Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients:
For the chocolate crumble mix:
3 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
3/4 cup solid brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cold butter
For the cheesecake filling:
2 cups (1 pound) cream cheese
white 1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 large eggs
1/3 cup fresh or frozen cherries, divided into quarters
For the chocolate drizzle (optional):
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons whipped cream
Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Bars
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Fahrenheit (175℃). Grease or line a 9-by-13-inch rectangular baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix flour, brown sugar, cocoa, and butter in a food processor until smooth. Alternatively, you can use a pastry knife or two butter knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
Reserve 1 cup of streusel mixture for garnish. Press remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake the base for 25 minutes and let cool slightly.
For the filling, mix cream cheese, white sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and stir.
Spread cheesecake mixture over cooled base. Scatter the chopped cherries on top.
Crumble remaining batter mixture and sprinkle over cheesecake base.
Reduce the oven temperature to 163°C (325°F) and bake for 35-40 minutes until the cheesecake is set.
Allow to cool completely before cutting. For optional chocolate sprinkles, melt chocolate chips and whipped cream and pour over the bars.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Freezes well.
Prep time: 25 minutes |Cook time: 40 minutes |Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Kcal: 217 | Servings: 36 cookie bars