Raspberry Cheesecake Bars (with a Gluten Free Base)
My gluten free Raspberry Cheesecake Bars are the perfect balance of delightfully creamy yet tangy and are packed with the flavour of summer raspberries (without the pips!). Simple to make, they will have you coming back slice after slice.
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Beautiful Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Of all the berries, raspberries are my favourite. They’re zingy and vibrant and ready to brighten up any dessert, cake, bowl of granola, yoghurt or ice cream. And that means they’re perfect for these Raspberry Cheesecake Bars too.
Made into a rich purée, the raspberries are swirled into the decadent, creamy, baked cheesecake filling… A beautiful, head-turning dessert that is so delicious, it pulls you back for more.
Better still… These two-tone squares of loveliness are gluten free… made with a crisp yet buttery, oaty biscuit base.
Ingredients for making gluten free Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
- Raspberries – As they are cooked down and puréed, they can be either fresh or frozen. So you can make Cheesecake Bars all year round!
- Digestive Biscuits (and optional Hob Nobs for extra texture). Make sure the biscuits are made with gluten free oats to be safe for Coeliacs (Celiacs). If you can’t get gluten free digestive biscuits, you can make them… Or use gluten free Graham Crackers as an alternative.
- Butter – of the ‘block’ (not ‘spreadable’) variety.
- Plain, full-fat Cream Cheese – I use Philadelphia Original or a combination of Phili and Mascarpone.
- Sour Cream (or full-fat Greek Yoghurt) – This brings lightness to the cream cheese filling.
- Caster Sugar (Also known as superfine sugar. Although US granulated will be good too).
- Eggs – I use UK Large eggs. As the eggs set the cheesecake, size matters. However, be aware that egg sizing varies throughout the world. So head over to my International Egg Size and Weight Comparison Chart, to see how yours compare.
- Vanilla Bean Paste (it’s more flavoursome than extract and won’t add any liquid either).
- Lemon Zest (for flavour – but optional).
Raspberry Cheesecake… No pips!
Much as I love raspberries, I don’t want pips in my Cheesecake Slice! Am I the only one?
So… These gluten free Raspberry Cheesecake Bars pack ALL the berry flavour into a reduced and thickened raspberry sauce, that is forced through a sieve to remove the pips. I did try making a batch with extra whole raspberries baked onto the filling. However (for me) the pips distracted from the lusciously creamy texture and ruined the eating experience. Additionally, the baking process dried the whole raspberries in the oven heat. Not good!
However… If you want to add extra raspberries anyway, feel free to do so… Simply place a few extra berries across the surface (partly submerged) before baking.
How to swirl the purée for the prettiest Raspberry Slice
Swirling raspberry purée for the prettiest Raspberry Cheesecake Bars is a ‘less is more’ process. Too much swirling and the two-tone impact is lost!
For the prettiest effect…
- Drop different-sized and quite random dollops of purée across the surface of the cheesecake filling.
- Use a pointed cocktail stick, skewer or chopstick to swirl the purée outwards from the centre of the dollops into a pattern you like. (Avoid using a knife or anything flat to swirl, as this simply spreads it indistinctly).
Baking Raspberry Cheesecake Bars without cracks… What you need to know…
One of the biggest bugbears when making a baked cheesecake is the risk of the surface cracking. This primarily happens when the mixture is whisked too vigorously; the cake is baked too hot; the bake time is too long; or the cheesecake is cooled too quickly. I’ll be honest… a slightly cracked cheesecake is still a delicious cheesecake, so I honestly wouldn’t fret if it happens. But nonetheless, here are a few tips to help avoid it…
Beat the ingredients together slowly and ‘bang’ the base!
Air in the mix will expand on cooking, causing cracks. To avoid whisking too much air into the cheesecake filling, beat the ingredients together at LOW speed (either a hand or stand mixer are fine). Or… beat them together by hand with a wooden or silicone spoon.
Add the ingredients in the order listed on the recipe card at the bottom of this post… And mix slow and steady until everything is incorporated.
Once the Cheesecake Slice filling is spread on top of the biscuit base, gently tap the base of the baking tin on the countertop surface a few times to dislodge any remaining air bubbles.
Bake Cheesecake Bars low and slow, without a water bath
When baking standard cheesecakes (eg. gluten free Chocolate Cheesecake), I use a water bath (bain marie). Water baths help keep the temperature surrounding the cheesecake level and the oven gently humid for an even bake. However… When making these Raspberry Cheesecake Bars, the lesser depth of the cheesecake layer means the water bath is not needed… You simply need to cook low and slow and ensure the uncooked cheesecake is not too cold when it hits the oven. So…
- Cook the biscuit base and raspberry purée ahead of time enough to allow them to cool to room temperature.
- Let the cream cheese, soured cream and eggs come to room temperature before making the filling.
- Bake the cheesecake bars at 150 C (302 F) in an oven with No Fan (for preference). If you only have a fan option on your oven, reduce the temperature by around 10 to 15 degrees.
- Avoid opening the door until the latter quarter of cooking time. Sudden changes in temperature before the cheesecake is set enough can lead to big cracks!
Don’t over-bake
Over-baking is the biggest issue leading to cracked cheesecake bars (gluten free or not). Thus it is important to keep a close eye on the progress of the bake… And turn the oven off when the cheesecake filling still has a good wobble in the middle, but the edges are lightly puffed. Indeed, you may feel the cheesecake slice is underbaked at this stage… But remember it will continue to cook as it cools and will set further when chilled in the fridge.
The baking time given is what works for my oven, but be aware that ovens vary from one to another and you will need to employ a little ‘baker’s instinct’ in judging the timely moment to turn off the heat! But as I said above… A slightly cracked cheesecake is still a delicious cheesecake!
Cool Raspberry Cheesecake Bars in the oven
Okay… so this sounds a little counter-intuitive, but if the Cheesecake Slice cools and contracts too quickly, it also has a greater risk of cracking. The solution? Leave it IN the TURNED-OFF oven; prop the door open by 3 to 4 inches; and let it cool with the oven for at least an hour!
chill the Cheesecake Slice before eating
To ensure the Raspberry Cheesecake Bars are fully set and have the best texture and flavour, they should be thoroughly chilled (uncut) before serving. Once set, cutting will be easier too.
When the cheesecake has completely come down to room temperature, chill it (covered to prevent fridge smells) for at least 3 to 4 hours (or preferably overnight).
Making Gluten Free Cheesecake Bars with other fruit
Gluten Free Cheesecake Bars are very versatile and can be made with almost any type of fruit (although berries and stone fruits work best). Because the fruit is cooked up and reduced significantly on the hob before being pureed and/or deseeded, the liquid content remains relatively standard. Thus, changes of fruit will not impact the consistency of the cheesecake… As long as the final puree is nicely thickened. When cooking the fruit, consider its natural sweetness levels and add less/more sugar as desired to the saucepan.
Why not tray Cheesecake Slice with:
- Blackberries/loganberries/tayberries/cloudberries/mulberries
- Cherries
- Strawberries
- Blackcurrants/redcurrants
- Mangoes
- Peaches/nectarine
- Apricots
- Rhubarb
- Gooseberries
How to Store Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Once cut, Raspberry Cheesecake Bars should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. If possible, store in single layers (to prevent dents and damage to the pretty surface of the slices).
Cheesecake bars will last for 3 to 4 days chilled (although in our house they’re always devoured in less than one 🙈)
Ready to make this recipe?
My recipe for pipless gluten free Raspberry Cheesecake Bars is below (on the printable recipe card). Just scroll another inch or two. I hope you love them as much as us.
If you make them, let me know how you got on and feel free to shout if you have any questions… You can leave a comment at the bottom; message me via Social Media (Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest)) or email me at kate@glutenfreealchemist.com
If you love If you love raspberries, you might also love my recipes for:
- Tarte aux Framboise (Raspberry Tart)
- Raspberry Panna Cotta
- White Chocolate & Raspberry Cookies
- Raspberry Meringue Pie
For all my other recipes, head over to the main Gluten Free Recipe Index. It’s easy to browse from there. And if there’s anything you need help to find, let me know.
Always shared with my love
Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Key equipment
- 8 inch/20 cm square baking tin loose-bottomed
Ingredients
Biscuit Base
- 180 g gluten free Digestive Biscuits (or use a combination of 150g Digestive Biscuits + 30g GF Hob Nobs for a more rustic texture – crushed into crumbs)
- 75 g unsalted butter (melted)
Raspberry Purée
- 280 g fresh/frozen raspberries
- 1 tbsp caster/granulated sugar =15g
Cream Cheese Filling
- 500 g full-fat plain cream cheese eg. Philadelphia Original or a combination of Phili and Mascarpone
- 100 g soured cream (or Greek yoghurt)
- 130 g white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1½ tsp vanilla paste
- 2 large eggs UK large (Canadian ‘Extra Large’; Australian ‘Jumbo’; and US ‘Extra or Very Large’) – approx. 120g liquid weight
- 1 lemon zest finely grated
Instructions
- Take the ingredients for the cream cheese filling out of the fridge to come to room temperature before use.
Biscuit Base
- Completely line an 8 inch (20 cm) square loose-bottomed baking tin with baking paper.
- Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
- Crush the biscuits into crumbs. (This can be done in a blender for a fine crumb; in a large plastic bag crushing the biscuits using a rolling pin; or using the end of a rolling pin in a large bowl to smash them).
- Transfer the biscuits to a mixing bowl and add the melted butter. Mix well until the crumbs are evenly ‘damp’.
- Tip the mixture into the lined baking tin and using the back of a spoon, spread and press them evenly and firmly across the surface to form a level biscuit layer.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely to room temperature.
Raspberry Purée
- Weigh the raspberries into a medium saucepan and add the sugar.
- Place the pan over a low heat and cook, stirring intermittently and squashing the raspberries against the side of the pan.
- When the raspberries are completely pulped and very liquid, turn the heat up a tiny bit. Simmer, stirring frequently until the mixture has reduced significantly and has become quite thick.
- Take off the heat and cool a little, stirring occasionally to allow the steam to evaporate. Then using a small fine-meshed sieve or tea strainer, gradually push and force the pulp through the mesh until you have a thick purée (be determined and patient!). The remaining waste should be almost entirely pips and the purée should be thick enough to almost hold its shape (see images in the accompanying blog post).
- Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature.
- Weigh the cream cheese into a large bowl with the soured cream, caster sugar and vanilla and beat gently on a low setting with an electric mixer (hand or stand) or by hand (with a wooden/silicone spoon) until evenly blended.
- Add the egg and continue to beat low and slow until also fully combined.
- Lastly, add the finely grated lemon zest. Mix through by hand (as it gets stuck to the mixer paddles).
- Bang the base of the bowl on the worktop to encourage any excess air bubbles inside the mix to come to the surface.
- Spoon the cream cheese filling into the baking tin and spread across the biscuit base in an even layer.
- Tap the base of the tin on the worktop again to dissipate any remaining air bubbles and re-smooth the top.
- Preheat the oven to 150 C (300 F) on a NO FAN setting for preference. If you only have a fan setting on the oven, set it at 10 to 15 degrees cooler.
Swirling the Raspberry Purée
- Randomly dollop blobs of the raspberry purée across the top of the cream cheese filling, leaving gaps between them.
- Use a cocktail stick, skewer or chopstick (not a knife) to swirl the purée out from the centre of each blob into a swirled pattern. Less is more, however… so try not to over-mix.
Baking, Cooling and Cutting the Cheesecake Bars
- Place in the oven (preheated to 150 C (300 F) – NO FAN as instructed above).
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the filling is setting but with a good wobble in the centre (when jiggled) and slightly puffed edges. You may need a little instinct on this as the cheesecake may appear underdone. However, it will continue to bake after the oven is turned off!
- Turn the oven off, but leave the door slightly ajar (by 4 to 5 inches) and leave the cheesecake cooling IN the oven as the oven cools for at least an hour.
- Allow the cake to cool completely and naturally to room temperature. Then place in the fridge (covered) to chill for a good 3 to 4 hours (and preferably overnight). Do NOT attempt to cut it until completely chilled and set.
- Carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin with the help of the lining paper and loose tin base. Peel back the paper from the sides.
- Use a long sharp knife to carefully cut the cheesecake into 12 rectangle or 16 square slices.
- Store in the fridge in airtight containers (in single layers) for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2026 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Raspberry Cheesecake Bars shared with
- Fiesta Friday #575 with Angie
This does look so incredibly amazing, and you had me with GF and cheesecake. Bookmarked this one.
Saw this awesome post at Fiesta Friday.
My entries this week #18+19
Please share with SSPS: https://esmesalon.com/tag/seniorsalonpitstop/
Thank you Esme x
Ooohhhh… Yummy!
Thanks Jane x