Easy Cheesecake Bars

Name: Easy Cheesecake Bars
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 Cups crushed cookies; 1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick) melted; 1/4 Cup brown sugar; 2 blocks Cream cheese (8 -ounce blocks); 1 Cup granulated sugar; 3 large eggs (room temperature); 1/4 Cup sour cream; 2 tsps pure vanilla extract; 1 large lemon; 1/2 tsp salt; Optional - cherry filling, fresh strawberries, or cranberries to top the cheesecake.

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When I ask people their favorite dessert, most often they say, “cheesecake”.

Of course, cheesecake is a creamy cake with sweet crust. Many do not make it because of the baking in a spring-pan and the worry of it baking properly.

Today, I want to show you an easy way to get the same taste as a baked spring-pan cheesecake with cheesecake bars in a pan.

In this recipe I use lemon gingersnap cookies instead of graham crackers. The nice thing is you can use any type of cookie to make the crust.

Watch the how-to video and follow along to make your yummy cheesecake.

Here is what you need

Preheat 350 F to bake crust. Reduce to 325 F to bake the cheesecake.

To make crust:

2 Cups crushed cookies
1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter
1/4 Cup brown sugar

To make cheesecake filling:

2 8-ounce blocks cream cheese
1 Cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs (room temperature)
1/4 Cup sour cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional – cherry filling, fresh strawberries, or cranberries to top the cheesecake.

How to Make:

See printable recipe below.

Makes 10 – 18 bars (depending on how big you cut them)

Preheat oven 350 F

To make crust:

1. Crush cookies with a food processor or use rolling pin (put cookies in plastic bag and roll).

2. In a bowl, mix the melted butter and brown sugar.

3. In a 9 x 9 pan (lined with foil or parchment paper), press crust into pan.

4. Bake crust for 10-12 minutes.

Make cheesecake filling:

1. In a large bowl, beat (with a mixer) cream cheese and sugar until creamy.

2. Add in the eggs. Mix well.

3. Mix in sour cream, vanilla, and salt.

4. With. a lemon zester or grater, grate lemon peel into batter.

5. Squeeze lemon juice into bater. Mix well.

6. Pour filling on top of baked crust.

7. Place another pan filled with water into oven to give moisture while cheesecake is baking.

8. Bake for 40 minutes.

9. Turn oven off and let sit in oven for 15 minutes.

Cool.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set.

Top with cherry fiilling, fresh strawberries or cranberries.

Enjoy!