Easy Grapefruit Cheesecake Bars with Mint

This easy grapefruit cheesecake with mint is rich yet refreshing. It’s a perfect summer dessert for any occasion. 

Spring has been a huge tease here in Michigan this year. We’ve had a few (very few) warm days and then it plummets back to cold and even snow. Saturday was gorgeous and sunny but so deceiving because it was cold! But hey, I’ll still take the sun.

I’m eager to get into our yard and start some planting and gardening. I’m far from having a green thumb, and really, I just want an abundance of fresh herbs back in my life, but it’s fun to plant something and see it (hopefully) grow. My chives are already off to a great start and I haven’t even done anything besides remove some dead leaves from the ground. I wish all plants were perennials.

Spring is also the time of year when I try to cast aside my high-strung type-A personality and let the kids shovel dirt into the flower pots with me, making a gigantic mess. Of course, the battle to let them be kids and forget about that part of my personality is a constant internal struggle, but planting flowers is one job that they seem to especially enjoy.

Any gardening tips for me? Any new and fun herbs I should try planting? Last year I had rosemary, thyme, sage, chives, basil (didn’t do so well), oregano, mint, and something else that died I think….can’t remember what. Oh, cilantro! That was the hardest one to keep alive, and also one that I use the most often. SO sad!

About this Grapefruit Cheesecake Recipe:

Does cheesecake intimidate any of you? Springform pans, cracks, and 4 blocks of cream cheese? Seems a little scary to me, too, if I’m being honest. In true Rachel Cooks form, this recipe is significantly easier than the traditional version of cheesecake.

This grapefruit cheesecake is made with only one eight ounce package of cream cheese (you can use reduced fat!), and baked in an 8×8 or 9×9 pan lined with parchment paper. After you let the grapefruit cheesecake bars cool, all you need to do is lift that parchment paper out and slice the cheesecake into squares. It’s SO easy.

Used in this recipe:

• square glass pan
• parchment paper
• sharp knife to cut bars

 

Love pink grapefruit?

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

 

• Spring salad with rose vinaigrette, asparagus, and grapefruit
• Citrus salad with mint, honey, and lime
• Citrus and beef skewers with grapefruit and garlic
• Easy grapefruit slush recipe by She Wears Many Hats
• Pink grapefruit yogurt cake recipe by 2 Peas and Their Pod

Verdict: Obsessed. I love piling a bunch of the fresh grapefruit and mint on top of the grapefruit cheesecake bars – it adds such a bright freshness that is the perfect contrast to the rich filling of the cheesecake.
Husband’s take: He liked these more than I actually thought he would – he’s not a big cheesecake fan usually…or grapefruit for that matter. He left behind some of the graham cracker crust, stating it was “too rich,” but I think he’s crazy and that’s the best part!
Changes I would make: None are necessary!
Difficulty: For a cheesecake, easy! It will appear alarmingly runny, even after cooking. Trust your gut and the baking instructions and let it cool completely in the fridge. It will set up and be perfect for slicing.