Description
These festive Christmas Cherry Cheesecake Bars combine a sweet and buttery sugar cookie crust with a rich, creamy cheesecake layer topped with tangy cherry pie filling and toasted almonds. A perfect treat for the holiday season that’s sure to delight everyone at the table!
Ingredients
Scale
- 8.5 ounces Sugar Cookie Mix (dry)
- 4 tablespoons Cold Unsalted Butter
- 8 ounces Softened Cream Cheese
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 large Egg
- ½ can Cherry Pie Filling
- ⅓ cup Toasted Sliced Almonds
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch or 9×13-inch baking pan with foil and coat it with non-stick spray.
- Make the Crust: In a large bowl, combine the sugar cookie mix and cold butter. Use a pastry blender to mix until it forms a crumbly texture. Set aside about ¾ cup of this mixture. Press the rest into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then let it cool. The crust will still look slightly underdone.
- Prepare Cheesecake Layer: While the crust cools, mix the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, flour, vanilla extract, and egg in a separate bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble Layers: Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cooled crust. Spoon the cherry pie filling over the cream cheese layer, ensuring an even layer.
- Add Topping: In a small bowl, mix the reserved crumbly cookie mixture with the toasted almonds. Sprinkle this evenly over the cherry layer.
- Final Bake: Return the pan to the oven and bake for 40 minutes if using an 8×8 pan or 45 minutes if using a 9×13 pan, until the top turns light golden brown.
- Cool and Store: Allow the bars to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then chill in the refrigerator for a few hours. Store the bars in the refrigerator, covered.
Notes
- You can use any pie filling of your choice for a different flavor.
- Make sure the crust is slightly underdone to prevent it from becoming too hard once it cools.
- These bars can be made a day ahead of time and refrigerated overnight for better texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-55 minutes (depending on pan size)