
Yields:
20
Prep Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 20 mins
Have you seen the viral Japanese crème brûlée baked directly inside a roasted sweet potato? Here’s a recipe inspired by that dish with a few twists for you to wow your guests. Get the best out of two great desserts by making these sweet potato crème brûlée bars. For fans of the classic cheesecake, you'll get that rich and creamy filling with a mix of sweet potato and some warm spices. For fans of the decadent crème brûlée, a crackly sugar top is sure to seal the deal. These bars are for those who want to impress their family and friends with a simple yet complicated-looking dessert. The benefit of this recipe is that you will only need to make one base batter that will then be transformed into two different layers.
For the best results, make these bars a day in advance to give them enough chill time for perfectly cut squares. A sharp hot knife will also help you achieve those beautiful sharp edges. Also, make sure your cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature. This will help bond and blend your batter together more easily, resulting in a homogenous and smooth batter.
The crème brûlée topping adds a great texture to these creamy bars. Make sure to take your time torching the sugar topping. You don’t want to torch one particular spot for too long causing the sugar to burn too fast. A lower torch flame and taking your time is definitely the way to go!
Make ahead:
The bars can be made and refrigerated 2 days ahead of time or frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months without the topping. To thaw, take the bars out of the freezer and leave them in the refrigerator overnight. Brûlée the topping just before serving.
Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Ingredients
Cooking spray
- 11
graham crackers, finely crushed (about 1 1/2 c.)
- 1/4 cup
(55 g.) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp.
kosher salt
- 6 Tbsp.
unsalted butter, melted
- 4
(8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups
(400 g.) granulated sugar, divided
- 4
large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
- 1
(15-oz.) can sweet potato puree
- 1/2 tsp.
ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp.
ground nutmeg
Equipment Needed
A kitchen torch
Directions
- Step 1Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 300°. Grease a 13" x 9" baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 1" overhang on all sides.
- Step 2In a medium bowl, mix cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and salt. Add butter and stir until combined.
- Step 3Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, pressing into bottom and up sides of pan with the bottom of a measuring cup or glass.
- Step 4In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer on low speed (or in the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat cream cheese and 1 1/2 c. (300 g.) granulated sugar, scraping down sides of bowl, until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 5Add eggs, one at a time, beating to blend after each addition (avoid overmixing eggs to prevent cheesecake from cracking). Beat in vanilla.
- Step 6Transfer 2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. (500 g.) cream cheese mixture to a small bowl, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Add sweet potato puree to remaining cream cheese mixture in large bowl. Add cinnamon and nutmeg and mix to combine.
- Step 7Spoon potato mixture over crust. Using an offset spatula, smooth top. Freeze until cold, about 45 minutes.
- Step 8Carefully spoon reserved cream cheese mixture over; smooth second layer with an offset spatula.
- Step 9Bake bars until just set, 40 to 50 minutes. Turn off oven, prop open door, and let bars cool, about 2 hours. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until bars are chilled and firm, at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
- Step 10Using parchment overhang, lift out bars and transfer to a cutting board. Fill a tall container with hot water deep enough to cover the blade of your knife, then dip knife into hot water. Wipe on a clean towel before each cut. Slice bars into squares.
- Step 11Sprinkle tops of each square with remaining 1/2 c. (100 g.) granulated sugar. Using kitchen torch, torch tops until it turns a deep amber color.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below