No Bake Berry Cheesecake Bars with Pretzel Crust

Name: No Bake Berry Cheesecake Bars with Pretzel Crust
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 8 ounces California Giant Strawberries, hulled and chopped; 6 ounces California Giant Blueberries; ¼ cup granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 cup super-fine pretzel crumbs (about 2.5 cups tiny twist pretzels, blended); ¼ cup granulated sugar; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled; 16 ounces cream cheese, softened (2 bricks); ½ cup granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream; Extra California Giant berries; Piped whipped cream

Prep Time20 min

Cook Time3 hr

Serves16

These No-Bake Berry Cheesecake Bars with Pretzel Crust combine sweet and salty flavors in a dreamy dessert. A buttery pretzel crust supports a luscious cheesecake filling swirled with vibrant sauce, made from fresh strawberries and blueberries. Topped with whipped cream and extra berries, these bars are an easy yet elegant treat!

INGREDIENTS

Berry Sauce

8 ounces California Giant Strawberries, hulled and chopped
6 ounces California Giant Blueberries
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pretzel Crust

1 cup super-fine pretzel crumbs (about 2.5 cups tiny twist pretzels, blended)
¼ cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Cheesecake Filling

16 ounces cream cheese, softened (2 bricks)
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

Toppings

Extra California Giant berries
Piped whipped cream

DIRECTIONS

Make the berry sauce
Add strawberries, blueberries and sugar to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir frequently until juices release and mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low, mashing berries with the back of a wooden spoon, or potato masher. Stir in lemon juice and continue to simmer on low heat for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow pan to cool for 10 minutes before straining berries through a fine mesh sieve into a heat-proof bowl, pushing out as much liquid as you can. Allow the berry sauce to cool at room temperature. You can discard berry skins in sieve.
Make the crust
Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang; set aside. In a medium bowl combine pretzel crumbs with sugar and melted butter until fully combined. Evenly press mixture into pan and freeze for 15 minutes, while you make the cheesecake filling.
Make the cheesecake filling
In a large bowl using a handheld mixer (or stand mixer) on medium speed, beat softened cream cheese with granulated sugar until smooth. Clean off beaters. Using a cold metal bowl, pour heavy whipping cream into the cold bowl and begin whipping on medium-high speed for about 2-3 minutes. Gradually increase speed to high, until stiff peaks begin to form. This should take a total of about 5 minutes. To the cream cheese bowl, stir in berry sauce until combined. Add in whipped cream, slowly folding in with a silicone spatula until fully incorporated.
Assemble and chill
Remove the crust from the freezer and spread filling evenly onto crust. Cover and chill in fridge (not freezer) for at least 4 hours, up to 2 days in advance.
Cut and serve
Carefully remove the bars from the pan, placing on a large cutting board and cut into 16 squares. For clean cuts, wipe knife between each slice. Top with whipped cream and more berries for a special presentation.

No Bake Berry Cheesecake Bars with Pretzel Crust

INGREDIENTS

Berry Sauce

Pretzel Crust

Cheesecake Filling

Toppings

DIRECTIONS

Make the berry sauce

Make the crust

Make the cheesecake filling

Assemble and chill

Cut and serve

RELATED RECIPES

Follow your berries to the farm.