Crush your graham crackers into fine crumbs—I pulse them in a food processor for about 30 seconds until they're uniform. Mix the crumbs with melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla powder, and salt until it looks like wet sand. Press this mixture firmly into the bottom of a parchment-lined 8x8 inch square pan.

Pop the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes while you prep the filling. This helps it set and stay crispy once you add the creamy layer on top.

Beat your softened cream cheese with powdered sugar until it's totally smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. I personally use an electric mixer here because hand-whisking takes forever. Scrape down the bowl halfway through to catch any lumps hiding on the sides.

In a separate bowl, whip your cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form. This takes about 3-4 minutes with an electric mixer. Don't walk away—I learned that the hard way when I over-whipped it into butter once.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture using a rubber spatula. Do this slowly and carefully so you don't deflate all those airy peaks. Fold in the lemon zest and stir until everything's combined and fluffy.

Spread the filling over your chilled crust and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Top with fresh blueberries, pressing them in gently so they don't roll off when you cut the bars.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but overnight is even better. The longer these blueberry cheesecake bars cozy chill, the firmer they get and the cleaner your cuts will be. I always make mine the day before serving.

Cut into 12 squares using a sharp knife dipped in hot water between each cut. Wipe the blade clean after each slice to prevent dragging.