Bready or Not: Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars

These Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars are thick, lush, and oh-so-good.

I had to make this recipe twice to get it right. The first time I made it, I chilled it for only a few hours and then started to cut up the bars. It became a huge, awful mess. I was embarrassed by how they looked–crumbles more than bars–but my husband took them to work and people went crazy over them.

It turned out, the recipe produced something seriously delicious… but it sure needed a lot more time to set.

Therefore, I made them again. I also tweaked it from the original by taking out extra pecans and adding the essential ingredient of cream of tartar. I mean, what the heck? Something can’t be named Snickerdoodle and lack cream of tartar!

This time, I let the bars set in the fridge for almost a full day before I sliced them. The top crackled but the bars stayed cohesive–and my husband’s co-workers went bonkers over them, yet again.

This recipe makes a lot, too. The bars fill a 13×9 pan all the way to the top! Have a lot of containers handy, or keep them in the original pan with plastic wrap or foil over the top.

These Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars would wow a crowd at a holiday potluck! The leftovers keep well for days, too.

Modified from Shugary Sweets.

Print Recipe

Bready or Not: Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars

These Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars are thick and lush, filling a 13x9 casserole pan all the way to the top. Be sure to read through the full recipe before you start--the baked bars need to set overnight in the fridge, at minimum, before being cut, or they'll make a delicious mess.

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: bars, cream cheese, snickerdoodle

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

Crust

• 8 ounces graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup pecans chopped
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted

Cheesecake Filling

• 16 ounces cream cheese 2 boxes, softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Snickerdoodle layer

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Topping

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

• Line a 13x9 baking dish with aluminum foil so that it is covered on the bottom and all four sides; apply nonstick spray or butter. Set dish aside. Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
• In a food processor, pulse graham crackers with pecans and sugar until everything is reduced to fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until it clumps.
• Press the crumbs into the bottom of prepared baking dish. A handy way to do this is to lay a piece of wax paper over the crumbs, then use a glass to compress the bottom crust. Form an even layer.
• Next, start the cheesecake filling. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Beat until fluffy and smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour over the filling over the graham crust.
• Time for the cookie dough top crust! Clean up the bowl and use it to beat the butter with sugar for 2 minutes, until it's fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Add the baking powder, salt, flour, cinnamon, and cream of tartar. Use your hands to form flat pieces of dough to lay atop the cream cheese. Fill in the holes until you form a cookie dough lid.
• In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon topping, and sprinkle that over the top layer.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes. The cookie dough layer should be completely cooked and golden, even if the middle still jiggles a bit. The cheesecake bars will completely fill the pan.
• Remove from oven and cool completely. Once it's cooled, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or full a full day. THIS IS IMPORTANT. It will be delicious if you cut into it early, but it will also be a complete mess when cut!
• After the bars have had a long chill, cut them into bars and keep stored in fridge.
• OM NOM NOM!