Cheesecakes are popular year-round, but especially during hot weather when you’re looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth and prefer something cold and not overly sweet. This recipe for Cinnamon-Pecan Cheesecake Bars is all of that and more!
CINNAMON-PECAN CHEESECAKE BARS
Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup chopped pecans
BAR BASE:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
CHEESECAKE FILLING:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make the topping, mix together the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until crumbly. This is easiest if you use your hands. Add the vanilla and pecans and mix again. Set aside.
For the bar base, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and then gently blend in flour mixed with salt. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass pan and gently pat the dough into the pan. It will be a pretty thin layer. Place in the preheated oven and bake 15 minutes.
While the base is baking prepare the filling by beating the cream cheese with sugar until creamy and well blended. Add eggs and beat until smooth.
Once the pan has been removed from the oven after 15 minutes, pour the cheesecake filling over the bar base, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-pecan mixture. Return to the oven and bake for about 25 minutes more, but check after 20 minutes. Once the filling starts getting golden and a bit puffy, it’s done.
Turn the oven off and prop the door open a few inches while the cake cools for the first 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
Rapid temperature changes may cause any cheesecake filling to crack or sink. Once the cheesecake has cooled, slice into individual bars. Run your knife around the edge of the pan first to make cutting easier. Use a pie server to lift out slices.
Refrigerate any leftovers. Yields 32 bars.
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