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My red velvet obsession has extended once again; this time, I can’t stop thinking about these red velvet cheesecake bars! With a thick, cakey crust and rich creamy topping, these easy treats will fulfill your red velvet craving without costing you the time and energy of whipping up a whole cheesecake. 

stacked red velvet bars with a yellow top of frosting.


Cheesecake with Cake Mix Crust

If you’re a regular reader (or have taken just a quick browse through my blog), you know I love red velvet. It’s rich, unique, and always calls for my other love: cream cheese. And as the name of my blog suggests, I’m a pretty big fan of crust. That’s why I made the soft, doughy crust of these bars extra thick. The distinct taste of red velvet can sometimes be drowned out by the tangy punch of cream cheese, but not this time! 

If you aren’t as gung-ho about red velvet as I am, have no fear; this recipe can be used with any cake flavor.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Endless variations make this recipe perfect for any occasion
  • Using boxed cake mix cuts out unnecessary steps and eliminates potential mistakes
  • Simpler and easier than making a whole cheesecake or even mini cheesecakes, yet just as delicious

Ingredients in Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars 

  • Red velvet cake mix  – or any flavor!
  • Eggs – large, room temperature
  • Butter – unsalted, softened
  • Cream cheese – The cream cheese must be room temperature to avoid lumps in your cheesecake!
  • Sour cream – room temperature is a must to avoid lumps!

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

stacked red velvet bars with a yellow top of frosting.

How to Make Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars

  • Preheat oven: Before you begin baking, preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a pan with aluminum foil and cooking spray.
  • Create dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, egg, and cake mix with a paddle attachment. Mix them together until the ingredients have formed into a thick cookie dough. Using a hand mixer would work as well for this step, but it will take a bit longer for the dough to form. Press your dough into the bottom of the pan you just prepared.
  • Make topping: Beat the cream cheese until it becomes smooth, then mix in the sugar. Once smooth, add the egg, sour cream, and vanilla extract and beat them together. Stir in your chocolate chips and then pour the mixture over the dough you pressed into the pan. Again, a hand mixer will work for this, but a stand mixer is ideal. 
  • Bake: For 30 to 40 minutes, bake the red velvet cheesecake bars until the cheesecake has started to brown. If it’s still jiggly in the center, don’t worry! It’s supposed to be a bit jiggly. Allow the bars to cool entirely and chill them for at least four hours before slicing. 
stacked red velvet bars with a yellow top of frosting.

Expert Tips

  • Make sure that all of your ingredients are room temperature before mixing. Cold ingredients will make lumps harder to eliminate. 
  • Low-fat cream cheese won’t do the trick in this recipe. Fat makes cheesecake creamier and richer, so don’t be afraid to reach for the original. 

FAQs

Can I use another cake mix flavor?

Yes! You can use any cake mix you’d like for this recipe.

Does red velvet cheesecake need to be refrigerated?

Yes, you should refrigerate these bars in an airtight container. They should keep for up to five days. 

Can I freeze cheesecake bars?

Yes, you can freeze cheesecake bars for up to a month. 

Stack of Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars Recipe

4.20 from 5 votes
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars with a red velvet crust!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Chill time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield 24 bars
Serving Size 1 bar
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 box red velvet cake mix
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened
  • 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (61g) sour cream room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup mini chocolate chips
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
  • Mix butter, egg, and cake mix in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can also use a hand mixer but it will take longer. Mix until a thick cookie dough is formed. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  • Beat cream cheese until smooth. Mix in sugar until smooth. Mix in egg, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until no lumps remain. (Your ingredients MUST be room temperature. A stand mixer does the job best, but a hand mixer will suffice if needed.) Stir in chocolate chips and pour over red velvet mixture.
  • Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until cheesecake starts to brown around the edges and is no longer wet looking (it will still jiggle slightly in the center). Cool completely to room temperature, then chill (4 hours or overnight is best) before slicing into bars.

Recipe Notes

  • Don’t use low fat cream cheese
  • You can use any flavor cake mix
  • Make sure all ingredients are room temperature to avoid lumps.
  • Store bars in refrigerator or freeze in an airtight container.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

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Other Red Velvet Recipes



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.20 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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53 Comments

  1. Gimme gimme gimme! The more red velvet (especially right now for Valentine’s Day), the better! And yes, I’ve totally had those plans-gone-awry moments. But if the recipe is that good, it’s totally worth it! Pinned!

    Reply

  2. I’ll admit I have a love hate relationship with red velvet (my daughter loves it so I do make stuff occasionally)…and yes, it’s all about the red dye…so when I do color outside the lines and make something red velvet, I freak out and never use enough dye to make it a very RED red velvet, and by then, why did I bother?. And yes, I’ll be posting birthday cakes I’ve made sometime in the future that have dyed frosting to create whatever my kids’ latest passion is/was…so dye does happen here once in a while…..your bars look great and really, anyone that makes red velvet from scratch doesn’t HAVE to use the dye for it to taste the same, right? And your recipe gives so many mix options, who could complain? So, no need for haters…just flexible bakers 🙂

    Reply

  4. Yes! Totally have those moments all the time. Then when someone posts first you have to decide whether to hold off a few more weeks or just say “to heck with it” and post anyway. I’m so glad you shared these with us today though because this is my favorite version. They look gorgeous! 

    Reply

  5. I never realized howm any red velvet recipes you have! Love that! 🙂

    And I was chuckling about your red dye poisoning you comment. I just had a super irate comment over pudding mix. Cake mix, pudding mix, red dye, bring it ) And bring these! They’re gorgeous!

    Reply