Instant oats absorb liquid 3x faster than rolled oats, creating these no-bake bars in just 15 minutes.
Cheesecake Strawberry Granola Bars
Start your mornings off right with these scrumptious Cheesecake Strawberry Granola Bars! Packed with creamy cheesecake flavor, juicy strawberries, and wholesome oats, they're the perfect grab-and-go breakfast that keeps the guilt at bay. Whip up a batch in no time and enjoy a week of tasty, nutritious bites!
Prep
20
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
10
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This brilliant collision happened in 1980s California when American health-food obsessives discovered Polish sernik cheesecake but couldn't stomach the butter—so they hijacked granola bar technology from Quaker Oats, stuffed it with Philadelphia cream cheese, and created what Eastern Europeans call 'fitness sernik'—basically turning their grandmother's Sunday dessert into gym fuel that won't send you into a sugar coma.
Regional Twist
In Quebec's Saguenay region, they swap regular strawberries for wild blueberries and replace the honey with maple syrup, creating what locals call 'barres au fromage érablière'—proper Canadian comfort food.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 unit egg
- 150 g instant oats
- 150 g light cream cheese
- 1 splash milk
- 70 g mixed nuts
- 3 tbsp (44 ml) shredded coconut
- to taste unit strawberries
- to taste unit sweetener
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- to thicken unit chia seeds or cornstarch
- honey (to taste)
- peanut butter (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a saucepan, place strawberries with your chosen sweetener and cook until they release their liquid.
- 2
Add chia seeds to the strawberry mixture to thicken. Alternatively, use cornstarch mixed with water.
- 3
In a bowl, mix instant oats, peanut butter, honey (if using), mixed nuts, shredded coconut, and a splash of milk until crumbly.
- 4
For the filling, combine light cream cheese, egg, and sweetener until smooth.
- 5
In a baking dish lined with parchment paper, spread half of the oat mixture, then add the cheesecake filling, followed by the strawberry mixture.
- 6
Top with the remaining oat mixture and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until golden.
- 7
Let it cool, then cut into 10 portions.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Bake at 325°F instead of higher temperatures because cream cheese curdles above 350°F, causing the filling to crack and separate due to protein coagulation.technique325°F maximum
- ✓Use a 1:3 ratio of chia seeds to strawberry liquid (1 tsp chia per 3 tbsp liquid) and let sit for 10 minutes to achieve proper gel consistency without over-thickening.ingredient1:3 ratio, 10 minutes
- ✓Press the bottom oat layer firmly with a flat-bottomed measuring cup to create 85% compaction, preventing the bars from crumbling while maintaining texture contrast with the loose top layer.technique85% compaction
- ✓Cool completely for 2-3 hours at room temperature, then refrigerate for 1 hour minimum before cutting - the cream cheese needs to set to 40°F internal temperature for clean slices.timing2-3 hours + 1 hour, 40°F
- ✓Toast the oats and nuts at 300°F for 8-10 minutes before mixing to reduce moisture content by 15% and prevent soggy bottom layer during baking.technique300°F, 8-10 minutes, 15% moisture reduction
Share this recipe
Prep
20
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
10
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Instant oats absorb liquid 3x faster than rolled oats, creating these no-bake bars in just 15 minutes.
Cheesecake Strawberry Granola Bars
Start your mornings off right with these scrumptious Cheesecake Strawberry Granola Bars! Packed with creamy cheesecake flavor, juicy strawberries, and wholesome oats, they're the perfect grab-and-go breakfast that keeps the guilt at bay. Whip up a batch in no time and enjoy a week of tasty, nutritious bites!
The Story
This brilliant collision happened in 1980s California when American health-food obsessives discovered Polish sernik cheesecake but couldn't stomach the butter—so they hijacked granola bar technology from Quaker Oats, stuffed it with Philadelphia cream cheese, and created what Eastern Europeans call 'fitness sernik'—basically turning their grandmother's Sunday dessert into gym fuel that won't send you into a sugar coma.
Regional Twist
In Quebec's Saguenay region, they swap regular strawberries for wild blueberries and replace the honey with maple syrup, creating what locals call 'barres au fromage érablière'—proper Canadian comfort food.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 unit egg
- 150 g instant oats
- 150 g light cream cheese
- 1 splash milk
- 70 g mixed nuts
- 3 tbsp (44 ml) shredded coconut
- to taste unit strawberries
- to taste unit sweetener
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- to thicken unit chia seeds or cornstarch
- honey (to taste)
- peanut butter (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a saucepan, place strawberries with your chosen sweetener and cook until they release their liquid.
- 2
Add chia seeds to the strawberry mixture to thicken. Alternatively, use cornstarch mixed with water.
- 3
In a bowl, mix instant oats, peanut butter, honey (if using), mixed nuts, shredded coconut, and a splash of milk until crumbly.
- 4
For the filling, combine light cream cheese, egg, and sweetener until smooth.
- 5
In a baking dish lined with parchment paper, spread half of the oat mixture, then add the cheesecake filling, followed by the strawberry mixture.
- 6
Top with the remaining oat mixture and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until golden.
- 7
Let it cool, then cut into 10 portions.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Bake at 325°F instead of higher temperatures because cream cheese curdles above 350°F, causing the filling to crack and separate due to protein coagulation.technique325°F maximum
- ✓Use a 1:3 ratio of chia seeds to strawberry liquid (1 tsp chia per 3 tbsp liquid) and let sit for 10 minutes to achieve proper gel consistency without over-thickening.ingredient1:3 ratio, 10 minutes
- ✓Press the bottom oat layer firmly with a flat-bottomed measuring cup to create 85% compaction, preventing the bars from crumbling while maintaining texture contrast with the loose top layer.technique85% compaction
- ✓Cool completely for 2-3 hours at room temperature, then refrigerate for 1 hour minimum before cutting - the cream cheese needs to set to 40°F internal temperature for clean slices.timing2-3 hours + 1 hour, 40°F
- ✓Toast the oats and nuts at 300°F for 8-10 minutes before mixing to reduce moisture content by 15% and prevent soggy bottom layer during baking.technique300°F, 8-10 minutes, 15% moisture reduction