Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Name: Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 55 min
Total time: 2 h 25 min
Yield: one 9-inch pan (12 bars)
Ingredients: 10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter, softened; ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (125 g) granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract); 1¾ cups (240 g) Pamela's All-Purpose Flour Artisan Blend; ⅔ cup (65 g) almond flour; ¼ teaspoon saltCheesecake filling; 16 oz (450 g) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature; ¼ cup (60 g) full-fat plain or Greek yogurt, at room temperature; ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar; 1½ tablespoons (10 g) cornstarch; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)To assemble; About 3 cups (360 g) fresh strawberries, cut into ¾-inch pieces

on Jul 06 2026

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes, chill at least 1 hour

Total Time about 2 hours 25 minutes

Serving Size one 9-inch pan (12 bars)

Ingredients

Almond shortbread (crust and crumble)

10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (125 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
1¾ cups (240 g) Pamela's All-Purpose Flour Artisan Blend
⅔ cup (65 g) almond flour
¼ teaspoon salt

Cheesecake filling

16 oz (450 g) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup (60 g) full-fat plain or Greek yogurt, at room temperature
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1½ tablespoons (10 g) cornstarch
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)

To assemble

About 3 cups (360 g) fresh strawberries, cut into ¾-inch pieces

Directions

Make the almond shortbread
Set an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides to lift the bars out later.
In a large bowl, stir the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla together with a spatula or wooden spoon until combined. Do not cream or whip it, since too much air makes the shortbread fragile.
In another bowl, whisk together the All-Purpose Flour Artisan Blend, almond flour, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until it starts to clump, then knead gently into a smooth dough. Because it is gluten-free, there is no need to worry about overworking it.
Press about two-thirds of the dough into an even layer in the pan (an offset spatula helps). Set the remaining third aside for the crumble. Bake the crust for about 20 minutes, until evenly golden. Remove it and let it cool until just warm. Keep the oven at 350°F.
Make the cheesecake filling
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and yogurt with a whisk just until smooth. Mix, rather than whip, so you do not beat in air.
Stir the sugar and cornstarch together, add them to the cream cheese, and mix until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix just until smooth.
Assemble and bake
Pour the filling over the warm crust and smooth it into an even layer. Scatter the strawberries evenly over the top, then crumble the reserved shortbread dough over the berries, leaving some filling and fruit peeking through.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crumble is golden and the filling is only slightly wobbly when you gently shake the pan. If it is very jiggly, give it a few more minutes so it sets.
Cool the bars completely in the pan, then chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour (overnight is even better). Lift them out using the parchment, slice, and serve.

Strawberry season deserves a showstopper, and these gluten-free strawberry cheesecake bars are it. A buttery almond shortbread forms both the crisp base and the golden crumble on top, with a creamy vanilla cheesecake layer and plenty of fresh, juicy strawberries tucked in between. They taste like summer, they slice into neat squares, and they are made with our All-Purpose Flour Artisan Blend, so they are gluten-free without anyone being the wiser. No mixer required, and the hardest part is waiting for them to chill. Deliciously gluten-free, the way Pamela's has done it since 1988.

Recipe adapted from The Loopy Whisk.

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To keep it gluten-free:

Pamela's All-Purpose Flour Artisan Blend is GFCO-certified gluten-free, so the shortbread is a true bake-from-scratch crust with no gluten. Keep your other ingredients gluten-free too, so the whole pan stays gluten-free.

Variations

Other berries: swap the strawberries for raspberries, blueberries, or a mix.
Extra vanilla: vanilla bean paste gives lovely flecks, but extract works just as well.
Make them ahead: these are even better the next day, so they are a great make-ahead dessert.

Make ahead & storage

Store covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
The bars slice most cleanly straight from the fridge.

Gluten-Free 1:1 All-Purpose Flour, 4 lb.

$19.49

Delicious scratch baking will be back in your life! This flour blend has no dairy, no nuts, no salt, no leavening, no corn and no soy. It will work perfectly in most of your traditional recipes or with subtle tweaking such as adding more liquid. Now you can bake like you used to!

Helpful Hints:

Will work in most recipes as a replacement for wheat flour.
Due to the subtle flavor, seasoning and herbs will elevate the taste when making gravy, or coating meats and poultry.
Batters may thicken as they sit and may require water to thin.
For yeast breads, we suggest using 1 tsp dry yeast per cup of All-Purpose Flour. Additional water will most likely be needed. Add water until dough is a sticky batter similar to banana bread. For a taller loaf, use a parchment collar at least 3 to 5 inches above the edge around the interior of the bread pan

Pack Size

Single

3 Pack / Save 19%

6 Pack / Save 24%

12 Pack / Save 28%

Quantity

We've Got Answers

Yes, the almond shortbread here is made with Pamela's All-Purpose Flour Artisan Blend, so both the crust and the crumble are gluten-free and bake up crisp and golden.

Par-baking the shortbread until golden keeps the bottom crisp, so it does not turn soggy under the cheesecake layer.

Fresh strawberries work best. Frozen berries release too much liquid and can make the bars soggy.

Why do my bars need to chill before cutting?

No, the shortbread comes together with a spatula and the filling with a whisk. In fact, it is better not to whip the filling, so you avoid beating in air.

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