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Cheesecake has not always been my number one choice of dessert. I preferred a cookie or brownie over cheesecake, until I made these Caramel Cheesecake Bars.
These cheesecake bars are loaded with creamy caramel. And then add to that a thick graham cracker crust and cheesecake filling and it is a match made in heaven!
Recipe Ingredient Notes
To make Caramel Cheesecake Bars, you will need the following ingredients:
Graham Cracker Crust
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Sugar
- Butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- Cream cheese
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Eggs
- Sour cream
Caramel Topping
- Brown sugar
- Butter
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Corn syrup
- Vanilla
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How to make Caramel Cheesecake Bars
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.
- Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
Filling
- In another mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time.
- Add sour cream and mix again until smooth.
- Pour cream cheese mixture over prepared crust, smooth top and bake for 50 minutes.
- Turn off the oven, open the door and let the cheesecake sit in the warm oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and let cool for an hour.
Caramel Topping
- Combine brown sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir continuously until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
- Whisk in condensed milk, corn syrup and vanilla and bring to a boil, stirring continuously.
- Place a candy thermometer in the caramel mixture and continue to boil until the caramel reaches 225℉ (or reaches soft ball stage if you don’t have a thermometer. That means that when you drop a bit of it into cold water to cool it down, it will form a soft ball.).
- Let caramel cool in the pan for 3-5 minutes, then pour over cheesecake.
- Smooth and let set until cool.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Storage Suggestions
If you manage to have any leftover Bars + Brownies, these can store well if prepped appropriately. Once they have cooled completely, here is how you can store it:
- Refrigerator: Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Let them come to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
- Freezer: To freeze, make sure bars and brownies are completely cooled and unfrosted. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap (or Press & Seal) and then place in a freezer-safe bag or container. For easier portioning, wrap individual squares before freezing. Don’t forget to label with the date. They’ll stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Other Delicious Cheesecake Recipes
- Restaurant Style Cheesecake
- Mini Cherry Cheesecakes
- No Bake Fluffy Blueberry Cheesecake
- Cheesecake Factory Oreo Cheesecake
- Chocolate Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Mini Cheesecakes
Caramel Cheesecake Bars Recipe
These Caramel Cheesecake Bars are easy to make with a buttery graham cracker crust, cheesecake layer and topped with soft, homemade caramel.
Serving Servings
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
Caramel Topping
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 6 Tablespoons butter
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 2 Tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.
- Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
Filling
- In another mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time.
- Add sour cream and mix again until smooth.
- Pour cream cheese mixture over prepared crust, smooth top and bake for 50 minutes.
- Turn off the oven, open the door and let the cheesecake sit in the warm oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and let cool for an hour.
Caramel Topping
- Combine brown sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir continuously until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
- Whisk in condensed milk, corn syrup and vanilla and bring to a boil, stirring continuously.
- Place a candy thermometer in the caramel mixture and continue to boil until the caramel reaches 225℉ (or reaches soft ball stage if you don't have a thermometer. That means that when you drop a bit of it into cold water to cool it down, it will form a soft ball.).
- Let caramel cool in the pan for 3-5 minutes, then pour over cheesecake.
- Smooth and let set until cool.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
You can keep these in the fridge overnight and serve the next day.
Nutrition
Calories: 411 kcal · Carbohydrates: 53 g · Protein: 5 g · Fat: 21 g · Saturated Fat: 12 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 95 mg · Sodium: 260 mg · Potassium: 169 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 47 g · Vitamin A: 669 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 116 mg · Iron: 1 mg
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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.
Hi I made this recipe for a fund raising event it went down so well I was asked for the recipe many time
Thank you for sharing your recipes
Hi Rosemary. Thanks for taking the time to leave a sweet comment on the Caramel Cheesecake Bars. We are so glad that they were a success at your fund raising event. Have a terrific week!
Hi! Thinking of making these bars for a church bake table. Just wondering…if I refrigerate the bars overnight, will the caramel topping get too hard to cut into neat squares?
Hi Gert, I actually made these bars two days ago and after that long in the fridge, the caramel is still nice and soft. It’s easy to cut and makes nice delicious little squares.
What will happen if I don’t wait for it to cool in the oven? Say I put it in the fridge or put it outside to cool down faster? Will if just crack?
I think I just ruined 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs, the recipe said the crumbs, sugar and butter…. then the cream cheese mixture also calls for sugar… but there is no second measurement for sugar! How much sugar is called for the graham cracker mix and how much for the cheese mixture?
The recipe is confusing, it would be better written as Crust ingredients, filling ingredients, and topping ingredients. I apologize if I am coming off as rude but I just ruined the only box of graham crackers that I had, by adding too much sugar due to your vague instructions.
Hi Nathalie. Sorry you were confused with the recipe. The full recipe with the sections of the recipe broken down are there. At the top of the post we show you how it’s made. But if you scroll further down in the blog post, you will see the recipe ingredient amounts and step by step instructions.
The sugar measurements are all listed in the recipe.
Well I followed the directions exactly and it appears WAYYY overcooked. The entire thing is brown and cracked, and I haven’t even done the 15 minutes in the open oven yet. 🙁
It was way over baked. The Carmel mixture was scorched ( cooked on med/low) stirred constantly and it would scorch where thermometer sat. Sadly, Won’t be making this recipe again.
These bars are delicious! I turned them into a riff on Caramel DeLite Girl Scout cookies, adding toasted coconut into the caramel sauce and sprinkling mini chocolate chips in the batter, and then swirled the caramel throughout, and also added crushed cookies into the crust part.
Does the caramel crystallize when cooled. Often with brown sugar after it cools it doesn’t stay creamy and smooth
The crust and cheesecake layer were great. However, I had serious problems with the caramel sauce. I made it TWICE! I do have candy thermometer and at 225 (softball stage), my caramel hardened on top of the bars, it was like having a solid caramel coating. Couldn’t cut the bars, eating was difficult. Are you sure you are supposed to cook to 225 degrees?
I’m sorry you had trouble with the caramel sauce. Soft ball stage is anywhere from 235-245 and we are only going to 225. So it shouldn’t harden like that. We haven’t had a problem with it.
Followed the recipe as written and they turned out delicious! You have to watch the caramel carefully, but I didn’t have any problems. Candy/caramel can be fickle and maybe isn’t for a beginner cook.
How long do you bake the bars?
If you scroll down to the recipe card on the post you will see the directions. You cook the crust with the filling on top of it for 50 minutes.
I don’t understand why some people are having trouble with this recipe. Your instructions are easy to follow. My caramel sauce came out perfectly without a candy thermometer. Thanks so much for sharing this!
So glad you liked these delicious caramel cheesecake bars. They are one of our favorite desserts.
Do I put the caramel on before I let the cheesecake chill in the refrigerator or do I put it on after I take it out the fridge?
You need to let the cheesecake layer cool for one hour before adding on the caramel layer.
Does the cream cheese need to be softened?
You could let it sit out for about 30 minutes before making.
Will this cheesecake freeze well? I’m hoping to take it on a camping trip. Leaving on a Thursday and serving on Saturday.
These bars will freezer great in an airtight container.
I love this recipe so much. It was delicious!!
I don’t know why but when I took the cheesecake out of the oven after the 50 minutes there was almost burn layer, chewy and dark brown, edible and several with the carmel but I just wonder what went wrong.
I made this a few years ago and had raving reviews….
So why didn’t I make it again…. I’m not sure, but I’m sure glad I made it again, it is incredibly delicious!! So decadent! Thank you.