King Cake Cheesecake Bars
A taste of Big Easy king cake in a delicious cheesecake form!
In New Orleans, Mardi Gras’ king cake isn’t a dessert, it’s a seasonal flavor. Every cafe, bar, and restaurant alike has a King Cake-flavored something. King cake is great, but there’s only so much of it you can eat before you go into a bread overload. Enter the King Cake Cheesecake Bars. All the elements of a king cake, just in a creamy decadent dessert form.
Down in New Orleans, Mardi Gras isn’t just a day, it’s a holiday season starting from the first week of January and ending on the actual day of Mardi Gras itself. While the world is winding down from the Christmas and New Year seasons, people in New Orleans are just starting to party. Mardi Gras is a long affair that is jam-packed with parades, masquerade balls, and parties on top of parties on top of parties. The Mardi Gras feeling is everywhere. From the smallest gunshot home to the largest double porch mansion, and every storefront in between, there’s a flash, a sparkle of adornments — necklaces, wreathes, and glittery ribbons — in purple, green, and gold.
Outside of New Orleans, everyone knows of Mardi Gras. We’ve all seen those boxed cakes in the corner of a grocery store’s bakery section, but no one really thinks of the holiday outside of the official day itself. Whether you’re in the epicenter of the celebrations or far away from it all, take the time to let loose a little with these King Cake Cheesecake Bars. A buttery shortbread crust is the base for a cinnamon-sugar filling and a silky cinnamon cheesecake. Baked and sliced, these bars get a coating of glaze and sprinkles, just like the classic king cakes themselves.
Start by making your crust. After whisking your flour, sugar, and salt together, cut your butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like a dry, sandy mixture. Pour in some milk, and the mixture will turn into more of a proper dough. Press the dough into a greased and parchment-lined 9-x-9 baking pan and bake the dough until it starts to get slightly golden around the edges.
While the crust is baking, prepare your cinnamon-sugar filling by combining brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter.
Next is the cheesecake base. Combine super soft cream cheese with sugar, heavy cream, and flour. Beat in the eggs, and then add in the cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. You don’t want to beat the cheesecake mixture for too long, nor do you want to beat the mixture at a super high speed.
Spread the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the crust, followed by the cheesecake mixture, making sure to spread everything evenly. Gently tap the pan against the counter to remove any air bubbles in the batter.
Bake the cheesecake at a low 250°F temperature for fifty to sixty minutes. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another hour before removing the cheesecake to cool completely to room temperature. This gradual cool-down prevents the cheesecake mixture from breaking or cracking.
These King Cake Cheesecake Bars have all of the elements of a king cake but in a smooth cream cheese form.
The cookie crust is a neutral but delicious base. This cinnamon sugar filling bakes up to a great cinnamon roll-like texture that contrasts against the creamy cheesecake layer above.
A trio of rich decadent dessert goodness definitely puts you in a Mardi Gras state of mind. These bars are a satisfying rich bite of decadence that lifts you up and out of the gloomy days of the winter. But honestly, you can make this cheesecake bar recipe any time of year.
The notes of cinnamon give this dessert a cozy fall and winter vibe as well or would be a fun alternative to the classic cinnamon rolls or hot cross buns around Easter. You don’t need an excuse but you’ll find an excuse to make these bars again and again!
King Cake Cheesecake Bars
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Layer:
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 to 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 4 tablespoons milk or cream, room temperature
For the Cheesecake:
- 16 ounces cream cheese, very soft
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
For the Glaze and Topping:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk or cream
- Purple, green, and yellow sanding sugar
To make the Cinnamon-Sugar Layer:
- Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
- Pour in melted butter, mixing to combine. Set mixture aside.
To make the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9x9 pan with baking spray, line with parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk flour, sugar, and salt.
- Cut the butter into the dry-ingredients until it’s a crumbly sand-like mixture.
- Add in milk and mix until combined and starts to look like cookie dough.
- Press the dough into the prepared pan, making sure it’s evenly distributed. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, set aside.
To make the Cheesecake:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 250°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bowl frequently.
- Add in sugar, cream, flour, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Scrape the bowl as needed to get a well combined, lump-free mixture. Don’t over mix the batter on a high speed.
- Press the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the crust. Pour the cheesecake mixture on top, spreading evenly. Gently tap the pan to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the sides are starting to look golden and the filling is mostly set but still slightly jiggly.
- Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest in the oven for 1 hour before removing to cool completely to room temperature. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
- Once cooled, slice into bars. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set a wire rack on top.
To make the Glaze:
- In a bowl whisk the powdered sugar and milk until smooth and lump free.
- Pour glaze over each bar, garnish the bars with a mix of purple, green, and yellow sprinkles. Let the glaze set before storing in a plastic container.
Recipe adapted from The Runaway Spoon.