Rhubarb Cheesecake Squares

When rhubarb season arrives everyone knows it. Rhubarb shows up everywhere because it just keeps growing and growing and growing! Not that we're complaining. Rhubarb is an amazing ingredients in soooo many things. Throw it in with some strawberries or blueberries and the flavor of whatever you are making just gets better. 

These cheesecake squares can be whipped up in about an hour from start to finish and will make you all sorts of new friends. People cannot get enough of them! And by "people" I mean me. I may have eaten more than one..... quality control, you understand. 

But seriously, be prepared to make more than one pan of these!

Rhubarb Cheesecake Squares

Ingredients

Rhubarb Layer

5 cups chopped rhubarb

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp water

3 tsp cornstarch

Cheesecake Layer

2 - 8 oz bricks of cream cheese (16 oz total), room temp

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 egg

Crust/Crumb Layers

1 cup butter

1 3/4 cup flour

1 cup oats

3/4 cup brown sugar

pinch salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9 X 13 pan with parchment paper, set aside. 

Prepare rhubarb layer - cook rhubarb, sugar, and water. Simmer for 8 minutes over medium heat. Add in the cornstarch and cook 2 more minutes. Set aside to cool.

Prepare cheesecake layer - Beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar, and egg until smooth. Set aside. 

Prepare crust/crumb layer - Crumble together butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt. Add half of this mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly. 

Add the walnuts to the remaining half and set aside. 

Assemble square: Scoop cheesecake mixture by the spoonful on top of the crust and spread with a spoon, being careful not to disturb the crust layer too much. 

Spread the rhubarb mixture on top of the cheesecake.

Lastly, crumble on the remaining crust/crumb mixture evenly over the top.

Lightly press down. 

Bake in 350 oven until topping is golden brown and cheesecake is set - about 30 minutes. 

Cool completely before slicing. Store in fridge. 

Love cheesecake but not the time involved to make it? Give this a try. All the tastiness of cheesecake but in a fraction of the time. Plus... rhubarb and crumbly bits.... you've got nothing to lose here. 

FYI - If you are a little shy of 5 cups of rhubarb you can make up the difference with strawberries!