One of the first fancy desserts I learned to make from scratch was cheesecake. Being a teacher's kid, I often tagged along to teachers' get-togethers. At one of these events, my P.E. teacher Mr. Rabb's wife made delicious cheesecake. They were so good, my mom asked her for the recipe and started making them at home.
When I left home for college I was craving cheesecake so I started to work through a few online recipes to recreate my mom's cheesecake. (I guess I could've just asked her for the recipe. I'm sure there was some logical explanation.) This cheesecake is only slightly different from my mom's, and it's really good. The addition of sour cream lightens it up. As for the crust, I like using butter biscuits for extra butteriness instead of graham crackers. And since it's baked in a square pan and cut into bars, they're no longer a fancy dessert, but a healthy snack. At least that's what I keep telling myself as I inhale my second slice.
How to make cheesecake bars
- Start by melting your butter in a small skillet or saucepan. You could do this in a bowl in the microwave, but I decided to brown my butter in a pan for extra flavor. Add the biscuit crumbs and mix until all the crumbs are soaked in butter.
- Pack the crumbs down into a 9-inch square pan. The cheesecake could stick to the sides of the pan so definitely line the pan with parchment paper. It'll make it easier to pull the cheesecake out of the pan as well. Chill this in the fridge while you prep the filling.
- Using a whisk, cream together the cream cheese and sour cream in a bowl. Once there are no lumps of cream cheese left, add the sugar and beat. Stir in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, then the heavy cream and vanilla. Switch to a spatula and fold in the corn starch and flour with a spatula. Pour it over the crust and tap the pan on the counter to get the air bubbles out. Bake it at 320°F (160°C) for 40 minutes.
When it comes out of the oven it'll be puffy and the center will still be wobbly. This is a relatively quick and easy recipe but results in a beautiful cheesecake with no cracks. And there's no need for a water bath!
The cheesecake will sink down as it cools. It's important to leave this on the counter for an hour or two and let it come to room temperature before chilling it in the fridge overnight. But if you're anything like me, you're going to wait until it's room temperature, attempt to take it out of the pan, and slightly wreck the top of the cheesecake with your manly claw hands.
No worries, my claws didn't ruin the taste.
I cut mine into 16 pieces. Cheesecake can be quite rich and heavy so don't make them too big.
These are delicious on their own, but I like mine topped with fresh raspberry sauce. May I also suggest fudge or caramel? Or amaretto. Ohh Bailey's would be good too. Endless possibilities!
More cheesecake recipes:
- Yuzu cheesecake
- Honey almond gouda cheesecakes
- Blueberry cheesecake bites (Vegan)
- Pumpkin cheesecake swirl brownies
Cheesecake Squares
Ingredients
Crust
- 200 g butter biscuit or graham cracker crumbs
- 100 g butter
Cheesecake Filling
- 400 g cream cheese
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 200 ml heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 teaspoons cornstarch
- 4 teaspoons cake flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 320°F/160°C. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.
- In a small pot, melt the butter. Add the biscuit crumbs and mix until combined. Pack it into the pan and put it in the refrigerator to cool.
- In a large bowl, use a whisk to beat together the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Stir in the sugar until combined. Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time. Then add the heavy cream and vanilla. Use a spatula to fold in the corn starch and flour.
- Pour the filling into the pan and bake for 40 minutes. Let it come to room temperature before putting it in the refrigerator to set overnight.
Betty says
If you could give this recipe in cups and tablespoons as opposed to grams I'd love to try it. In the USA we older grannies don't do grams!
Ai says
Thanks Betty for commenting! I'll have to make it again to figure out the measurements in cups and tablespoons. Would it help if I gave the weights in ounces?
Daniela says
In Germany we use grams and ml - so I will try your cheesecake bars for my in-laws birthday 🙂 Thank you!
Ai says
Thanks, Daniela! Hope you liked them!
Angie says
Weighing ingredients in grams and mL is actually far more accurate, and simple Google searches will help anyone convert the recipe to their preferred measurements. So there's that. 😀