These rich raspberry cheesecake bars sit on a buttery graham cracker crust, and have a thick and silky cheesecake layer topped with a homemade raspberry sauce. Each bite is melt in your mouth delicious and only takes 20 minutes of prep work.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Place graham crackers in a food processor bowl or blender and process into fine crumbs, or place crackers in a plastic ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin.
Add the melted butter to the graham cracker crumbs and stir until combined.
Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared pan. Spread evenly and press down with a spoon to compact the mixture. Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove crust from oven but leave the oven on.
For the filling, place the cream cheese and sugar into a mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly combined.
Add the marshmallow fluff and mix one final time.
Pour the filling over the crust and spread evenly over the crust.
To make the raspberry reduction, place the raspberries in a small saucepan. Cook on Medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture is boiling and quite a bit of liquid has released from the raspberries (should end up with about 1/3 cup of reduction). Strain the raspberries to remove the seeds and skin.
Spoon or pour the strained raspberries randomly over the cheesecake filling.
Use a skewer or toothpick to swirl the raspberry reduction into the cheesecake filling.
Sprinkle the 10-15 raspberries on top, lightly pressing into the cheesecake.
Bake for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes is up, without opening the oven door, reduce the heat to 200 degrees F and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
Once finished baking, turn the oven off, leaving the cheesecake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to come to room temperature.
Once it’s reached room temperature, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
Once chilled, remove from the refrigerator and cut into 12 squares with a sharp knife.
Serve with fresh raspberries and whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
For a sweeter graham cracker crust, add 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar to the butter and graham crumbs before mixing.
For best results, make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature or the filling may be lumpy.
For a sweeter raspberry reduction, add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar to the saucepan while cooking.
It is VERY important to follow the baking and cooling instructions to ensure no cracks are formed and so the layers hold together.
Do NOT cover the cheesecake while it cooling initially or the crust may become soggy.
We cut these bars into 12 pieces because they are so rich. Alternatively you could cut into 9 larger pieces or cut into smaller bite-size pieces for parties.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.