Cheesecake bars are a less fussy, much easier version of a classic cheesecake. Their portability make them perfect for parties, potlucks, and other events. Adding an ube swirl gives these cheesecake bars a little something extra in flavor and a lot of drama.
Why cheesecake bars?
Making a full-size cheesecake is a bit of a process requiring a springform pan and a bain marie (water bath). Cheesecake is also quite rich, making it difficult, but not impossible, to eat a full slice.
A cheesecake bar, on the other hand, is not much more work than any other bar-type dessert. These bars are made in a standard 9″ x 13″ pan. And while this recipe implements a pan of water on the bottom of the oven to provide some humidity in your oven, it’s far easier to execute than a traditional bain marie.
Most importantly, it’s easier to portion out these bars. We choose to slice 48 narrow bars because of the richness of the cheesecake. But you could easily cut 24 larger squares instead. The small bars are perfect for a dessert buffet that has a lot of other options for guests.
Cheesecake bar elements
- Traditionally, cheesecake has a graham cracker crust. Instead, we opted to use Golden Oreos (or any other vanilla sandwich cookie). The heartier crust makes this an easy hand-held dessert although many would still choose a plate and fork.
- The filling is a pretty standard vanilla cheesecake batter made up of cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. A portion of it is reserved for the ube swirl.
- Unlike many recipes which incorporate ube halaya jam, only ube extract is used to color and flavor the swirl. And it doesn’t take much to obtain the vibrant purple that ube is known for.
Serving and storage
We usually present these cheesecake bars very simply – on a platter, sometimes in a paper cupcake liner. Make sure you make these in advance to give them time to cool in the refrigerator.
The bars will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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Ube Swirl Cheesecake Bars
- Total Time: 5 hours, 5 minutes
- Yield: 48 1x
Description
These easy cheesecake bars incorporate the sweet, earthy flavor and vibrant purple of ube. They make a perfect addition to any dessert table or potluck.
Ingredients
For the crust
54 Golden Oreo cookies (about 1½ 14.3-ounce packages)
½ stick unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake filling
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1½ cups granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
½ teaspoon ube extract
Instructions
For the crust
Adjust the oven racks to the middle and bottom of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray then line with parchment paper, allowing a 1-2” overhang to allow for easy removal of the bars from the pan. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. Set aside.
Add half of the cookies to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the cookies resemble crumbs. Drizzle in half of the butter and pulse until incorporated. Remove the first batch to a large bowl and repeat the with the remaining cookies and butter. Combine both batches, then pour the cookie mixture into the prepared baking pan. Press the crust into an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes.
For the cheesecake filling
Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla together in a stand mixer using a paddle attachment.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream and mix again.
Remove ¼ of the filling and set aside. Pour the remaining filling over the crust and smooth the top.
Add the ube extract to the reserved filling, stirring to fully incorporate.
Drizzle the ube flavored filling into the pan. Using a wooden skewer or butter knife, gently swirl the ube filling into the cheesecake filling – do not overmix.
Put a large roasting pan with water on the bottom rack of the oven and put the pan with the cheesecake on the top rack. Bake until the cheesecake is set and no longer jiggly, about 50 minutes.
Turn off the oven, open the oven door and allow the pan to sit in the open oven for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for at least 2 hours. Once cooled at room temperature, refrigerate to chill for another 2 hours.
Cut into bars and serve.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Inactive Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 158.37
- Sugar: 12.2 g.
- Sodium: 103.75 mg.
- Fat: 9.41 g.
- Saturated Fat: 4.23 g.
- Carbohydrates: 16.89 g.
- Fiber: 0.2 g.
- Protein: 2.08 g.
- Cholesterol: 33.76 mg.
Keywords: cream cheese, ube, Golden Oreos
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