Mulberry Cheesecake Squares

An overhead image of a square piece of mulberry cheese with a bite taken out of it.

5 from 1 vote

Mulberry Cheesecake Squares

These mulberry cheesecake squares are a fantastic summertime dessert! A velvety (and easy) cheesecake filling that’s rich and creamy is striped with swirls of a sweet mulberry compote. They both sit on a graham crust that’s the best part of a classic cheesecake recipe.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Mulberry Cheesecake, Mulberry Cheesecake Squares, Mulberry Recipes

Servings: servings

Calories: 198kcal

Author: Amanda Gajdosik

Equipment

8x8 metal baking pan

Ingredients

For the mulberry compote:

2 cups mulberries (fresh or frozen)
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the graham cracker crust:

9 graham crackers (1 sleeve), crushed into crumbs
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake batter:

8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 egg, at room temperature
½ cup half and half, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. salt

Instructions

For the mulberry compote:

In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups of mulberries, with ½ cup of granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until berries have broken down and juices have reduced slightly.
Carefully transfer the compote to a large jar and blend with an immersion blender. (Alternatively, you can blend the compote in a blender.) Set compote aside to cool, reserving ½ cup of the compote in the process.

For the graham cracker crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper and lightly coat with baking spray, set aside.
Whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Pour in 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter and mix to form a crumbly dough. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 10 – 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack while you prepare the cheesecake filling.

For the cheesecake batter:

Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together 8 ounces softened cream cheese and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy, about two minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add in ½ cup half & half, 1 egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt mixing until smooth and once again scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure mixture is even and smooth.
Stir in a pureed mulberry compote (save for the ½ cup you reserved earlier) and pour filling into prepared crust.
Place small spoonfuls of reserved compote around the cheesecake batter. Swirl with a chopstick or butter knife to incorporate slightly.
Bake cheesecake bars in preheated oven for 35 – 45 minutes, or until edges are set and lightly golden and center just barely jiggles.
Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack before chilling in fridge for at least four hours, or overnight.
When ready to serve, lift the cheesecake out of the pan using the parchment paper as handles. Run a sharp knife under a hot water and evenly slice cheesecake into 16 squares.

Notes

Bars can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days.
This recipe was developed to be baked in a metal baking pan. I do not recommend using a glass pan as it will alter cooking time significantly.

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