Soft, cinnamon-sugary snickerdoodles and deliciously creamy cheesecake collide in these heavenly bars!
It’s no secret that one of my all-time favorite cookies is the snickerdoodle. I’ve incorporated this undeniably delicious cookie into so many recipes–Eggnog Snickerdoodles, S’more Snickerdoodle Bars, Peach Snickerdoodle Cobbler, and the list goes on! The possibilities are literally endless when it comes to the delectably cinnamon-sugary snickerdoodle, and I’ve still got plenty of recipes up my sleeve.
So this week, I decided to combine my love of snickerdoodles with my love of cheesecake…
These Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars combine the comfort of our favorite cinnamon-sugary cookie with the rich and tangy decadence of cheesecake.
Aside from the fact that you get two DIVINE treats in one, what I absolutely love about these bars is that they’re so dang easy to make. Seriously! For one thing, it’s a bar, so you don’t have to mess with the monotony of rolling several balls of dough and individually coating them in cinnamon-sugar. The snickerdoodle dough is simply made up, then two-thirds of it gets flattened into the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan.
TIP: Since this dough tends to be on the stickier side, I’ve found it easiest to scatter dollops of it evenly over the bottom of the pan, then chilling it for about 30 minutes. I also butter my fingers up really well before pressing the dough into an even layer along the bottom of the pan. Once that’s done, everything is covered with a delicious dusting of cinnamon-sugar.
The cheesecake ingredients are pretty standard–cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla and a little salt. I also like to add some sour cream to up the creaminess factor and tang. To incorporate a little maple sweetness, I used a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar. Brown sugar just SCREAMS fall to me, which is why I tend to add it to just about everything during this time of year.
Once the cheesecake batter is whipped up, it’s poured over the snickerdoodle layer. The rest of the snickerdoodle dough is crumbled evenly over the cheesecake layer, followed by MORE cinnamon-sugar. You have the option of sprinkling the cinnamon-sugar over the entire surface of the bars, or just over the bits of snickerdoodle dough, which is what I did. I just prefer the aesthetic of the separation of white cheesecake and golden snickerdoodle, but it’s totally up to you!
Unlike classic cheesecake, these bars don’t take long to bake in the oven since they’re not super thick. This also means less cooling time, so you don’t have to wait for what seems like decades to get one (or five) of these delicious squares of cinnamon-spiced heaven into your mouth!
I don’t know what I love most about these Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars…is it the soft and doughy bottom layer, the lusciously creamy cheesecake, or the slightly crisp cinnamon-spiced top layer of snickerdoodle?
Luckily, I don’t HAVE to decide…
Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Snickerdoodle:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon Sugar:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Cheesecake Filling:
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the Snickerdoodle dough:
- Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper and grease with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add both sugars and continue beating on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and beat just until combined. Add the milk and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed. Dump in the flour mixture and beat on low for about 1 minute.
- Dollop 2/3 of the dough into the baking dish. Wrap the other 1/3 in plastic wrap. Place both in the freezer for 20-30 minutes so that the dough is less sticky and easier to work with. In a small dish, combine the 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon with a fork or spoon.
Make Cheesecake Filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and both sugars together until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add in the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and salt and continue mixing until combined.
To Assemble:
- Preheat oven to 325ºF degrees. With buttered hands, press the dollops of chilled dough into an even layer in the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar. Pour the cheesecake filling over the cookie dough and spread out evenly. Take the remaining dough, and crumble evenly over the cheesecake filling. Sprinkle with the last half of the cinnamon-sugar.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and the cheesecake filling jiggles slightly when pan is shaken. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before transferring to the fridge to chill for 2 hours.
- Bars will stay fresh for up to one week stored in a plastic container or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator.