Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars in a 9x13 Pan

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These rhubarb cheesecake bars are delicious, of course.   (Rhubarb!  Cheesecake!  C'mon, you know it's delectable!)   But I love how easy they are to make.  No special pans, no water baths, just a 9x13 pan and great ingredients and you have the most delicious cheesecake bars you've ever tasted.  

Cheesecake bars swirled with fresh rhubarb and baked in a 9x13 pan.

You could eliminate the rhubarb and just have plain cheesecake bars, too, of course.  And that would be delicious as well.  But the tart rhubarb is an amazing addition to the creamy, sweet cheesecake bars.  

Rhubarb cheesecake bars on a metal cake stand, surrounded by stalks of fresh rhubarb.

I'm not a big fan of flavored cheesecakes, actually.  I don't tend to choose caramel or peanut butter or chocolate cheesecakes, for example.  But if you add some bright, fresh fruit like raspberries or strawberries or rhubarb, I can't resist.

Ingredients for Graham Cracker Crust for a 9x13 pan.

Graham Cracker Crust for a 9x13 Pan:

  • one stick (8 Tablespoons) butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups graham cracker crumbs.

Graham cracker crust being pressed into a 9x13 pan using a fondant smoother.

Before you do anything else, line your pan with parchment paper!  It doesn't need to go up all four sides of the pan.  I cut my parchment paper to the width of my pan, but several inches longer, so I can create a parchment paper sling.  Basically, after the cheesecake bars are baked and cooled, I can grab on to the parchment paper handles on either end of the pan and lift the whole thing out on to a cutting board.

Mix all graham cracker crust ingredients together.  Press firmly into the 9x13 pan.  Bake for 10 minutes at 325 degrees while you're preparing the filling.


Graham Cracker Crust Tip:

  • To get the best, most evenly distributed and well-packed graham cracker crust, I like to use a fondant smoother tool (typically used for cake decorating) to press the graham cracker crust into place.  You can use your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup instead, but the fondant smoother tool lets you get in those corners of the pan gorgeously and makes it easy to apply even, smooth pressure.  I'm not saying you need to run out and get one to make this recipe, but if you happen to have one already, it's amazing for this job!

Ingredients for rhubarb cheesecake bars filling.

Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars Filling:

  • 3 8 ounce packages of cream cheese (24 ounces total)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • three eggs
  • two egg yolks
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups rhubarb compote (recipe here)

Cheesecake bars filling in a mixing bowl.

Beat together all of the filling ingredients EXCEPT for the rhubarb compote.

Cheesecake filling spread in a 9x13 pan
Spread the cheesecake filling over the par-baked graham cracker crust.

Rhubarb compote swirled into cheesecake filling batter before baking.
Spoon or pipe the rhubarb compote over the surface of the cheesecake filling.  Use a wooden skewer, knife, or toothpick to swirl the rhubarb into the top layer of the cheesecake filling.

Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars baked in a 9x13 pan.

Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes.  The center will still be a little jiggly when you take the pan out of the oven, but it will set up as it cools.

9x13 pan of rhubarb cheesecake bars, cooled and lifted out of the baking pan.

Let the cheesecake bars cool completely before using the parchment paper sling to remove them from the pan.

Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars stacked on a metal cake plate.

Cut into luscious, delicious, perfectly portioned cheesecake bars.

Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars

I'm going to work on a cranberry version for Christmastime next!  Doesn't that sound delicious?

Navigational image leading reader to soft rhubarb cookie recipe.

Navigational image leading reader to roasted rhubarb sauce recipe.

Navigational image leading reader to candied rhubarb recipe.

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Nicole Wills, creator of Tikkido

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