If you love cheesecake, but feel intimidated by what it takes to make it, these Guava Cheesecake Bars are the perfect dessert. With no water bath and no special pan needed, these are a much easier way to make cheesecake. Plus, in bar form, they can feed a crowd!
If we had to choose one dessert for a special occasion, it’s going to be cheesecake. And while I love a good chocolatey cheesecake, sometimes you just need a fruit-flavored cheesecake to hit the spot. These were inspired by one of our favorite tropical flavors – guava! Because even if you’re not on vacation, you can still get a little tropical taste to make you feel like you could be.
The secret to these bars is the Guava jam. It pulls double duty on this one – both for the flavor and for the gorgeous marbling on the top. We used the Bonne Maman brand because of the high quality and exceptional flavor (we’re not being paid to say that, it’s just the truth). If you want to switch it out for another brand OR another flavor, you can.
Just be aware that using a different jam may change the look because of the differences in consistency. With a thinner, lighter jam you probably won’t need to take the time to thin it with lemon juice. With a thicker, heavier jam, you may need to thin it with more lemon juice so it can sit on top of the cheesecake without sinking to the bottom.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Homemade graham cracker crust
- No water bath needed
- Make-ahead friendly
- Easily change the flavor with your favorite jam
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- The Crust: graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter make a classic base that’s sweet without being overpowering. It pairs perfectly with the cheesecake filling and the tartness of the guava.
- The Filling: cream cheese (at room temperature!), sugar, vanilla, eggs, sour cream, and lemon juice keep this cheesecake dense and rich, in a New-York style bar.
- The Topping: the guava jam is the star of the show. It’s sweet and slightly tangy, giving this creamy deliciousness a bright, tropical twist. If you don’t like the taste of guava, you can sub it out for another flavor. We’ve successfully made this with strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry jam.
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How to Make These Guava Cheesecake Bars
- Make the crust. Mixing graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter together in a large bowl, then press it into the bottom of a 9×13” baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes at 350℉, then set it aside.
- Make the filling. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time, then add sour cream and lemon juice and mix again until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over the prepared crust.
- Marble the jam. Thin the guava jam in a small bow with a little lemon juice. Drizzle it over the top of the cheesecake, then marble it with a knife or toothpick.
- Bake the cheesecake. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the edges are just golden and the middle is just slightly jiggly.
- Let it cool. On the counter top, let the cheesecake cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Serve. Cut it into bars, and serve. These are very rich, so I cut the 9×13 pan into 18 smaller rectangles.
Tips for success
- To get the smoothest consistency, use room-temperature cream cheese.
- Don’t overmix. You need to mix in between each egg added to make sure that they’re fully incorporated, but avoid mixing them for too long. Overmixing can lead to less creamy texture or cracking.
- Don’t skip the chill! We’ve tried these bars without chilling and the texture just isn’t quite the same. It needs the overnight chill to set up completely and let the flavor come together.
- For a clean cut, use a warm knife and wipe it off between slices.
Storage & Make Ahead Notes
Once completely cooled, you can store these cheesecake bars covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Because it lasts so well in the fridge, you can make this a day or two ahead of time and chill until you’re ready to eat it. Just make sure it cools completely before you cover it and transfer it to the fridge. If it’s not completely cooled, moisture can pool on the cover and affect the texture of the bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
No! You can sub it out for another kind of jam. Please note that the weight of the jam may impact how it settles in the cheesecake, changing how marbled it looks.
You can omit the jam completely for a plain cheesecake bar, or you could top these with a little bit of chocolate or caramel syrup.
Yes! They’re made of mostly cream cheese, so they do need to be kept in the fridge. You can leave them out for up to two hours, but after that they need to be placed back in the fridge.
More Cheesecake Recipes
- Caramel Cheesecake Bars
- Classic Strawberry Cheesecake
- Cake Batter Cheesecake Bars
- Lemon Cheesecake Pudding Cookies
- No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Guava Cream Cheese Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups Graham Cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup butter
Cheesecake:
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
- ½ – ¾ cup Guava spread, or jam (I used Bonne Maman brand)
Instructions
- Bake the crust. Preheat the oven to 350℉. In a large mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press it into the bottom of a 9×13” baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside.
- Make the filling. In another mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add sour cream and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and mix again until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over the prepared crust.
- Add the guava. In a small bowl, mix together guava spread and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice until it reaches a smoother, thinner consistency. Drizzle the guava mixture over the top of the cheesecake mixture. Use a knife or toothpick to swirl it in.
- Bake the cheesecake. Bake for 40-50 minutes (check at 40), until the edges are golden, the middle is just slightly jiggly. Remove from the oven.
- Let it cool. On the counter top, let the cheesecake cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Serve. Cut it into bars, and serve. These are very rich, so I cut the 9×13" pan into 18 smaller rectangles.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
