These strawberry rhubarb cheesecake bars are a favorite summertime treat. A buttery pecan shortbread crust is topped with homemade cheesecake filling and then finished off with a sweet and tangy strawberry rhubarb jam!
My husband is a huge fan of rhubarb, so I made this recipe for him a few years ago. They are one of my favorite things to make during rhubarb season and have become a favorite summer dessert!
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🍓 Ingredient notes
- Shortbread crust - this crust is made using a shortbread dough with pecans in it. It takes less than 5 minutes to prepare and makes a delicious base for these bars.
- Cheesecake filling - The homemade cheesecake filling in these bars takes just 5 minutes to put together while the crust is cooking. It's slightly sweet and rich and goes perfectly with the strawberry rhubarb jam.
- Strawberry rhubarb jam - The homemade jam topping is made using fresh strawberries and rhubarb. Rhubarb has an extremely sour and almost bitter taste to it, however, when cooked, it becomes sweet and tangy. This pairs perfectly with the sweet strawberries for the ultimate finish to this tasty dessert.
🥣 Step by step instructions
First, combine all of the ingredients for the crust in a food processor and pulse to mix together. Pecans should be finely chopped and mixture should hold together when you squeeze it in your hand.
Place mixture into an 8" square pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Press down the mixture into one even layer and bake for 5 minutes. While the crust is baking, rinse out the food processor and combine all of the cheesecake ingredients into it. Pulse to combine everything together, then scrape down the sides and pulse a few more times to make sure everything is mixed in well.
Remove the crust from the oven and pour the cheesecake filling on top of it. Place it back in the oven to cook for an additional 18-20 minutes until the top is no longer shiny and the middle is no longer jiggly.
While the cheesecake is cooking, mix together the ingredients for the jam in a pot. Heat on the stovetop over medium heat until it starts to bubble, then reduce the heat to low. Allow the mixture to simmer, stirring and mashing the fruit down frequently until the mixture is soft and no large chunks of fruit remain. This should take about 10-12 minutes and the mixture should be thickened into a jam like consistency.
Place cheesecake and jam in the fridge to cool for 1 hour and then spread the cooled jam over the cheesecake filling.
Return the pan to the fridge to chill for a minimum of 2 hours. Cut the bars into 9 or 16 pieces and serve!
⭐ Top tip
Make sure both your butter for the crust and the cream cheese for the cheesecake filling have been brought to room temperature. This will help to make sure both the crust and filling mixture together smoothly.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- pinch kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
- 2 cups fresh strawberries chopped
- 2 cups fresh rhubarb chopped
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat oven to 350˚ and line an 8" square pan with parchment paper.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the crust in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is combined and pecans are chopped finely.
- Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan and press down to form an even layer for the crust.
- Bake for 5 minutes while you mix together the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- Rinse out the food processor and combine all of the ingredients for the filling in it.
- Pulse a few times to combine the ingredients, then scrape down the sides and pulse a few more times to ensure everything is well combined.
- Pour cheesecake filling over the cooked crust and return back to the oven to cook for an additional 18-20 minutes while you prepare the jam. The cheesecake is done when the top is no longer shiny and the middle is no longer jiggly.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
- Mix together all of the ingredients for the jam in a medium saucepan or pot.
- Heat over medium heat on the stovetop until the mixture just starts to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for 10-12 minutes. Stir the mixture frequently and use the back of a spoon to mash down the fruit as it cooks. The fruit should be soft, with no large chunks remaining and the mixture should have a jam like consistency.
- Cool the cheesecake and the jam in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Top cheesecake filling with the jam and allow to chill for an additional 2 hours or overnight for best results.
- Cut bars into 9 or 16 equal pieces and serve.
Nutrition
🍒 Variations
- No nuts - The pecans can be omitted from the shortbread crust for a nut free version of these bars.
- Different fruit - Blueberries, raspberries, or cherries can be used instead of strawberries or rhubarb
- Pre-made jam - If you aren't up to making your own jam, your favorite store bought jam or even pie filling can be used instead
💭 Frequently asked questions
Instead of using a food processor, a mixing bowl and hand mixer can be used to mix together the crust and filling. Chop the pecans finely before mixing them into the other crust ingredients.
🍪 More dessert recipes
If you loved this recipe for my strawberry rhubarb cheesecake bars, check out these other desserts that I know you will love as well.
Don't forget! If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and give it a rating. I love to hear from each and every one of you! Tag me on Facebook and Instagram as well! It makes my day to see all of your photos of the food you have made.
Sheila says
Turned out delicious! Only change I. made was a homemade graham cracker crust.
I have lots of leftover strawberry and rhubarb mixture I’ll top with pancakes!
Thanks for the recipe.
Amanda says
Absolutely! What a great idea for pancakes!
Anaiah says
These look so amazing! I've never had rhubarb on cheesecake before. Can't wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing
Amanda says
It's the perfect flavor combination!
Cindy says
Have to share that my 95 year old dad has always loved rhubarb. He used to eat it straight out of the garden as a child. This recipe was a big a winner for him. The combination of the nutty, buttery crust, creamy filling and strawberry rhubarb jam on the top was a perfect bite. No wonder they were a contest winner in the Taste of Home magazine for you!
Amanda says
Awww I love that, thank you so much!