These rainbow cheesecake bars take everything I love about a classic, creamy cheesecake and give it a vibrant, tie-dye makeover. No messy water baths or complicated techniques here. Just bold colors, a buttery crust, and a whole lot of fun in every bite!
Tie Dye Cheesecake Bars with Shortbread Crust
The magic of my rainbow cheesecake bars comes down to managing texture and temperature. The contrast of the creamy, tangy cheesecake batter with the buttery shortbread base is simple yet irresistible. I keep my cheesecake batter silky-smooth by using room-temperature ingredients–that’s a non-negotiable! Everything blends together without any pesky lumps.
When it comes to the rainbow itself, gel coloring is the key. Unlike liquid drops, concentrated gels provide a neon punch without thinning out the batter. This consistency is what allows your colors to stay in distinct, beautiful dollops rather than bleeding together.
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Optional Shortcut Water Bath
I usually skip the messy water bath, but for extra crack-free insurance, you can create a quick steam sauna. Just pour 1 cup of water into your preheated rimmed baking sheet right as you place the cheesecake pan on top of it. This creates a burst of steam that keeps the surface flexible and the rainbow colors vibrant without the risk of a leaky water bath.
Rainbow Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 8x8x2 Baking Pan
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter slightly melted (2 sticks)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Cheesecake:
- 24 ounces cream cheese room temperature (3 bricks)*
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple**
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and grease the parchment with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, slightly melted butter, sugar, and salt together until smooth.1¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup unsalted butter , 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Use a spatula to spread this evenly in the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- While the crust chills, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- After 30 minutes, use a fork to poke a few holes into the crust, then place it in the oven to bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges and no longer shiny on top.
- Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes before adding the cheesecake batter.
For the Cheesecake:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar together on medium speed until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.24 ounces cream cheese, 1½ cups granulated sugar
- Beat in eggs, one at a time, on low speed until fully combined, about 10-15 seconds each.3 large eggs
- Beat the sour cream and vanilla extract into the cheesecake batter on low until fully combined, about 30 seconds.½ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Separate cheesecake batter evenly into 6 bowls (about 208 grams per bowl). Color one bowl of cheesecake batter red, one orange, one yellow, one green, one blue, and one purple.Gel food coloring
- Use one spoon per bowl to drop dollops of colored cheesecake batter over the cooled crust, alternating colors until all of the batter has been used.
- Place the baking pan on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 55-60 minutes, or until the cheesecake looks set.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature for about 2 hours.
- Once cooled, wrap the cheesecake (still in the cake pan) well in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
- Unmold the chilled cheesecake from the pan and cut into 16 squares. Top with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles, if desired. Serve cold.
Notes
- If the dough for the crust is sticky and won’t spread evenly, spray the spatula with nonstick cooking spray to help smooth out the crust batter.
- Once you add the eggs to your cheesecake batter, switch your mixer to the lowest speed. Overbeating can cause cracks.
- Purple food coloring can sometimes turn dull during baking. Add a tiny drop of pink or red to help it maintain its vibrant hue.
- Don’t swirl the colors together, as this can turn them muddy. Just do clean dollops, using a different spoon for each color to avoid contaminating them.
- After layering your colors, firmly tap the baking pan on the counter 5-10 times to release trapped air bubbles that can create holes.
- Optional Steam Trick: Preheat a rimmed baking sheet in the oven. Once hot, add the cheesecake pan on top, then pour 1 cup of water into the rimmed baking sheet (around the cheesecake pan, but not inside), and quickly close the door to trap in the steam and prevent cracks.
- This cheesecake pan will be very full, so be careful when transferring to the oven so you don’t spill.
- The cheesecake is done when the edges are set, but the center has a slight, uniform jiggle (like Jell-O). It will firm up completely during the 8-hour chill.
- If the cheesecake does crack, cover the cracks with whipped cream and sprinkles.
- For perfectly sharp edges, dip a sharp knife in hot water and wipe it dry before every cut.
How to Make Rainbow Cheesecake Bars Step-by-Step
Prep: Gather all of the ingredients needed to make this tie dye cheesecake recipe. Bring the cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before beginning. Slightly melt the butter by microwaving it for 30 seconds. Let cool while you line an 8×8-inch baking pan (at least 2 inches in depth) with parchment paper. Have the parchment paper slightly higher than the edges of the pan to make the cheesecake bars easier to lift out once they have cooled. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
Mix the Crust: In a medium bowl, mix 1¼ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of slightly melted butter, 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt together until smooth. The dough will be quite soft, but that’s ok!
Shape and Chill the Crust: Use a greased rubber or offset spatula to spread the crust mixture evenly in the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Place the crust in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. While the crust chills, preheat your oven to 350°F.
Dock and Bake the Crust: After 30 minutes, use a fork to poke a few holes into the crust, then place it in the preheated oven to bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned at the edges and no longer wet on top.
Cool the Crust: Remove the baked shortbread cookie crust from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes before adding in the cheesecake batter. I like to prep the batter while the crust is cooling. Reduce your oven heat to 325°F.
Beat the Cream Cheese: In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, beat 24 ounces (3 bricks) of room-temperature cream cheese and 1½ cups of granulated sugar together on medium speed until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the Eggs: Turn the mixer down to low speed, and beat in 3 large, room-temperature eggs, one at a time, until fully combined. This should take about 10-15 seconds per egg. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the Sour Cream and Vanilla: Staying on low speed, beat ½ cup of room-temperature sour cream and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract into the cheesecake batter until fully combined, about 30 seconds.
Divide and Color the Batter: Separate the cheesecake batter evenly into 6 bowls (about 208 grams per bowl). Use gel food coloring to color one bowl of cheesecake batter red, one orange, one yellow, one green, one blue, and one purple. If you use water-based food coloring, the batter will turn out more of a pastel color. Do not add too much water-based food coloring, or you will throw off the texture and flavor of the batter–just 3-5 drops.
Layer the Cheesecake Batter: Use one spoon per bowl to place colorful cheesecake batter dollops randomly over the baked shortbread crust. Alternate colors until all the cheesecake batter is in the cake pan. You’ll have multiple layers of cheesecake batter in the pan that will make for a nice rainbow effect when the cheesecake bars are sliced.
Bake and Cool the Cheesecake: Carefully place your cheesecake on a baking sheet in the preheated oven, and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the cheesecake looks set (the middle should only have a very slight jiggle). Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature for about 2 hours. There may be a few slight cracks in the top, but that’s okay. You can cover those later with delicious toppings.
Chill and Serve: Once cooled, wrap the cheesecake (still in the cake pan) well in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours (preferably overnight) before unmolding from the pan and cutting into 16 equal squares using a 4×4 grid. Top with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles, if desired. Serve chilled.
How to Store and Freeze
Store leftover rainbow cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil in the freezer for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying chilled.
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