So easy and so delicious! I love cheesecake but it’s such a pain to make. These cheesecake bars are the perfect solution. I found this magical recipe on Handle the Heat and I couldn't resist trying them.
This recipe is actually perfect. I literally didn’t change Tess’s recipe at all. I highly recommend reading her blog and recipe on this because she breaks it down step-by-step and makes it even easier.
There is no combination more magical than sweet, creamy cheesecake and salty, silky caramel. I’ve always loved cheesecake but only really had it while I was out because it is so hard to make! My attempts at making cheesecake was either over or under baked, or had ugly, deep cracks in the center after baking. These cheesecake bars are fool-proof! No water-bath or gelatin is necessary. Just pop it in the oven to bake and stick it in the fridge to chill after. I repeat: easy and delicious!
Not to get too political here, but is cheesecake pie or cake? This is a very polarizing topic, but I'm just gonna put it out there: cheesecake is pie. End of story. Even as I make cheesecake as bars, I still stand by the assertion that this dessert is, in fact, a pie.
Notes
Wine Recs
Sherry? Moscato? Port! All delicious with cheesecake. Although those are sweet wines, if that isn’t your jam you can try some champagne or lighter bodied reds like Pinot Noir.
Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Chilling Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours, 50 minutes
Yield: 9 servings
Ingredients for Crust
9 graham crackers
¼ tsp cinnamon
6 Tbsp butter, melted
Ingredients for Cheesecake
16 oz of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
¾ cups granulated sugar
½ cups caramel sauce
¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp fine sea salt
Ingredients for Caramel Topping
⅓ cup caramel sauce
Sea salt to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper.
In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until they’re finley ground. Then add the melted butter and pulse again until the mixture is moist.
Press the crumb mixture into the prepared pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or a glass to press the crumb mixture tightly and evenly into the pan.
Bake the crust until fragrant, about 10 minute. Remove and allow the crust to completely cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Begin making the cheesecake filling.
In a large, electric mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, sugar and caramel until smooth and creamy.
Next, add the sour cream and the eggs one at a time, blending after each addition.
Add vanilla and salt and blend until just combined. Don’t overmix your cheesecake filling.
Spread the batter evenly over the graham cracker crust.
Bake for 40-45 minutes at 325 degrees F until the middle is just set and the edges are slightly raised.
Leaving the cheesecake bars in the oven, turn the oven off and crack the oven door open slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool slowly in the oven like this for 30 minutes.
Once the 30 minutes are up, remove from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature.
Pour the caramel on top of the cooled cheesecake and sprinkle flakey sea salt over the top to your liking.
Cover with foil and place in the fridge to cool and set for at least 4 hours to overnight.
Enjoy!
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