Description
Delightful christmas cheesecake bars blend creamy richness with festive spices in a simple dessert. Holiday guests will savor each bite of this elegant, easy-to-serve treat you can prepare ahead of time.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg
- 8.5 oz (241 g) sugar cookie mix
- 4 tbsps (56 g) unsalted butter, cold
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 can cherry pie filling
- 1/3 cup (40 g) toasted sliced almonds
- 1 tbsp (8 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare an 8×8 or 9×13 inch pan by lining it with foil and spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
- Create the crust by blending sugar cookie mix with cold butter until crumbly. Separate ¾ cup of the mixture for later use. Press the remaining mixture into the pan bottom and bake for 10 minutes, then cool. The crust will appear slightly underdone.
- Craft the cheesecake filling by whisking cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, and egg until achieving a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cooled crust. Carefully distribute cherry pie filling across the surface, ensuring complete coverage.
- Combine the reserved crumbly mixture with toasted sliced almonds in a small bowl. Generously sprinkle this nutty topping over the cherry layer.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, depending on pan size, until the top turns light golden brown. The timing varies slightly between 8×8 and 9×13 inch pans.
- Allow bars to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for several hours to completely chill. Store covered in the refrigerator for optimal freshness.
Notes
- Achieve perfectly even layers by using an offset spatula to spread the cream cheese mixture and cherry filling smoothly across the crust.
- Toast almonds beforehand in a dry skillet for enhanced nutty flavor and extra crunch, which elevates the overall texture of the bars.
- Create gluten-free version by substituting sugar cookie mix with gluten-free cookie mix or graham cracker crumbs and using certified gluten-free flour.
- Customize fruit filling by replacing cherry with seasonal alternatives like raspberry, blueberry, or mixed berry preserves for year-round enjoyment.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 291 kcal
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 130 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 48 mg