Seventeen ingredients and a little over five hours, most of it chilling in the fridge.
The lemon is in the filling, not just on the plate. The blueberries are cooked down separately and spread on cold, which is why the top stays a glossy dark layer instead of bleeding into the cheesecake.
Why This Recipe Works
- Pressing the crust firmly stops it crumbling when the bars are cut into squares.
- Zest carries the lemon oils and the juice carries the sharpness, so both go in the filling.
- Pulling the pan while the centre is just set leaves the filling soft rather than chalky.
- A cornstarch slurry thickens the compote to a spreadable gloss instead of a syrup.
- Cooling the compote fully before it goes on keeps the two layers separate.
Ingredient Notes
- Lemon zest and juice
- A tablespoon of zest and two of juice, both beaten into the filling. The slices on top are garnish only.
- Blueberries, divided
- Two cups: a cup and a half cooked into the compote, the rest kept whole for the top.
- Cornstarch slurry
- A teaspoon of cornstarch in a tablespoon of water. It is what turns the cooked fruit glossy and thick enough to spread.
- Cream cheese
- Sixteen ounces, softened, for a layer that slices cleanly once cold.
How to Make It
Crust pressed into a lined 8-inch pan and baked 8 minutes
Heat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square pan. Mix the graham crumbs, butter and 2 tablespoons sugar, press firmly into the pan and bake 8 minutes.
Filling beaten with zest, juice and sour cream, then spread
Beat the cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar smooth. Mix in the eggs, sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Spread over the crust.
Baked until just set, cooled, then chilled three hours
Bake 32 to 37 minutes, until the centre is just set. Cool completely, then refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Blueberries cooked with sugar and thickened to a gloss
Cook 1 1/2 cups of the blueberries with 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon juice until juicy. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until glossy and thick, then cool completely.
Compote spread over the cold bars, cut and garnished
Spread the blueberry compote over the chilled bars. Cut into 16 squares and garnish with whipped cream, lemon slices, whole blueberries and a light powdered-sugar dusting.
Two Layers, Made Hours Apart
The blueberry component is a separate glossy top layer, not a swirl. That is what sets the shape of this recipe: the cheesecake is baked and chilled first, and the fruit is cooked while it chills. Each stage below covers its own run of the steps.
Stage 1 of 5
Crust
Steps 1–1 of 5
1 1/2 cups GRAHAM-CRACKER CRUMBS, 5 tbsp MELTED BUTTER and 2 tbsp SUGAR PRESSED FIRMLY into a LINED 8-INCH SQUARE PAN and BAKED 8 MINUTES at 325°F. Lining the pan is what lets the whole slab lift out for cutting.
- Crust pressed into a lined 8-inch pan and baked 8 minutesHeat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square pan. Mix the graham crumbs, butter and 2 tablespoons sugar, press firmly into the pan and bake 8 minutes.
Stage 2 of 5
Lemon filling
Steps 2–2 of 5
16 oz CREAM CHEESE beaten with 1/2 cup SUGAR, then 2 EGGS, 1/3 cup SOUR CREAM, 1 tbsp LEMON ZEST, 2 tbsp LEMON JUICE and 1 tsp VANILLA. The zest and juice go here: they are inside the cheesecake filling, not only the garnish.
- Filling beaten with zest, juice and sour cream, then spreadBeat the cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar smooth. Mix in the eggs, sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Spread over the crust.
Stage 3 of 5
Bake and chill
Steps 3–3 of 5
BAKED 32 TO 37 MINUTES UNTIL THE CENTER IS JUST SET, COOLED COMPLETELY, then REFRIGERATED AT LEAST 3 HOURS. For safety, the baked egg-and-cream-cheese layer must set before it is chilled.
- Baked until just set, cooled, then chilled three hoursBake 32 to 37 minutes, until the centre is just set. Cool completely, then refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Stage 4 of 5
Compote
Steps 4–4 of 5
1 1/2 cups BLUEBERRIES cooked with 3 tbsp SUGAR and 1 tsp LEMON JUICE UNTIL JUICY, then 1 tsp CORNSTARCH MIXED WITH 1 tbsp WATER stirred in and SIMMERED UNTIL GLOSSY AND THICK, and COOLED COMPLETELY. Warm compote on cold cheesecake would run.
- Blueberries cooked with sugar and thickened to a glossCook 1 1/2 cups of the blueberries with 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon juice until juicy. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until glossy and thick, then cool completely.
Stage 5 of 5
Top and cut
Steps 5–5 of 5
The compote SPREAD OVER THE CHILLED BARS, CUT INTO 16 SQUARES, then WHIPPED CREAM, THIN LEMON SLICES, WHOLE BLUEBERRIES and A LIGHT POWDERED-SUGAR DUSTING - the finish the photograph shows.
- Compote spread over the cold bars, cut and garnishedSpread the blueberry compote over the chilled bars. Cut into 16 squares and garnish with whipped cream, lemon slices, whole blueberries and a light powdered-sugar dusting.
Success Tips
- Zest the lemons before juicing them; it is far harder the other way round.
- Let the compote cool to room temperature, or it will melt into the cheesecake.
- Wipe the knife between cuts so all sixteen squares keep their layers clean.
Serving Ideas
Sixteen cold squares, each on its golden crumb base with a pale lemon layer and a dark glossy blueberry top, finished with whipped cream, a thin lemon slice, a whole blueberry and powdered sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the lemon in these bars?
Zest and juice both go into the cheesecake filling. The thin slices on top are only a garnish.
Should the blueberry be swirled in?
No. It is cooked separately and spread over the chilled bars as its own glossy layer.
Do they need to stay refrigerated?
Yes. The bars and the whipped cream are kept at 40°F or below, and the baked layer must set before it goes into the fridge.
