These red, white & blue pretzel cheesecake bars were inspired by a dessert my grandma always made when I was a kid. She always made what we thought was the best cheesecake. As a kid, I was convinced it was some complicated family recipe passed down through generations - the kind with a secret ingredient nobody talks about.
Turns out, it was just a simple no-bake cheesecake. And honestly? It's still one of my favorite desserts and something my family always talks about. My little brother even recruited me to make mini versions for his wedding and they were a total hit.
Growing up, my older brother wasn't very into traditional cake, so she would always whip out her super special cheesecake for his birthday. I still laugh thinking about when I asked her for the recipe so I could take over making it and realized how truly simple it was. She always acted like it was so much work when, in fact, it was pretty straightforward. Just like this recipe!
I had never really thought about taking this no-bake filling and using it in other recipes until recently and now I have so many ideas. Of course, with the Fourth of July coming up, the red, white, and blue theme has been top of mind. This brought me to think of strawberries and blueberries and what better way to use them than on top of a cheesecake.
I also got to thinking about the strawberry Jell-O salad my friend often makes. I didn't grow up with it, but combining these two classic summer desserts felt right. I definitely wasn't wrong in making it either.
That being said, when I started thinking about Fourth of July, my mind went straight to that filling - and then to pretzel salad, because pretzel salad is basically a summer institution. Buttery pretzel crust, creamy layer, fruity topping. Why not make that into bars?
These Red, White & Blue Pretzel Cheesecake Bars are everything I wanted: a salty, buttery pretzel crust, a no-bake cheesecake filling that's cool and creamy, and layers of strawberry preserves with fresh strawberries, blueberry preserves with fresh blueberries, and mini marshmallows (or shredded coconut) down the middle. Festive, easy, and they disappear fast. The cold and creamy dessert that everyone will be excited about on a hot summer day.
You could even use canned blueberry and cherry pie filling on top or make your own fruit topping if you wanted. My grandma always used canned cherry pie filling on her no-bake cheesecake. Oh and, and you could even swap out the mini marshmallows used for the white portion with shredded coconut or white chocolate. Both great options for these red, white & blue pretzel cheesecake bars.
If you want another bar style dessert to impress guests, check out my homemade cosmic brownie recipe.
A Few More Tips
Make these in a pan with a lid. I would highly recommend making these bars in a 9-inch square pan with high sides and a lid.
Crush your pretzels finer than you think you need to. I'm talking coarse sand, not pretzel chunks. The finer the crush, the more the crust holds together when you slice it - and these bars are already soft from the filling, so you want every structural advantage you can get. Learn from my video and go finer.
Let each layer chill. After baking the crust, cool it completely before adding the cheesecake layer. After spreading the filling, chill for at least an hour before adding the toppings. Rushing this means sliding layers and sad-looking bars.
Use room temp cream cheese. Cold cream cheese = lumpy filling. Leave it out for at least 30 minutes before you start.
Fresh fruit on top, not underneath. The fresh berries go on top of the preserves right before serving (or at least within a couple hours). This keeps them from getting soggy and makes for the perfect red, white & blue pretzel cheesecake bars.
Red, White & Blue Pretzel Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Method
- Mix crushed pretzels, melted butter, and sugar. Press firmly into parchment-lined 9×9 pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. Cool completely.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Mix in sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice.
- Fold in whipped topping until smooth and fluffy.
- Spread over cooled crust. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Spread strawberry preserves on one side and blueberry preserves on the other. Top with fresh fruit and marshmallows or coconut down the center.
- Refrigerate at least 2 more hours before slicing. Keep cold until serving.
Notes
Bring these to your Fourth of July cookout and watch them go. They slice best straight from the fridge, so keep them cold until you're ready to serve. ❤️🤍💙
