Description
These Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Bars are a beginner-friendly dessert that delivers luxurious flavor with simple steps. A sugar cookie crust meets creamy cheesecake, finished with a toffee topping that mimics the iconic brûléed crust—all without the need for a kitchen torch.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust
- 1 (17.5 oz) pouch sugar cookie mix
- 1 (3.5 oz) box instant French vanilla pudding mix
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Filling
- 2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg
- 3 large egg yolks
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup toffee bits (such as Heath)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Lightly spray with cooking spray for easy release later.
- Make the Crust Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar cookie mix, pudding mix, melted butter, egg, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix until a soft dough forms, then press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Create the Cheesecake Filling: Wipe out the mixing bowl or use a new one. Add the cream cheese, egg, egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat with a hand mixer until completely smooth with no lumps. It’s important that the cream cheese is very soft to ensure a silky filling.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the cheesecake filling over the crust, smoothing the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center is set with only a slight jiggle. Ovens vary, so begin checking around 30 minutes.
- Add the Topping: Immediately after removing the bars from the oven, sprinkle the toffee bits evenly across the top. They’ll begin to melt from the residual heat, forming a glossy, brûléed topping.
- Cool and Chill: Let the bars cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight, to fully set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use full-fat cream cheese for best results, and always allow it to soften at room temperature before mixing. The bars slice cleaner when fully chilled, so resist the urge to cut early. If you don’t have toffee bits, you can use crushed hard caramel candies. These bars store well and taste even better the next day.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 254
- Sugar: 19g
- Sodium: 179mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 81mg