Eggnog Cheesecake Bars
Prep Time: 20 minutes Start to Finish: 2 hours 25 minutes
Makes: 24 bars Calories Per Bar: 460
As Christmas cookies flood our pages and instagrams, it really gets me excited to get into my kitchen and bake up some holiday spirit. But this week, I decided to veer a little bit away from traditional, but still keep it Christmas themed. Hence the recipe to Betty Crocker's Eggnog Cheesecake Bars.
Sometimes it is easier to bake a tray of something instead of doing drop cookies where you have to create multiple batches. Cheesecake is a hit, and eggnog is wildly popular around Christmastime, so this seemed like a sure winner to me. With spices of nutmeg and cinnamon flowing throughout, a graham cracker crust, a creamy cheesecake middle, and golden toasted almonds sprinkled on top...my kitchen smells like pure Christmas magic right now!
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (32 squares)
- 3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
- 1/2 cup blanched whole almonds, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Filling
- 2 packages (8oz each) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
Topping
- 1/2 cup blanched whole almonds, finely chopped, toasted*
Directions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, stir crust ingredients until well blended. To break down the graham crackers, I put then in my NutriBullet until they became fine crumbs. Press mixture in bottom of uncreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
- In clean large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until softened. Gradually beat in granulated sugar, brown sugar, the nutmeg, whipping cream, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at at time, until creamy. Pour mixture over crust.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes longer or until center is set. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup toasted almonds. Press in slightly. Cool 1 hour 30 minutes. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows, using thin knife and wiping blade occasionally. Store covered in refrigerator.
*To toast almonds, bake in shallow pan at 350 degrees for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. OR you can put them in a pan on your stove over medium heat stirring constantly until golden brown. Keep an eye on the almonds...they can go from toasty to burnt in a matter of seconds.
This recipe may seem like there are a lot of steps, but I promise it is a super easy dessert to make, and it brings some originality to the table! Everyone loves a good sugar or gingerbread cookie...but be a little different this year and try something new!
<3 P.S. You can try crushed vanilla wafer cookies instead of the graham cracker crumbs to make your crust as well. Let me know if you try out the recipe by commenting below!