Caramel Toffee Cheesecake Bars

Cheesecake has long been one of my very favorite desserts. That rich and creamy filling atop a buttery graham cracker crust. Mmm, mmm good. Add caramel and toffee into the mix and we’ve definitely entered into the realm of irresistible. Let’s be honest – caramel sauce can give most any dessert an instant upgrade. Ben doesn’t have nearly the sweet tooth that I do, but he does have a weakness for toffee and for caramel. Combining the two in a single dessert probably had him wondering why I might be trying to butter him up.

This is a time when cheesecake bars are superior to a traditional cheesecake, because they make portion control so much easier to manage. One square has just enough to satisfy without feeling guilty. Even better, bars are so much easier to share! Pass them off to family, friends, neighbors… I’d be willing to bet that if you do decide to share, you’ll get requests for the recipe.

Yield 16 bars

Ingredients

For the crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp. sugar
½ cup toffee bits

For the filling:
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup caramel sauce

For topping:
Additional caramel sauce, for drizzling
About ½ cup toffee bits

Directions

01
Preheat the oven to 325˚ F. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Toss with a fork until evenly mixed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the toffee bits in an even layer over the graham cracker mixture. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, but maintain the oven temperature.
02
To make the filling, in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and sour cream. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and well combined, 1-2 minutes. Beat in the sugar. Blend in the egg, vanilla, and salt, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the caramel sauce. Pour the mixture over the crust in an even layer.
03
Return the pan to the oven and bake just until set, about 30-35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. Cover with foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
04
Drizzle additional caramel sauce over the cheesecake and sprinkle with additional toffee bits. Slice into squares with a large kitchen knife. Refrigerate until ready to serve.