Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars
Family gatherings are made even more special by serving desserts like this one. Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars are a combination of sweet and salty goodness. I think you’ll agree, these luscious bars are a little slice of heaven!
It doesn’t have to be a special occasion to make this delicious dessert. Creamy cheesecake over a vanilla wafer crust with a homemade caramel topping makes for a sweet, luscious treat. A pinch of coarse sea salt on top gives these bars the perfect finishing touch. I usually make this dessert for the holidays, but it gets requested throughout the year. Make it for your family and you’ll see why!
Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars
What’s needed?
Crust:
- 11-ounce box of Nilla wafers
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 stick of salted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Cheesecake:
- 3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups of sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Caramel:
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- sea salt for garnish
How to make Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars?
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Place the wafers and pecans into a food processor and pulse until mixture becomes crumbs. Add the melted butter and vanilla and pulse again until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press down firmly to form the crust.
- Allow your cream cheese to warm to room temperature. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with a mixer until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each egg. Add the sour cream and beat again until combined. Pour the mixture onto the crust.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly to the edges of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
- Turn off the oven and open the door, leaving the cheesecake to sit in the oven with the door open for 15 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and cool for one hour.
Can I substitute store bought caramel?
Okay, I have to admit, making caramel can be a bit intimidating. If you want to make the topping a bit easier, simply use a 14-ounce jar of caramel ice cream topping. Warm the jar of topping in the microwave for a few seconds and pour it over the cooled cheesecake. It tastes almost as good as making your own with much less fuss.
- To make the caramel topping, add the butter and brown sugar to a pan. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the condensed milk, corn syrup and vanilla and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Continue to boil until the temperature on a candy thermometer reaches 225 degrees. Turn off the heat and let the caramel cool for 5 minutes. Pour the caramel over the cheesecake and chill for 2 hours.
When you are ready to serve the dessert, cut into bars with a sharp knife and add some sea salt to the top of each bar.
This recipe makes 24 bars. The bars are rich and decadent. The perfect ending to any meal. The original recipe can be found at pioneerwoman.com. Give them a try and I think you’ll like this sweet and salty treat!
Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 11 ounces Nilla wafers, crushed
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Cheesecake:
- 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Caramel:
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- sea salt for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Place the wafers and pecans in a food processor and pulse until mixture becomes crumbs. Add the melted butter and vanilla and pulse again until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press down firmly to form the crust.
- Allow your cream cheese to warm to room temperature. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with a mixer until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each egg. Add the sour cream and beat again until combined. Pour the mixture onto the crust.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly to the edges of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
- Turn off the oven and open the door, leaving the cheesecake to sit in the oven with the door open for 15 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and cool for one hour.
- To make the caramel topping, add the butter and brown sugar to a pan. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the condensed milk, corn syrup and vanilla and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Continue to boil until the temperature on a candy thermometer reaches 225 degrees. Turn off the heat and let the caramel cool for 5 minutes. Pour the caramel over the cheesecake and chill for 2 hours.
- When you are ready to serve the dessert, cut into bars with a sharp knife and add some sea salt to the top of each bar. Recipe makes 24 servings.
Equipment
- 1 13×9-inch baking pan