Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Bars

Recipe by King Arthur Test Kitchen
63 Reviews 4.7 out of 5 stars

These creamy, vanilla-scented cheesecake bars are perfect with a cup of coffee. They deliver the full experience of a classic NY-style Cheesecake but with less fuss: no springform pan or water bath is required. Just press the crust into a pan, bake it briefly, and then add the cream cheese filling. You'll have cheesecake that you can eat anytime, any place in no time.

Prep
30 mins
Bake
40 to 50 mins
Total
3 hrs 30 mins
Yield
16 servings
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Bars - select to zoom
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Bars - select to zoom
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Bars - select to zoom
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Bars - select to zoom
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Bars - select to zoom

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

  2. To make the crust: Stir together the crumbs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and melted butter.

  3. Press into the bottom and about 1/2" inch up the sides of an 8" square pan.

  4. Freeze for 15 minutes if using a metal pan (not necessary if using ceramic or glass). Note: this is to prevent the edges of the crust from slumping. If you're not worried about slumping (and in our testing, it only happened some of the time), you can skip this step.

  5. Bake the crust for 8 to 10 minutes, until set; the color won't change much.

  6. Remove the crust from the oven and cool for a few minutes while you lower the oven temperature to 325°F.

  7. To make the batter: Mix the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.

  8. Add the cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice; mix until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as you mix.

  9. Spoon the batter into the crust.

  10. Bake the cheesecake bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling is set but still soft in the center. An instant-read thermometer, inserted into the filling about 1" in from the edge, will read about 180°F.

  11. Remove the cheesecake bars from the oven, and cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

  12. Just before serving, top the cheesecake bars with fresh berries, fruit pie filling, or whipped cream.

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