These Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars are the perfect rich and creamy sweet treat for any occasion. They are so simple to make, insanely delicious and will impress anybody you decide to share them with.

Monday has come around again all too quickly and I just realized yesterday that August is halfway over. I usually go into a bit of a mourning when I see how fast summer flies by, but honestly, I am more than happy to see this year end ASAP. Anyone else feel the same way?

I think Mondays call for cheesecake, so how about some Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars? I’ve been sitting on this recipe for about a month now and finally couldn’t wait any longer to share them. I saw these over at Mel’s Kitchen Cafe back in July and had them made probably only a day or two after seeing them.

These cheesecake bars start with a buttery graham cracker crust that has just a hint of cinnamon in it. Don’t leave it out, I promise you it makes these even better. Then a layer of creamy, rich cheesecake filling with dulce de leche mixed in ( FYI so, so good). Then they are finished off with a dulce de leche glaze. . . hello cheesecake heaven!

One thing I love about these bars is they make for a perfect sit-down dessert for a family or holiday dinner, but they also are great as a finger food for a BBQ or pot luck. Whatever way you decide to serve them, they are going to be a winner and loved by everyone!

Not only is the top of these bars topped with a layer of rich dulce de leche, but the cheesecake layer also has a delicious dose of dulce de leche mixed right into it. Oh, it’s good. Seriously good.

If making cheesecake terrifies you because of the whole water bath thing, then don’t fret because these bars require no water bath. I promise they are so simple to make and pretty hard to mess up.

These bars are the ultimate treat for any fan of cheesecake AND dulce de leche, like myself.

TIPS FOR MAKING THESE CHEESECAKE BARS:

Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. This will make a huge difference in how well it mixes up. Cream cheese that is too firm won’t mix well and will leave you with a lumpy mess, so it needs to be room temperature. I always take mine out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for at least 2-3 hours. In a pinch, take the cream cheese out of the foil wrapping, cut into smaller sections and heat for about 10-15 second intervals until softened.
Don’t overmix the batter. This adds air into the batter which causes things to rise and too much rise in a cheesecake or cheesecake bars can cause them to fall and/or crack while baking.
Let these chill for several hours before serving. These are much better (in my opinion) when they are really cold. But also, if you’re one of those people who prefers cheesecake more at room temperature, then that’s fine too.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars

Author: Jodi
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 45
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 12 to 15 bars 1x

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Ingredients

CRUST:

2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 17 whole graham crackers)
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 tablespoons (5 ounces) butter, melted

CHEESECAKE FILLING:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup dulce de leche
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs

GLAZE:

2/3 cup dulce de leche
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Instructions

CRUST:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper or aluminum foil lightly sprayed (this will make it easy to lift them out of the pan if you want).
Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir until coated. Press into the bottom of your prepared pan. Bake until crust is light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

FILLING:

In the bowl of a stand mixer (can also use a hand mixer) mix the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed. Add eggs one at a time and scrape bowl as needed (don’t over mix). Add dulce de leche and vanilla and mix just until combined. Spread batter evenly over the crust. Bake until just set in center and edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 30-36 minutes. Cool completely.

GLAZE:

Heat dulce de leche and 3 tablespoons cream in microwave-safe bowl in 10-second intervals until melted. Stir to blend, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if you need a thinner/pourable consistency. Pour glaze over cooled cheesecake; spread evenly. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour (glaze will not be firm).

Category: Brownies & Bars

Recipe Source: Adapted just slightly from Mels Kitchen Cafe (via Epicurious)