Ingredients
Crust
2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon white sugar
Cheesecake Filling
1 8-ounce block full-fat cream cheese, softened
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup sour cream, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg, at room temperature
Rhubarb Topping
4 stems rhubarb, very thinly sliced on a diagonal (~ ¼ inch thick)
¼ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
Combine all crust ingredients in a medium bowl. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Place in the oven and pre-bake for 5 minutes.
Combine sliced rhubarb with white sugar and vanilla and mix until pieces of rhubarb are fully coated.Allow to sit while you complete the rest of the recipe.
Next, place the cream cheese and white sugar in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice, then beat again until fully combined.
Next, add the egg and beat until just combined. Batter will be thick!
Pour half of the batter into the pan and carefully spread to cover the crust.
Add slices of rhubarb on top of the batter, until the entire pan is covered.
Pour the remaining batter into the pan, smooth again to cover the first layer of rhubarb.
Add a second layer of rhubarb to the top.
By now the sugar and vanilla that coated the rhubarb will be liquefied. Pour the remaining sugar liquid overtop of the rhubarb and cheesecake.
Place the prepared pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until the cheesecake is set and the rhubarb slices are softened.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack on the counter and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours.
Once chilled, use a sharp knife to slice the cheesecake into bars or squares.
Recipe developed and photographed by on-farm Registered Dietitian Alex Chesney