Cake Batter Cheesecake Bars is the best of both worlds if you love cheesecake and the cake batter flavor. The cheesecake batter bars are wonderfully creamy cheesecake bars with delicious sprinkles.
Instead of using the normal cheesecake filling, this one is homemade and mixed with colorful sprinkles to make tasty funfetti cheesecake bars for a delicious dessert.
While this recipe may seem complicated, it is a super easy recipe to make with a box of cake mix and a cheesecake mixture, so give this simple recipe a try!
Ingredient Notes
- Vanilla wafer crumbs
- Butter melted
- Sugar
- Cream cheese softened
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Egg yolk
- Milk
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Yellow cake mix (I love the box Betty Crocker cake mix)
- Sprinkles (or jimmies)
How to make Cake Batter Cheesecake Bars:
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Grease a 9-inch square baking cake pan, then line with parchment paper; set aside.
- Stir together vanilla wafer crumbs, the melted butter, and 2 Tablespoons sugar. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for the first time until the crust is just brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ¾ cup sugar and beat for an additional couple of minutes, until smooth.
- Add the eggs and yolk, ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons milk, vanilla, salt and beat again until completely combined and smooth.
- Finally, stir in the cake mix and sprinkles until smooth.
- Pour the filling over the crust. Set the pan in a larger pan (a 9 × 13-inch works for this), and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan.
- Bake until just set in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the water bath, and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Cut into bars or small squares. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Storing and Other Tips
If you have cheesecake lovers in your family these bars won’t last for long. But, until they disappear, keep them stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Ways to change the flavor of this cheesecake bar recipe:
If you want to keep this recipe but change it up, think about switching the rainbow sprinkles for mini chocolate chips, premade cookie dough, or pecan pieces.
Or you can always switch out the yellow boxed cake mix for some red velvet cake mix (or any other dry cake mix) and keep the baking process the same. It would be a perfect dessert for Valentine’s day!
More Cheesecake Recipes
- Lemon Cheesecake Pudding Cookies Recipe
- Red Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Cake Recipe
- Mini Oreo Cheesecakes Recipe
- Lion House Restaurant Style Cheesecake Recipe
Cake Batter Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups vanilla wafer crumbs
- 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup milk
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup yellow cake mix
- ¼ cup sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Grease a 9-inch square baking pan, then line with parchment paper; set aside.
- Stir together vanilla wafer crumbs, the melted butter, and 2 Tablespoons sugar. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is just brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ¾ cup sugar and beat for an additional couple of minutes, until smooth.
- Add the eggs and yolk, ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons milk, vanilla, salt and beat again until completely combined and smooth.
- Finally, stir in the cake mix and sprinkles until smooth.
- Pour the filling over the crust. Set the pan in a larger pan (a 9 × 13-inch works for this), and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan.
- Bake until just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the water bath, and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Cut into bars. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
Love all your recipes
do you have to use parchment paper for this recipe?
It should come out pretty good if you spray the pan with non stick cooking spray. 🙂
I made this using truvia, silk, and a natural cake mix and it turned out super yummy!
Has anyone adapted for a 9×13?
I don’t really ever post comments, but I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to make it and I’m so glad I did! I actually added cake batter Oreos to this recipe and changed it to an Oreo rather than vanilla wafer crust. I loved these bars – so much easier than a full cheesecake, and I can eat more than one at a time (maybe? they are quite decadent) 😉 My friend, who isn’t even that much of a dessert lover, has begged me to make another batch at least ten times. I got the ingredients today and will be doing so tomorrow, but more for me than her! 🙂
Thanks so much for this recipe and Happy New Year!
I am not much of a baker so this may sound like a silly question, but what is the purpose of baking the bars surrounded by the water bath? Can you do it without the water? I would be afraid that the water would boil over and run the bars. 🙁
That’s how you get the light and fluffy cheesecake. The water won’t boil over. You are only filling the 9 x 13 to come halfway up your 9 inch square pan that has your batter in it. Don’t fill it any higher than halfway. These are so delicious….a family favorite!
So this is for a 9×9 pan. I have an 8x8x2 pan. How different would it be if I use my pan? Cooking time difference? Will I be able to fit all of the batter in?
It will work fine in an 8 x 8 pan. Watch them closely, you may need to add just a few minutes to your cooking time. Cook until set!
Hi!
Can these be frozen?
Thanks!
These can be frozen in an airtight container.