Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This ensures that the bars bake evenly when they go in. While that’s heating up, grab your 8×8 inch baking dish and spray it with non-stick spray. This step is crucial to prevent your bars from sticking to the pan.
Next, take your graham crackers and brown sugar and place them in a food processor. Pulse them for about 20 seconds until they become fine crumbs. This will be the base for your crust.
Now, add the melted butter to the crumb mixture. Pulse again until everything is well combined. It should look like wet sand. Transfer this mixture to the prepared baking dish, using your hands to press down firmly to form an even layer.
In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, water, and salt. Turn the heat to medium and bring it to a gentle boil while stirring continuously. After a few minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. This will help to break down the strawberries, creating a lovely sauce.
While the strawberry mixture is cooling, let’s work on the cheesecake layer. In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat everything together until it’s smooth and creamy. You want a fluffy texture with no lumps.
Once your cheesecake mixture is ready, scoop it out onto the prepared graham cracker crust. Use a spatula to smooth it evenly across the top. This layer is going to be rich and creamy, so make sure it’s well spread out.
Now, take the cooled strawberry mixture and pour it over the cheesecake layer. Spread it out evenly with a spatula. If you’d like to create a marbled effect, take a butter knife and swirl it gently into the cream cheese mixture.
Place the baking dish into your preheated oven and let it bake for about 35 minutes. The edges should look set while the center may still be slightly jiggly. This is exactly what you want for a creamy texture.
After baking, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes at room temperature. Then, transfer the bars to the refrigerator. They need to chill for at least 1 hour to firm up properly.
Once chilled, it’s finally time to slice your Strawberry Cheesecake Bars. Use a sharp knife for clean edges, and enjoy every creamy, fruity bite!
