Why you’ll love it: These easy grapefruit cheesecake bars are rich, yet refreshing. This is a perfect summer dessert recipe but the sunny citrus flavor will brighten up a winter menu, too.

How long it takes: 50 minutes to prep and bake, chill for at least 4 hours
Equipment you’ll need: square baking pan or dish, parchment paper, electric mixer
Servings: 12

Grapefruit cheesecake square, topped with a slice of grapefruit.
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!

Grapefruit Cheesecake

It’s easy! Does making cheesecake intimidate you? I know I feel a bit intimidated by most cheesecake recipes. Springform pans, looming cracks, and 4 blocks of cream cheese? Yikes! In true Rachel Cooks form, this recipe is significantly easier than the traditional recipes for cheesecake.

Lighter than classic cheesecake. This grapefruit cheesecake recipe is made with only one 8 ounce package of cream cheese (you can use reduced fat!). It’s not nearly as dense as classic cheesecake which can be cloyingly sweet and rich. This cheesecake is perfect for summer!

No special equipment. Grapefruit cheesecake is baked in a regular square baking pan so you won’t need to buy a springform pan. The pan is lined with parchment paper, so after you let the grapefruit cheesecake bars chill, all you need to do is lift that parchment paper out and slice the cheesecake into squares. It’s SO easy.

Helpful Tips

This cheesecake will appear alarmingly runny, even after cooking. Trust the baking instructions, and chill the cheesecake completely in the fridge. It will set up and be perfect for slicing.

Don’t forget the garnish. I recommend a slice of fresh grapefruit, and a sprig of fresh mint to garnish each serving. They add a bright freshness that is a perfect contrast to the sweet filling of the cheesecake.

Grapefruit cheesecake square with a bite taken out of it.

More Grapefruit Recipes

I love the the beautiful color, tartness, and juiciness of pink grapefruit! You can enjoy it plain or in these recipes:

Recipe

Easy Grapefruit Cheesecake Bars

5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Additional Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 12
These easy grapefruit cheesecake bars are rich, yet refreshing. This is a perfect summer dessert recipe but the sunny citrus flavor will brighten up a winter menu, too.
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients 

  • 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (10 full sheets graham crackers, crushed)
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • cup granulated sugar
  • 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened (regular cream cheese is fine, too)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
  • 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
  • grapefruit segments and fresh mint, for garnish

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Spray an 8 or 9-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray; line with parchment paper, and then spray parchment paper.
  • If you have whole graham crackers, use a food processor to crush crackers into fine crumbs. Stir sugar and melted butter into the graham cracker crumbs and mix until combined. Press firmly into prepared pan. (I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to do this.)
    1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • Bake crust for 7 minutes. Remove from oven.
  • While the crust is baking, beat the cream cheese until fluffy using an electric mixer, and then beat in the egg, sweetened condensed milk, grapefruit juice, and the zest until combined. Filling will be quite runny.
    8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened, 2 large eggs, 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, ½ cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
  • Pour filling onto the pre-baked crust. Bake until golden brown around the edges and the middle is slightly jiggly, about 35 minutes.
  • Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate bars for at least 4 hours. They’ll continue to firm up as they chill.
  • Lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into 12 squares.
  • Garnish each serving with a fresh grapefruit segment and a sprig of fresh mint, and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1square, Calories: 277kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 68mg, Sodium: 192mg, Potassium: 218mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 414IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 138mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Holiday Quick-Start Guide

Get my Holiday

Quick-Start Guide!

Free email series of my best tips!

FREE BONUS!

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




10 Comments

  1. marq says:

    Can this be made a day ahead?

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      That should be fine – just wait until immediately before serving to add any toppings.

  2. Julie @ Cooks with Cocktails says:

    Yum! This looks delish and I love that its not fussy. This one is going on the list.

  3. Claire Volkman says:

    I’m in love with that juicy grapefruit on top!!

  4. rachel @ athletic avocado says:

    I love the grapefruit and mint combo here, sounds so refreshing and perfect for spring :)

  5. DessertForTwo says:

    I am such a grapefruit lover! And I love how you make these easy :)

  6. Christine @ WRY TOAST says:

    I grow a little urban garden on my NYC terrace, and my Basil + Cilantro grew like WEEDS last year, I could barely keep up! I think the key for those plants is not nearly as much sun as they tell you they need. Mine were grown North-facing, so maybe that will help :)

  7. denise says:

    sounds refreshing

  8. sarah k @ the pajama chef says:

    oh man, what a treat! i love pairing fruit with mint…i bet this combo is spectacular!

  9. cookbook queen says:

    Girl, I have the blackest thumbs in the land. If you figure out how to grow something without killing it, send me your tips!!! Love that these are grapefruit flavored — such a perfect Summer flavor!!