Ricotta Cheesecake Bars With Peaches

Name: Ricotta Cheesecake Bars With Peaches
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 – 1 1/2 Tablespoons granulated sugar; 3/4 cup (12 Tablespoons) butter, plus 1/2 – 1 Tablespoon for greasing the baking dish (room temperature); 2 lbs ricotta cheese; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 4 eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2-3 peaches, peeled and sliced

The most incredibly soft ricotta cheesecake bars baked with juicy, sweet peaches and a crumb topping. Use other seasonal fruit to enjoy it all year long.

These Ricotta Cheesecake Bars with peaches were a happy accident. Made with a crumbly, sandy crust that is also used as the topping, the center is a really tender ricotta filling. I was making one of my favorite desserts, the Ricotta Crumb Bars and decided to make them with double the amount of ricotta cheese. I also had some peaches that needed to be used up, so I to nestle them into the sweet cheese.

The pairing of the soft ricotta cheese and the juicy peaches is just perfect. If you want a dessert that is really easy to make but looks amazing and tastes even better, give these a try. Instead of the peaches, you can use other seasonal fruit or berries, such as nectarines, plums, raspberries, blueberries or strawberries. So many delicious options!

Ingredients

all purpose flour (I have not tested other flours in this recipe)
baking soda
salt
butter – unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces
granulated sugar – just a little bit of sugar in the crust and topping and the rest of the sugar is used to sweeten the ricotta filling
ricotta cheese
eggs (large eggs)
vanilla extract
ripe peaches (peeled, pitted and sliced)

How To Make Ricotta Cheesecake Bars

First, make the crust/topping. In a food processor, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and 1 – 1 1/2 Tablespoons of sugar. Pulse a few times to combine. Then, add the butter and pulse again, mixing the butter into the flour mixture. You should still have bits of butter that are about the size of peas throughout the dough. Set aside 1/2 – 3/4 cup of this to be used as a topping later.
Press the remaining flour/butter mixture into the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking dish. You can use your hands or the back of a measuring cup.
Make the ricotta filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Pour it over the crust.
Place the peach slices on top of the cheese filling. I usually peel and slice the peaches even before I start making the cheesecake bars, or you can use canned sliced peaches. Here’s a tutorial of how the easiest way to peel fresh peaches.
Sprinkle the topping over the peaches that you set aside earlier.
Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, until it is slightly golden on top and the cheese filling is baked through and just very slightly jiggly when you move it.
Cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Store leftovers at room temperature for a day or refrigerate up to 5 days.

Helpful Tips

Using a food processor helps to give the crumb mixture the perfect texture.

A food processor makes this recipe really quick and easy, plus, it keeps the butter cold while mixing it into the flour. This is the secret to a crust that is tender, not dense.

How can I make this recipe without a food processor?

Use a fork or your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients. Work quickly, so that the warmth of your hands doesn’t melt the butter too much. Make sure to leave some pea sized pieces of butter in the mix, you don’t want the butter to be completely incorporated into the flour, or the crust will be too dense.

Use ripe peaches. You can also use canned sliced peaches or other fruit/berries.

It is important to use ripe peaches. If they are too hard, they will not soften much while baking.
This recipe is so versatile. You can use whatever fruit or berries are in season, or even a combination of several.

What’s the best way to store the cheesecake bars?

Store them at room temperature for a day and refrigerated for up to 5 days.