Description
Decadent cheesecake bars with a graham cracker crust, swirled dulce de leche cheesecake filling, and a rich caramel topping finished with flaky sea salt.
Ingredients
- Nonstick spray
- 2¼ cups finely ground graham crackers (about 17 crackers)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- ¼–½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 10 Tbsp melted butter (1¼ sticks)
- 3 (8‑oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup dulce de leche (room temperature; reserve remainder for topping)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup dulce de leche (for topping)
- 3+ Tbsp heavy whipping cream
- Fleur de sel
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F. Coat a 13×9×2‑inch pan with nonstick spray. Lining with foil makes lifting easier.
- Combine graham crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon; stir in melted butter. Press into the pan and bake until lightly golden (~10 minutes). Cool completely.
- Blend cream cheese and sugar until smooth, then incorporate ½ cup dulce de leche. Add eggs one at a time, blending briefly after each; stir in vanilla.
- Spread filling evenly over cooled crust. Bake until the edges are puffed and the center is slightly firm (~38 minutes). It may puff dramatically but will settle while cooling.
- Cool completely on a rack.
- For the topping, warm ⅔ cup dulce de leche with 3 Tbsp cream in short bursts, stirring until fluid enough to pour. Add extra cream if needed. Spread over cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate until chilled (~1 hour).
- Cut into a 4 by 6 grid for 24 squares. Right before serving, sprinkle with fleur de sel.
Notes
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the crust or topping for a nutty twist.
- Swirl in melted chocolate for a chocolate variation.
- Bake in mini muffin tins for bite-sized portions.
- Add a pinch of sea salt or cinnamon to the topping for a spiced finish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 160mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
