the crust and the topping. Also, I added some lemon juice to the cheesecake mixture to balance out the tartness of the cranberries.
  • The Texture: Adding white chocolate chips adds a wonderful dimension and texture to these cheesecake cranberry bars, offering a soft crumble in every bite, making them irresistible!
A white platter filled with cranberry cheesecake bars.

Can we use our leftover cranberry sauce?

If you plan to make these bars after Thanksgiving, this recipe is a great way to use some of your leftover cranberry sauce! You only need about 1 + 1/2 cups (up to 2 cups) of whole-berry cranberry sauce, and the batter only needs minutes to prepare and bake for 25 minutes. A win-win. 😉

Ok, Let’s Make Them!

Ingredients Needed for these Bars (with affiliate links):

For our Cheesecake Cranberry Bars recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

How To Make Cheesecake Cranberry Bars? (3-Easy-Steps)

You can follow our Step-by-Step directions, or jump down to the bottom for our full recipe card! But, in the meantime, let’s run through these steps, so you’ll know what’s involved before you start.

    Step 1:  Make the Crumble Mixture:

1.  In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and oats.  Cut butter into pieces and mix it into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form.  You can use a pastry cutter or both hands to crumble the mixture.

2.  Next, stir in white chocolate chips,  and reserve 2 and 1/2 cups of crumb mixture for the topping.  3.  Press the remaining crumble mixture into a lightly greased 12″ x 9″ deep baking dish.  Set aside.

    Step 2:  Make the Cheesecake Filling:

1.  In the same large bowl (no need to rinse the bowl) beat cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.  Beat until creamy and smooth.

2.  Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust.  Spread a layer evenly using the back of a spoon.

    Step 3:  Make the Cranberry Filling:

1. Combine and blend the cranberry sauce with cornstarch and spoon over the cream cheese mixture in a small bowl.  The cranberry sauce will be a very thin layer, so spread it evenly, the best you can.
2.  Finally, sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture on top.  Lightly press down on top of the crumble with the palm of your hand to set it firmly.

3.  Preheat oven to 350°F (178 °C).  BAKE for 22 – 28 minutes, or until golden. Allow cooling completely before cutting into bars.  Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving, or overnight.  Best served chilled.

Yields: 2 dozen bars

FAQ’s & Recipe Tips…

  1. When is it best to cut them into bars? We recommend allowing it to cool completely and even refrigerating it for an hour before cutting it into bars.
  2. Can we make these bars dairy-free? Currently, we have not tested that to advise, but there are many choices of dairy-free cream cheese and dairy-free coconut condensed milk on Amazon.
  3. Can we make them gluten-free? Also, we have not tested that to advise. But you may choose an all-purpose GF flour and use the same amount in measurements in the recipe card.
  4. How to freeze these bars? It’s best to line an airtight container with wax or parchment paper. Place the bars in a single layer, and separate layers with a sheet of parchment on top. Bars can be frozen for up to 1 month.
  5. How to Thaw? Arrange bars on a serving platter and place them on a buffet table. They will quickly thaw at room temperature in less than 10 minutes. And, they will stay fresh for up to 5 days if kept in the fridge and in a sealed container.
A white cake platter filled with cheesecake and cranberry bars piled on top of one another.

A Delicious Dessert…

These cheesecake cranberry bars turned out so good; they were even better than I had expected. No need to serve with a fork; a napkin will do just fine.

Best of all, you can make these bars two weeks ahead and freeze them! Then transfer them to a serving plate and serve. So go ahead and make them!

ENJOY!!

More Delicious Desserts and Bars… 

If you make our delicious cheesecake cranberry bars, let us know and leave a comment and a star rating below.  We’d love to hear from you! Have fun and snap a photo, and hashtag it on Pinterest, or tag us on Instagram @2sistersrecipes.  It’s fun to see what you cook! 🙂

A white cake plate filled with a pile of cheesecake cranberry bars.

Cheesecake Cranberry Bars

Yield: 2 dozen
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Cheesecake Cranberry Bars are creamy and sweet tasting with a delicious flavor of cranberries throughout. So yummy and perfect treat for the holidays! These bars will surely disappear as soon as they hit your buffet table!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1+ 3/4 cups Quaker oats, uncooked or Quick oats
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3/4 cup (or 12 Tbsp.) butter, softened
  • 1 + 3/4 cups white chocolate chips
  • 8-ounce package cream cheese - at room temperature
  • 14-ounce can sweeten condensed milk
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 14-ounce can whole-berry cranberry sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. corn starch

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Lightly spray with cooking spray, a 12 X 9-inch baking dish, and set it aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and oats.
  3. Cut butter into pieces and mix into flour mixture until coarse crumbs form.
  4. Stir in white chocolate chips and reserve 2 and 1/2 cups of crumble mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture into a greased 12" x 9" x 2+1/2" baking dish. Set aside.
  5. FOR THE Cheesecake FILLING: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat until creamy. Pour cream cheese mixture over the crust. Spread evenly.
  6. For the CRANBERRY FILLING: Combine cranberry sauce with corn starch, blend well. Then spoon over the cream cheese mixture. The cranberry sauce will be a very thin layer, so spread it evenly, the best you can.
  7. Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture on top. Then use your hand to lightly press down on the topping to set it firmly.
  8. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, or until golden. Allow cooling completely before cutting into bars. It's best to chill for an hour or more before cutting into bars. or chill overnight. Then cut into bars.
  9. Best served chilled.
  10. Yields: 2 dozen

Notes

Step-by-Step photos in our post.

Quick Tips for Success:

  • We recommend when baking is done, allow it to cool completely and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight before cutting it into bars.
  • These bars are easier to cut after they have been chilled for a few hours.  You can serve them frozen too.  They are so good, chilled, or frozen.
  • Keep these bars in a sealed container and chill in the fridge. they will stay fresh for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 servings Serving Size: 1 bar
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 334Total Fat: 15.3gFiber: 1.8gSugar: 24.6gProtein: 5.4g

Did you make this recipe?

Mention @2sistersrecipes on Instagram or tag #2sistersrecipes!

© 2 sisters recipes
Cuisine: American / Category: Desserts

Happy Baking!  🙂

Thanks for stopping by!  

 xo Anna and Liz

Related Posts:

anna and liz selfie

Welcome! From Anna and Liz

We believe the kitchen is the center and the heart of the home. It is where we cook, eat, and unwind with family and friends, creating memorable traditions! Read more…

FREE EMAIL BONUS

Weeknight Dinners Made Easy

Tips & recipes for delicious meals . . . no matter your skill level!

FREE EMAIL BONUS

Weeknight Dinners Made Easy

Tips & recipes for delicious meals . . . no matter your skill level!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

6 Comments

  1. I made these gluten free by using gluten-free Bobs Red Mill oats and gluten free flour King Arthur’s all purpose flour. Absolutely delicious.

    Reply

    1. Thank you Denise!! So glad you had a great outcome using gluten-free oats and GF flour!! Everyone will be thrilled to hear that they can enjoy these cheesecake cranberry bars gluten-free!! Thanks again! Happy Baking ! 🙂

      Reply

  2. These look amazing!! Just pinned them on Pinterest. Will try when not dieting to lose those holiday pounds!

    Reply