White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

I have been on a real cheesecake kick lately. I usually send most of my baked goods to work with my husband who is a firefighter. And let me tell you, they have been loving cheesecake as well. They were huge fans of my blackberry swirl cheesecake bars and my lemon cheesecake, so I figured I couldn’t go wrong with these white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars. I was right. I was even told they are possibly one of the best things I have ever made. They start out with a chocolate cookie crust, which is the perfect compliment to the tart raspberry. The cheesecake base has white chocolate baked into it and is swirled with raspberry jam. They are sweet, creamy, and surprisingly simple to make.

Chocolate cookie crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place the oven rack in the middle position. To start, pulse Oreo or similar chocolate sandwich cookies into a fine crumb using a food processor or a plastic bag and a rolling pin. Add the melted butter and combine. The mixture should clump together when pinched. Line an 8×8 or a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper and grease the edges. Dump the mixture into the pan and use the bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup to press down tightly into an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the cheesecake filling. Turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees. 

White chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars:

Chop four ounces of white chocolate and place into a heat proof container. We want to use a good quality chocolate bar here, not chocolate chips. Chocolate chips have additives and stabilizers in them to help them keep their shape and when using melted chocolate in a recipe we typically don’t want that. I used a Ghirardelli white chocolate bar. You will need two four ounce bars: one for the cheesecake itself and one for drizzling on top after it is baked. Melt the chopped chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until smooth and melted. Set aside to cool slightly. 

Into the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer add the room temperature, softened cream cheese and granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed for about two minutes until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Make sure you are scraping the bowl and the mixing paddle down often to ensure you aren’t left with any cream cheese lumps. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream and mix to combine, about 30 seconds.

Turn the mixer on to the lowest speed and slowly pour in the white chocolate. Mix until smooth and combined. If the texture looks a bit lumpy that’s okay, it will even out while baking. Pour into the pre-baked crust. Add seedless, raspberry jam to a heat proof bowl and microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds. Drop spoonful’s of raspberry jam onto the cheesecake batter and use a toothpick or butter knife to swirl throughout the batter. 

Place into the oven and bake for 28-30 minutes. The center should appear set but still jiggle slightly when the pan is shook. Turn the oven off and leave the door cracked for 30 minutes with the cheesecake still inside. Allowing it to cool very slowly helps prevent excess cracking. After 30 minutes remove and wrap with plastic wrap or foil. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely before eating, at least four hours. When fully chilled, remove from the refrigerator. Melt remaining four ounces of white chocolate and drizzle over the top of the cheesecake bars before slicing. Top with fresh raspberries, slice, and enjoy.