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Yields:
15 - 24
Prep Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
8 hrs 15 mins
It’s a scientific fact that when you add cookie butter to something, that something becomes infinitely better. I'm not here to say cheesecake needs an upgrade, but I'm definitely not opposed to the occasional zhuzhing, and these cheesecake bars are “zhuzh” in a decadent, creamy, oh-so-dreamy dessert form. And did I mention the caramel drizzle topping? There’s a caramel drizzle topping. I'm opting for a homemade caramel sauce, but there's absolutely zero shame if you go the store-bought route.
Besides the dynamite flavor combo of cookie butter and caramel, I love these cheesecake bars because they’re a little less fussy than regular cheesecake (no water bath required!). Cheesecake can be intimidating—I get it—so I’ve thought through some cheesecake-related questions you might ask yourself along the way:
Why do my ingredients need to be room temp?
It's near impossible to get that velvety smooth, perfectly combined cream cheese filling if your ingredients are even the tiniest bit chilly.
Why do I have to scrape down the bowl so often?
Again, this comes down to getting a silky, homogenous batter. We don't want any streaks of cream cheese or cookie butter interrupting our beautiful creamy filling.
How do I avoid cracks in my cheesecake?
First, be careful not to overmix once the eggs have been introduced into the batter. Overdeveloping the egg proteins can cause the cheesecake to crack while baking or as it cools. Second, baking cheesecake at a lower temperature in the center of the oven reduces the chances of any cheesecake-crack-incidents. So don’t forget to reduce the oven temp to 325° after the crumb base has baked and place the cheesecake on the center oven rack. Third, be careful not to overbake. We're looking for a little jiggle in the center (think Jell-O). The good news is, even a cracked cheesecake is a delicious cheesecake. Plus, caramel sauce and crushed up Biscoff cookies make for great concealer.
Storage:
If you're looking to make these ahead of time, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Cut into bars, then top with caramel, crushed up Biscoff cookies, and sea salt when ready to serve.
Are your ingredients coming to room temp yet? Because the sooner you make these cookie butter cheesecake bars, the better. And if you love these, be sure to check out some of our other favorite cheesecakes in bar form: pumpkin cheesecake brownies, raspberry cheesecake bars, or coconut cheesecake bars.
Made these bars? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
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Ingredients
Cookie Crust
Cooking spray
- 36
Biscoff cookies
- 1/2 cup
(1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 Tbsp.
granulated sugar
Cheesecake Filling
- 3
(8-oz.) pkg. full-fat cream cheese, very softened
- 1 cup
(288 g.) creamy Biscoff cookie butter
- 1 cup
(200 g.) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup
(120 g.) full-fat sour cream, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp.
pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp.
kosher salt
- 4
large eggs, room temperature
Assembly
- 1/2 cup
store-bought or homemade caramel sauce
Crushed Biscoff cookies, for topping
Flaky sea salt
Directions
Cookie Crust
- Step 1Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°. Spray a 13" x 9" metal baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving an overhang on 2 long sides.
- Step 2In a large food processor, pulse cookies into fine crumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add butter and granulated sugar and mix until combined. Pour crumb mixture into prepared pan and firmly press into an even layer (the bottom of a measuring cup comes in handy here).
- Step 3Bake crust until lightly toasted and fragrant, 9 to 11 minutes. Let cool.
Cheesecake Filling
- Step 1Reduce oven temperature to 325°. In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, cookie butter, and granulated sugar on medium speed, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl, until combined and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Step 2Add sour cream, vanilla, and kosher salt and beat on low speed to combine. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl once more. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to blend on low speed after each addition; be careful not to overmix once the eggs have been added, as this increases the chance of the cheesecake cracking.
- Step 3Pour cream cheese filling over cooled crust and gently smooth into an even layer. Tap pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Step 4Bake cheesecake until edges are set and slightly puffed and center is almost set but maintains a slight jiggle, 32 to 36 minutes. (Tip: You want the center to jiggle like Jell-O, not slosh like water.) Let cool completely, 1 to 2 hours.
- Step 5Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
- Step 6Run a knife along edges of pan. Using parchment overhang, lift cheesecake out of pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares (TIP: For clean slices, use a sharp knife that's been dipped in warm water and dried off; clean knife periodically between slices.)
Assembly
- Step 1In a small heatproof bowl, microwave caramel sauce in 10-second increments, stirring between each, until runny, about 30 seconds total.
- Step 2Spoon or drizzle sauce over each bar. Top with crumbs and sea salt.
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