Cheesecrave Squares—Dessert for 16
Cheesecrave Squares are a delectable American dessert featuring rich, creamy cheesecake layered on a crumbly base, baked into convenient bars. Perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth, these indulgent squares offer the classic taste of cheesecake in an easy-to-serve format with no dietary restrictions or health concerns.
Meal Type
Dessert
Cuisine
American
Servings
16
Food Stars
Cheesecake, bars
Health
Variations
Diets
Variations
Do This With That Stuff
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C)
- Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar; mix well
- Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan
- In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together 16 oz softened cream cheese, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth and creamy
- Add 2 large eggs one at a time to the cream cheese mixture, beating well after each addition
- Mix in 1/3 cup sour cream and 1/3 cup heavy cream until fully combined
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the graham cracker crust in the baking pan, using a rubber spatula to spread it evenly
- Bake for 40-45 minutes in the preheated oven or until the edges are set but the center is still slightly jiggly
- Remove from oven using oven mitts and let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares
Obvious and Not So Obvious Variations and Pairings
☕ Bitter
- Add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Add 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
- Replace granulated sugar with 3/4 cup dark brown sugar in cream cheese mixture
- Add 1/4 tsp sea salt to graham cracker crust
🧂 Salty
- Replace unsalted butter with salted butter
- Add 1/2 tsp sea salt to graham cracker crust mixture
- Add 1/4 tsp sea salt to cream cheese mixture
🍋 Sour
- Increase sour cream to 1/2 cup
- Add 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Add 1 tsp lemon zest
- Replace granulated sugar with 3/4 cup powdered sugar in cream cheese mixture
🌶️ Spicy
- Add 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon to graham cracker crust mixture
- Add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper to cream cheese mixture
- Add 1/2 tsp ground ginger to cream cheese mixture
🍬 Sweet
- Increase granulated sugar to 1/2 cup in crust
- Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to cream cheese mixture
- Add 1 tsp lemon zest to cream cheese mixture
- Drizzle 1/4 cup caramel sauce over baked squares
🍄 Umami
- Add 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Add 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- Add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Replace granulated sugar with brown sugar in cream cheese mixture
🍸 Alcoholic
- White Russian: The creamy texture complements the cheesecake’s richness
- Riesling: The wine’s sweetness and acidity balance the dessert’s creaminess
- Amaretto Sour: The almond flavor and tartness contrast with the sweet, smooth cheesecake
🥤 Non Alcoholic
- Iced Lemon Tea: The acidity and citrus flavor cut through the richness of the cheesecake
- Cold Brew Coffee: The bitterness of the coffee balances the sweetness of the dessert
- Sparkling Water with a Splash of Raspberry: The carbonation and fruity flavor provide a refreshing contrast to the creamy dish
🥓 Keto
- Replace graham cracker crumbs with 2 cups almond flour
- Replace 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1/4 cup erythritol in crust
- Replace 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 cup erythritol in cream cheese mixture
- Add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum to almond flour crust mixture
🍆 Mediterranean
- Replace graham cracker crumbs with 2 cups crushed almonds
- Replace unsalted butter with 1/2 cup olive oil
- Replace granulated sugar in crust with 1/4 cup honey
- Replace cream cheese with 16 oz labneh (strained yogurt)
- Decrease granulated sugar in filling to 1/2 cup
- Add 1 tsp lemon zest to filling
- Add 1/4 cup chopped pistachios to filling
- Replace heavy cream with 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
🥑 Paleo
- Replace graham cracker crumbs with 2 cups almond flour
- Replace unsalted butter with 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- Replace granulated sugar in crust with 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- Replace cream cheese with 16 oz cashew cream cheese alternative
- Replace granulated sugar in filling with 1 cup honey
- Replace sour cream with 1/3 cup coconut cream
- Replace heavy cream with 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
🐟 Pescatarian
- No changes needed
🌱 Vegan
- Replace unsalted butter with 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted
- Replace cream cheese with 16 oz vegan cream cheese, softened
- Replace granulated sugar with 1 1/4 cups coconut sugar
- Replace 2 large eggs with 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tbsp water)
- Replace sour cream with 1/3 cup vegan sour cream
- Replace heavy cream with 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
🥦 Vegetarian
- No changes needed as the recipe is already vegetarian friendly.
🥩 Whole30
- Replace graham cracker crumbs with 2 cups almond flour
- Replace unsalted butter with 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- Remove 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Replace cream cheese with 16 oz cashew cream cheese alternative
- Replace 1 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup date paste
- Replace vanilla extract with 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- Replace sour cream with 1/3 cup coconut cream
- Replace heavy cream with 1/3 cup almond milk
🧠 Brain Health
- Replace graham cracker crumbs with 2 cups almond flour
- Replace 1/2 cup unsalted butter with 1/2 cup coconut oil
- Replace 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1/4 cup erythritol
- Replace 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 cup erythritol in cream cheese mixture
- Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Add 1 tbsp ground flaxseed to crust mixture
🌾 Celiac Disease
- Replace graham cracker crumbs with 2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs
- Replace all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
💩 Crohns Disease
- Replace graham cracker crumbs with almond flour
- Replace unsalted butter with coconut oil
- Replace granulated sugar with a low-FODMAP sweetener like stevia or erythritol
- Replace cream cheese with lactose-free cream cheese or dairy-free alternative like cashew-based cream cheese
- Replace sour cream with lactose-free sour cream or dairy-free yogurt
- Replace heavy cream with lactose-free heavy cream or canned coconut milk
🩸 Diabetes
- Replace granulated sugar with 1/4 cup erythritol in crust
- Replace 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 cup erythritol in cream cheese mixture
- Use low-fat cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese
- Replace 1/3 cup sour cream with 1/3 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
- Replace 1/3 cup heavy cream with 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
🍞 Gluten Intolerance
- Replace graham cracker crumbs with 2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs
- Replace 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1/4 cup coconut sugar
🫀 Heart Disease
- Replace unsalted butter with 1/4 cup olive oil
- Replace granulated sugar in crust with 2 tbsp honey
- Decrease cream cheese to 8 oz
- Replace sour cream with 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- Replace heavy cream with 1/3 cup skim milk
❤️ Heart Health
- Replace graham cracker crumbs with whole wheat cracker crumbs
- Replace unsalted butter with 1/4 cup olive oil
- Decrease granulated sugar in crust to 2 tbsp
- Replace cream cheese with 16 oz low-fat cream cheese
- Decrease granulated sugar in filling to 1/2 cup
- Replace sour cream with 1/3 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
- Replace heavy cream with 1/3 cup skim milk
🧂 High Blood Pressure
- Replace granulated sugar with 1/4 cup Stevia in crust
- Replace 1 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup Stevia in cream cheese mixture
- Use low-fat cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese
- Replace sour cream with low-fat Greek yogurt
- Replace heavy cream with low-fat milk
🍔 High Cholesterol
- Replace 1/2 cup unsalted butter with 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- Replace 16 oz cream cheese with 16 oz low-fat cream cheese
- Replace 1/3 cup sour cream with 1/3 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- Replace 1/3 cup heavy cream with 1/3 cup skim milk
🦠 Immune System
- Replace granulated sugar with 1/4 cup honey in crust
- Replace 1 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup honey in filling
- Add 1/2 cup chopped almonds
- Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Add 1 tsp ground ginger
- Replace sour cream with 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
🚽 Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Replace graham cracker crumbs with 2 cups almond flour
- Replace 1/2 cup unsalted butter with 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- Replace 1 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup granulated erythritol
- Replace 16 oz cream cheese with 16 oz lactose-free cream cheese
- Replace 1/3 cup sour cream with 1/3 cup lactose-free sour cream
- Replace 1/3 cup heavy cream with 1/3 cup lactose-free heavy cream
💧 Kidney Disease
- Replace graham cracker crumbs with 2 cups crushed unsalted rice cakes
- Replace unsalted butter with 1/2 cup melted unsalted margarine
- Decrease granulated sugar in crust to 2 tbsp
- Replace cream cheese with 16 oz low-fat cream cheese
- Decrease granulated sugar in filling to 1/2 cup
- Replace sour cream with 1/3 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
- Replace heavy cream with 1/3 cup low-fat milk
🐄 Lactose Intolerance
- Replace cream cheese with 16 oz lactose-free cream cheese
- Replace sour cream with 1/3 cup lactose-free sour cream
- Replace heavy cream with 1/3 cup lactose-free heavy cream
- Replace unsalted butter with 1/2 cup lactose-free margarine
🍺 Liver Disease
- Replace graham cracker crumbs with 2 cups almond flour
- Replace unsalted butter with 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- Decrease granulated sugar in crust to 2 tbsp
- Replace cream cheese with 16 oz low-fat ricotta cheese
- Decrease granulated sugar in filling to 1/2 cup
- Replace sour cream with 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, low-fat
- Replace heavy cream with 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
🤰 Pregnancy
- Replace 1/3 cup heavy cream with 1/3 cup whole milk
- Replace 2 large eggs with 4 pasteurized egg whites
Beti’s Reflections
While on a quest to uncover the most scrumptious American dessert ideas, I stumbled upon a hidden gem that instantly stole my heart (and taste buds). Say hello to Cheesecrave Squares! These delightful treats are perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth and will have you craving more.
Introducing the Cheesecrave Squares Recipe, a heavenly combination of creamy cheesecake layers on a crumbly graham cracker base. This easy-to-make dessert serves 16 people and is perfect for those who have no dietary restrictions or health concerns. So gather your friends and family, and let’s dive into this delectable treat!
The magic of these Cream Cheese Dessert Squares lies in their simple yet flavorful ingredients. The graham cracker crumbs create a crunchy foundation, while the melted unsalted butter and granulated sugar add richness and sweetness. The star of the show, cream cheese, brings that classic cheesecake taste we all adore. Vanilla extract adds depth to the flavor profile, while large eggs provide structure. Finally, sour cream and heavy cream give these Easy Cheesecake Squares their irresistible creaminess.
Now let’s talk about how to whip up these Baked Cream Cheese Squares! Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and spraying a 9×9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar before pressing the mixture evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan. Next up is creating that luscious cheesecake layer by beating together softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add eggs one at a time before mixing in sour cream and heavy cream for that extra creamy touch. Pour this heavenly mixture over your crust, spread it evenly with a rubber spatula, then bake for 40-45 minutes until the edges are set but the center is still slightly jiggly. Let your masterpiece cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.
And there you have it, my fellow dessert enthusiasts! The Cheesecrave Squares Recipe is the perfect addition to your repertoire of American dessert recipes. These graham cracker cheesecake bars are sure to impress your guests and leave them craving more. So go ahead, indulge in these creamy, dreamy Cheesecrave Squares and let your taste buds rejoice!
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