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Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars have a creamy filling, tart berries and a buttery oat crumble on the bottom and top!
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As much as I love family favorites, developing new recipes is something that really makes me happy. I love that it’s always a challenge and can take numerous tries to get it just right. I really think it’s the trials and frustration of the process that makes the finished, perfected recipe so rewarding!
When I tried the final version of this recipe, I was SOOO excited!! It was exactly what I was going for, and worth all the “not-quite-perfect” batches. The buttery crumble, tart berries and creamy filling is the most scrumptious combination of flavors and textures! I can’t wait for you to give it a try!
Making Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars is easy! Here’s how…
First, you’ll want to preheat the oven to 350F and prepare your 9×13 pan. I always like to line my pans with parchment paper. However, you can simply use cooking spray instead!
Making the top and bottom oatmeal crumb mixture…
Once your pan is ready, it’s time to get baking! In a large bowl (I like to use my KitchenAid mixer), you’ll combine the butter and sugars. Then, the baking soda, salt, flour and oatmeal is added.
When it’s thoroughly combined, you’ll press half of that mixture into the bottom of the pan. You certainly do not need to measure to get “exactly half”…just use your best guess! Then, you’ll bake it for 13 minutes.
Making the cream cheese filling…
While the bottom layer is baking, you will prepare the filling. It’s really important to have the cream cheese at room temperature. Once it is, you’ll place it in a mixing bowl, and stir it until it’s smooth. Slowly add the sweetened condensed milk with a whisk until well combined. Then add the eggs and vanilla and your filling is ready!
When the bottom layer is done baking, pour the filling over it and spread until it’s even. Then sprinkle the berries over the filling (see below to see if you can use fresh or frozen berries). Finally, sprinkle the remainder of the oatmeal crumble on top and gently press it into the filling.
The final bake!
Then it’s time for the final bake! Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are beginning to become a golden brown color. Once it’s done, you’ll let the bars cool completely and then refrigerate until you’re ready to serve!
What kind of berries should I use?
I like to use either blueberries, raspberries or a combination of the two. You could also use blackberries. This recipe reminds me of the Blueberry Custard Pie here on the blog – it’s another recipe where I like using a combination of blueberries and raspberries sometimes! Oh, my Raspberry Cheesecake French Toast Casserole, too! Perfect for any kind of berry.
Should I use fresh or frozen berries for the Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars?
Either will work great!! If you use fresh berries, you’ll just want to wash them off and let them dry on a paper towel so you don’t have too much extra moisture.
If you chose to use frozen berries, I do recommend thawing them out. Once they’re thawed out, rinse them off and lay them out on a paper towel to soak up extra moisture. Then, they’re ready to use!
How should I store the bars?
Once the bars are completely cool, cover them and place in the refrigerator. They’ll be good for 4-5 days….if they last that long! 😉
Can I freeze Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars?
Yes! I did test this out to make sure they freeze okay. I simply thawed them in the fridge and they were just as good as they were the day I made them!
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Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 1 1/3 cups quick oats (uncooked)
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup blueberries (or raspberries)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a 9×13 pan by lining with parchment paper or coating with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Then stir in the baking soda, salt, flour and oatmeal until combined. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 13 minutes.
- While the bottom layer is baking, make the filling. Place the cream cheese in a large bowl and stir until smooth. Slowly add the sweetened condensed milk with a whisk to make sure it's mixed well. Then add the vanilla and egg yolk.
- Once the bottom layer is done baking, pour the cream cheese mixture over it and carefully spread it out. Add the berries on top of the cream cheese layer. Sprinkle the remaining oatmeal crumble on top and press it down lightly.
- Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Let cool completely before cutting; store in the refrigerator.
Can I omit the condensed milk? With all the sugar that just seems like it would be over the top sweet for my personal preference…
Hi Kristina – I do not recommend skipping it as it would change the texture too much. Cream cheese isn’t sweet, so it’s a nice balance! 🙂
Absolutely wonderful and almost healthy! Turned out just like the picture. I used a mixture of blueberries and strawberries. A few crushed nut would be good for next time. It will be in my dessert rotation from now on.
Yum! Delicious! I added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg to the crust, and I zested and juiced a small lime and added it to the cream cheese filling. I also completely covered the filling with about 2 1/2 cups of blueberries. Next time I won’t prebake the crust and I’ll line the pan with parchment–my crust was so hard I couldn’t cut it, but what we ate off the top was delicious!
These were such a hit for my Legion Veterans. I has so many blueberries that I needed to use up. So I came across this recipe and gave it a try. I cut them in squares and too Our American Legion. They didn’t last any time! Perfect for a crowd!!
So happy to hear it, Patti!!! 🙂
I made this with freshly picked strawberries. Oh my goodness! Wonderful recipe! I used the brown sugar and only half of the white sugar to cut the sweetness a little. So good! I will definitely make these again. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.
I made this as a dessert for lunch for the ranch hands and it was a big hit! I unfortunately didn’t have any oats and had to sub in pecans (it’s all I had lol). It changed the texture a little bit but was still really good! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
That’s a great idea! So glad the ranch hands enjoyed them! 🙂
This dessert was a big hit with our family! I made a few adjustments: reduced the oatmeal 1/3 c and added 1/2 c chopped pecans to the crust. Increased the blueberries to 1 1/2 c. Sprinkled cinnamon on top crust before putting it the oven.
Amazing!!! I made them in an 8×8 pan cause they turn out thicker (like the picture). When I made them in a 9×13 they were too thin. But OH MY GOSH!! My favorite thing to make with my fresh picked blueberries!!
Are they fresh blueberry’s
You can use fresh or frozen! ~Kelsey
Loved the flavors. I baked it longer than the recipe suggested. Still the middle of the pan was somewhat soggy.
LOVE THEM!! They were gone so fast!!
I am going to make this today Was wondering if I can use my fresh frozen blueberries and can I use dulce leche instead of sweetened condensed because that is what I have?
Hi Ruth! Frozen berries will work great. And I’ve never tried using dulce de leche, but it should work fine. ~Kelsey
These bars are so good! The flavors are so tasty without being overly sweet!
I used Apricot fruit spread. Excellent!
We really liked these. I have made them several times, the only thing I find is the crust seems to come out harder than I would like. If I could figure that out it would be great.
Can’t wait to make and try!