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Cream Cheese Crumb Bars have a walnut crumb bottom and top layer with sweet cream cheese in between. This easy dessert is fantastic!
Quick and Easy Cheesecake Bars
I’ve got a serious weakness when it comes to cheesecake – and these Cream Cheese Crumb Bars are an easy and very delicious way to get my fix!
We found this vintage recipe in my mother’s old recipe box, and it’s the perfect sweet treat when you have a craving for cheesecake – but don’t have the time to prepare the full dessert.
The same light and buttery walnut crumb mixture makes up the bottom crust as well as the top – and a light and creamy cream cheese filling sweetens up the middle.
The filling also has a slightly lemony flavor (thanks to the addition of fresh lemon juice) and it adds a perfect amount of brightness so these bars are sweet – but not too sweet!
We cut our cream cheese crumb bars into 18 triangles for a bite-size treat – or you could serve this as larger squares for dessert. Either way – these are a delicious – and any cheesecake lover in your life will surely love these cream cheese crumb bars!
Reader Review
“I don’t even know how I’m able to write this review, as my eyes rolled to the back of my head after the first bite of these wonderful bars, and they still haven’t recovered! These are the absolute bomb! Crunch, creamy and flavorful! I love the suggestion of cutting them into triangles…they look so elegant! I plan on serving these at my next dinner party with some beautiful fresh strawberries on the side! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!” -Amy Jo
Why You’ll Love Cream Cheese Crumb Bars
- The sweet and lemony cream cheese filling with the buttery walnut crumb topping is the perfect flavor combination.
- This recipe is quick and easy to make – and you can easily double the recipe to make a larger quantity if needed.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cream Cheese – Full-fat cream cheese is best for this recipe.
- Walnuts – Or other nuts such as pecans or almonds.
- Butter – Either salted or unsalted can be used.
- Sugar – You’ll use brown sugar in the base and topping, while granulated sugar is added to the cream cheese filling.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Oil – Canola or vegetable oil
- Egg
- Whole Milk or Light Cream
- Lemon Juice – We always suggest using fresh lemon juice.
- Vanilla Extract
Nut-Free Substitution
While we’ve only made the recipe as written, we’ve had a number of readers swap out the nuts and replace them with oatmeal with good results.
Special Tools You’ll Need
- 8×8-inch Baking Pan
- Aluminum Foil
- Stand Mixer fitted with Paddle Attachment (or hand mixer and mixing bowl)
- Various Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Rubber Spatula
- Cooling Rack
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Serrated Knife
How do I make Cream Cheese Crumb Bars?
- Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with foil, allowing the ends to hang over the edges of the pan. This will help you easily lift the baked slab out of the pan for cutting.
- Mix butter, brown sugar, flour, and half of the walnuts together to form small crumbs. Set one cup aside to be used later for the topping.
- Press the remaining crumb mixture into the foil-lined pan. Bake for 12 minutes, then set aside to cool.
- Add more brown sugar and walnuts to the reserved cup of the crumb mixture, along with some oil. Mix and set aside.
- Cream sugar and cream cheese together until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat again until very light and creamy.
- Pour the filling over the baked and cooled bottom crust.
- Sprinkle the reserved walnut-crumb topping evenly over the cream cheese filling.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then cool in the pan on a rack.
- Carefully lift out of the pan, using the edges of the foil to lift. Place onto a cutting board and fold the foil edges down flat.
- Cut into bars or triangles for serving.
Tips and Tricks
- We think these Cream Cheese Crumb Bars are especially good when eaten still slightly warm from the over.
- This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch pan. Just note that the baking time may vary so keep a close watch to avoid over baking.
- A serrated knife will allow you to cut through the cream cheese bars more easily and more cleanly than a solid blade knife.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Cream Cheese Crumb Bars ahead of time? Yes. You can fully bake these bars ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to serve. We suggest bringing them to room temperature before serving for the creamiest texture and best flavor.
- Can I make these in a 9×13-inch pan? Yes, but you’ll need to double the recipe ingredients and the baking time may vary.
- Can I freeze these bars? We haven’t tried doing so ourselves, but it should work. Since the bars are delicate, we suggest freezing them in the baking pan, pressing parchment paper or plastic wrap directly on top of the crumb topping to avoid freezer burn. Then wrap well before freezing.
This Cream Cheese Crumb Bars recipe originally appeared on A Family Feast in February 2015. We’ve updated the photos and post, but the delicious recipe remains the same.
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Cream Cheese Crumb Bars
Cream Cheese Crumb Bars have a walnut crumb bottom and top layer with sweet cream cheese in between. This easy dessert is fantastic!
Ingredients
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar plus two tablespoons, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped and divided
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 egg beaten
2 tablespoons whole milk or light cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line an 8×8-inch pan with foil pressing tightly up sides. This will help remove the finished bars once baked.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and the 1/3 cup of brown sugar until fluffy.
- Add flour until just combined.
- Remove from mixer and blend ½ of the chopped nuts in by hand and stir mixture until a small crumb forms. Reserve one cup of this mixture. Take remaining mixture and press into the prepared 8X8 pan and bake for 12 minutes. Place on rack to cool.
- To the reserved cup of crumb mixture, add the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, remaining ½ cup chopped nuts and the one tablespoon of oil. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Place stand mixer bowl back on with paddle and cream the sugar and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl and mix again.
- Add egg, milk, lemon juice and vanilla and beat until very light and creamy.
- Pour this mixture into cooled pan over the cooked crust and top with reserved topping pressing just slightly into mixture.
- Bake for 25 minutes and cool on a rack in the pan. Once cool, lift the foil edges up and place the bar on a cutting board. Fold the foil down flat and slip the foil out.
- With a sharp serrated knife, cut the whole pan into 3 rows x 3 rows for total of nine squares. Then, if you’d like, cut each square in half corner to corner yielding 18 triangle pieces like we show in our photos.
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Abby says
Do you have to use lemon juice? It’s not something I keep on hand often lol
Martha says
Hi Abby – It adds a nice flavor but you can leave it out. (I hear you about the lemon juice! We typically keep a fresh lemon or two on hand in the fridge for recipes like this – better than having a large bottle of lemon juice sitting for a long time!)
Batya Brykman says
Amazing
Martha says
Thank you!
Jessica Kastorp says
Hello. I was wondering if I could substitute soy milk for the whole milk? Thanks!
Martha says
Hi Jessica – I’m afraid we don’t have much experience baking with soy milk as a substitute. We’ve only made this recipe as written. If you try it please let us know how it comes out!
Peg says
Is it necessary to cool the crust?
Peg says
I made this and it is so good. I want to make it for a church dinner. Can I double it? And how bad would it be if I didn’t use foil to line my pan?
Martha says
Hi Peg – Sure you can double the recipe as long as you have a larger pan – the baking time may differ. The foil makes it easier to remove it from the pan and slice into bars. And no, it’s not necessary to cool the crust.
Kim Yanez says
Can I double this and make in a9x13 pan?
Martha says
Hi Kim – Yes – you shouldn’t have any issues doing so. (The baking time might be a little different…)
Talarra says
If you don’t have milk or light cream can heavy whipping cream be used?
Martha says
Yes – you can use heavy cream if that is what you have on hand.
judy says
I would like to try your cheesecake bar recipe but I have a question—Can you bake these bars and freeze them to serve at a later time?
Martha says
Hi Judy – You should be able to freeze these successfully. I’d suggest freezing them in the pan, pressing a pieces of parchment paper or plastic down against the top to avoid freezer burn and so that the crumb topping stays intact, then wrapping it tightly.
Margaret says
Do the cream cheese crumb bars freeze well?
Martha says
Hi Margaret – We haven’t tried freezing them ourselves. They are a somewhat delicate with the crumbs on top, if you try freezing them, I’d suggest freezing them in the pan.
Malayna says
Can I use a 9×13 pan for this recipe without doubling the recipe?
Martha says
The recipe is written for an 8×8 pan – I personally wouldn’t attempt it without doubling the ingredients.