Description
Creamy layered cheesecake bars with a buttery graham cracker crust, a sweet strawberry layer, and a smooth earthy matcha layer swirled together for a stunning and balanced dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, finely chopped or blended
- 2 teaspoons matcha powder
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and ¼ cup granulated sugar. Mix until evenly coated.
- Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust.
- Bake the crust for 8 minutes, then remove and let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese with the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing gently after each addition. Stir in heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt until combined.
- Divide the cheesecake batter evenly into two bowls.
- Mix finely chopped or blended strawberries into one bowl until evenly incorporated.
- Sift matcha powder into the second bowl and mix until smooth and fully combined.
- Pour the strawberry layer over the cooled crust and smooth evenly. Gently spread the matcha layer on top and swirl lightly with a knife if desired.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the center is set but still slightly jiggly.
- Allow to cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before slicing into 9 bars.
Notes
- Bring cream cheese to room temperature before mixing to avoid lumps.
- Sift matcha powder to prevent clumping.
- Do not overmix after adding eggs to reduce cracking.
- Chill completely for clean, sharp slices.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 19g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 85mg