I love when berries start to come in season. I’ve made this cheesecake twice now and it gets better every time. These lemon raspberry cheesecake squares would be a perfect summer time dessert and a great dessert idea for the upcoming 4th of July Holiday
LEMON RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE SQUARES
Crust
- 9 full-sheet graham crackers ((or 1 and ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs))
- ½ stick ((4 tablespoons) melted butter)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Filling
- 16 oz . cream cheese (, softened to room temperature)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 lemons (, juiced and zested)
Raspberry Swirl
- ⅓ cup raspberries
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place graham crackers in a food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. Add in the melted butter and sugar, stir to fully combine. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the 8×8 pan and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- For the filling, using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or handheld mixer beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add in one egg at a time, mixing thoroughly after each one. Add in the sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest making sure to mix well after each ingredient.
- For the raspberry swirl, place the raspberries and sugar in a blender and blend until smooth. At this point you can strain the mixture to remove the seeds if you prefer.
- Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the cooled graham cracker crust. Spoon the raspberry mixture in different spots on the filling, then use a knife to lightly swirl.
- Bake at 325 for about 35 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Cut into squares and enjoy!
- Source: Live Well Bake Often
