Description
Delight in these rich and creamy cheesecake bars with a buttery sugar cookie crust, topped with luscious cherry pie filling and crunchy almond crumble. Perfect for a sweet treat or dessert, they combine classic flavors in an easy-to-make bar form.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust and Topping
- 1 (8.5 oz) Sugar Cookie Mix
- 4 tbsp Butter, Cold and cubed
- 1/3 cup Almonds, Sliced
Cheesecake Filling
- 1 (8 oz) Cream Cheese, Softened
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 tbsp Flour
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Egg
Topping
- 3/4 can (approximately 12 oz) Cherry Pie Filling
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with non-stick spray, and set it aside.
- Make the crumble base: In a small bowl, combine the sugar cookie mix with the cold, cubed butter. Use a fork to blend them together until the mixture becomes crumbly. Reserve 3/4 cup of this crumbly mixture for the topping, and press the rest firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust.
- Bake the crust: Place the crust in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. After baking, transfer it to the refrigerator to cool quickly while you prepare the filling.
- Prepare the cheesecake filling: In a mixing bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, and egg until the mixture is smooth and creamy with no lumps.
- Assemble the cheesecake layer: Evenly spread the cheesecake filling over the chilled crust, ensuring the entire surface is covered.
- Add cherry topping: Spoon the cherry pie filling evenly over the cheesecake layer, spreading carefully to cover the surface.
- Prepare and add the crumb topping: Stir the sliced almonds into the reserved cookie crumble mixture. Sprinkle this almond crumble evenly over the cherry pie filling.
- Bake the assembled bars: Bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the cheesecake layer is set.
- Cool and chill: Allow the bars to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then transfer them to the refrigerator. Chill until cold and firm before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Using cold butter helps create a crumbly, biscuit-like base and topping.
- For best results, ensure the cream cheese is fully softened to avoid lumps in the cheesecake filling.
- You can substitute cherry pie filling with other fruit pie fillings for different flavors.
- Store these bars refrigerated and consume within 3-4 days for optimal freshness.
- Let the bars chill thoroughly to achieve clean slices when cutting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cheesecake bars, cherry cheesecake bars, dessert bars, easy cheesecake recipe, cherry pie filling dessert
