Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars
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These easy Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars are a festive twist on classic cheesecake bars and are a perfect holiday dessert. A spiced graham cracker crust combines with creamy cheesecake filling with hints of gingerbread and warm spices for a delicious Christmas treat. Because sometimes the best things come in small packages.
These Gingerbread Cheesecake Dessert Bars are sure to be the hit of your holiday season. It’s everything you love about cheesecake, but with a gingerbread holiday twist that you can hold in your hand.
These bars are the perfect winter dessert and one of my favorite holiday recipes. It’s als an easy recipe made without molasses or a ton of pantry spices and instead uses a simple gingerbread syrup for a great, cozy flavor that tastes like Christmas.
The entire recipe comes together with just a few simple ingredients and is easy enough for a beginner baker. These bars will be the star of the season this Christmas at any holiday dinners or gatherings. And, they make great homemade gifts for friends and neighbors.
Why Try This Gingerbread Cookie Cheesecake Bars Recipe
- Delicious – This is a dreamy dessert that combines creamy cheesecake with the fantastic gingerbread flavor.
- Easy Recipe – Recipe comes together with just a few simple ingredients and is an easy holiday dessert that is ideal for dinners and gatherings
- Festive – Gingerbread cheesecake bars are perfect for the holiday season because – gingerbread!
Gingerbread Cheesecake Bar Ingredients
This recipe calls for just a handful of common ingredients.
Graham cracker crumbs – you can grind graham cracker sheets in your food processor or purchase graham crumb
Unsalted butter – melted
Sugar
Monin gingerbread syrup – Monin is a trusted company specializing in exquisitely flavored syrups, purees and more for over 100 years. Their gingerbread syrup is the perfect addition for these bars.
Cream cheese – softened for easy blending
Vanilla extract – use a quality extract for the best flavor
Eggs – at room temp for best batter results
Gingerbread Man Cookies – you can make your own homemade gingerbread man cookies or use your favorite brand
Optional Toppings:
Gingerbread sprinkles
Gingersnap cookie crumbs
Cool Whip – or Homemade whipped cream (see instructions in Subs Section below)
Equipment Needed To Make Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or electric mixer with paddle attachment
- Square baking pan
Substitutions & Alterations
- Make a gingersnap crust by subbing gingersnap cookies for the graham crackers.
- Or top the cheesecake bars with crushed gingersnap cookie crumb
- You can make mini cheesecakes by preparing in ramekins or mini plastic trifle cups instead of a baking pan.
- To make a whipped cream topping, add 1 cup cold heavy cream to 2 T powdered sugar. Whip the sugar and cream until stiff peaks form.
How to Make Gingerbread Cheesecakes
This is a brief overview of the recipe instructions. Full details can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1 – Preheat oven. In a large bowl mix melted butter and cookie crumbs.
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Step 2 – Press down crust into baking pan, . Bake crust and set aside.
Step 3 – In a separate bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, prepare cheesecake mixture.
Step 4 – Spread cheesecake batter in an even layer with rubber or silicone spatula. Bake in preheated oven.
Step 5 – Chill in the fridge until firm.
Step 6 – Slice the chilled bars and top the cheesecake layer with whipped topping and gingerbread cookies
Serve and enjoy.
Time Saving Tips & Tricks
- Make this a no bake gingerbread cheesecake by using a premade crust from the grocery store.
- If making your own crust, you can crumble the cookies ahead of time. You can make this ahead of time and freeze it. Ro freeze, wrap in plastic wrap and then wrap in foil
- Be sure to use softened cream cheese
- Line the baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper
- Use room temperature ingredients.
- Full recipe details in recipe card
- Store leftovers in an airtight container.
How to Serve Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars
These individual gingerbread cheesecake slices are a fantastic dessert for any holiday meal, potluck or party.They also make a sweet little gift for neighbors, friends, and teachers.
I like to serve these dessert bars with a tasty hot beverage like Gingerbread Hot Chocolate or Creamy Caramel Hot Chocolate. They also go great with this Easy Vanilla Latte or Peppermint Mocha.
And for an amazing flavor combination, try them with this Homemade Nutella Ice Cream or No-Churn Pumpkin Ice Cream.
I also like to set up a dessert bar at my parties with a variety of cheesecakes like Reindeer Christmas Cheesecake, Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake, and Oreo Cheesecake – a favorite any time of year.
How to Store Leftover Cheesecake Bars
Store leftover cheesecake bars in an airtight container with minimal air space. Place the container in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Stored properly, cheesecake squares will be good for 5-7 days, though the crust may get a little soft.
You can also freeze cheesecake bars. “Pre-Freeze” leftover bars on a cookie sheet or plate in the freezer for at least 3 hours. Then wrap the bars in aluminum foil and then plastic wrap or place in a freezer safe bag. Date the bag and pop them in the freezer. I recommend you also put a little piece of parchment paper between each bar so they don’t freeze together anyway. Frozen properly, the gingerbread bars will be best for up to 3 months.
The night before you’re going to serve them, take the cheesecake bars out of the freezer to thaw in the refrigerator.
More Gingerbread Recipes
Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies
Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- 8 x 8" Baking pan
Ingredients
- For the Crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon Monin gingerbread syrup
- For the Cheesecake Batter:
- 16 oz 2 blocks cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons Monin gingerbread syrup
- 5 gingerbread cookies crumbled (any brand)
- For the Topping:
- Cool Whip or whipped cream
- Gingerbread man sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Make the Crust: In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and gingerbread syrup until well combined. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form a crust layer.
- Prepare the gingerbread layer: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla extract, eggs, and gingerbread syrup, and beat again until fully combined. Gently fold in the crumbled gingerbread cookies.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the cheesecake filling over the prepared crust, spreading it out evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are set and the center has a slight jiggle. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Serve and Enjoy: Slice into bars, top with Cool Whip or whipped cream,, sprinkle with gingerbread man sprinkles for a festive touch.n have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.
Notes
Nutrition
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Yum! So good and perfect for a party!