Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake Bars

You guys. I can’t even with these bars!

So lately I’ve been on a cinnamon roll kick. This is probably because I never make cinnamon rolls because when I do, I promptly make it a one-woman race to see how many I can eat in a single sitting. Not surprisingly, I always win. Also not surprisingly, all the cinnamon rolls are gone.

In my head, I’ve been plotting and planning different cinnamon roll-esque recipes to share with you guys. One was the recipe for these Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake Bars, the ones you see here. The other was for a cinnamon roll bundt cake which, it turns out, defied all laws of gravity and stayed inside the confines of the pan forever and ever.

I literally had to chisel it out with a knife and a spatula, contorting the pan around my body in ways no pan should be contorted, until it finally released and the bottom half plopped onto the counter all lame-like and pathetic.

I then had to exercise all of my muscle in order to pry the top half out of the pan. This resulted in me just giving up and soaking the pan in water for three days.

But luckily, these cheesecake bars were a screaming success. They are based off of my Perfect Cheesecake Bars, which, in my humble opinion, are totally the best. They’re creamy, light, fluffy and packed with flavor, and they’re basically foolproof. No scary springform pans. No frightening water baths. I mean, what’s up with water baths anyway? I don’t want to bathe my food period. I don’t even take baths, and I don’t want my food to get better treatment than I do. So yeah, no water baths. No spas or saunas either.

Here’s what goes down:

Prepare your cheesecake. Beat the living daylights out of some softened cream cheese with some sugar. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla extract. Lastly, add in sour cream – this makes the cheesecake the creamy, dreamy success that it is. Pour it into your par-baked cinnamon graham crust. Allow me to repeat: CINNAMON GRAHAM CRUST (!!).

While all this is happening, make your oh-so-easy brown sugar cinnYou guys. I can’t even with these bars!

So lately I’ve been on a cinnamon roll kick. This is probably because I never make cinnamon rolls because when I do, I promptly make it a one-woman race to see how many I can eat in a single sitting. Not surprisingly, I always win. Also not surprisingly, all the cinnamon rolls are gone.

In my head, I’ve been plotting and planning different cinnamon roll-esque recipes to share with you guys. One was the recipe for these Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake Bars, the ones you see here. The other was for a cinnamon roll bundt cake which, it turns out, defied all laws of gravity and stayed inside the confines of the pan forever and ever.

I literally had to chisel it out with a knife and a spatula, contorting the pan around my body in ways no pan should be contorted, until it finally released and the bottom half plopped onto the counter all lame-like and pathetic.

I then had to exercise all of my muscle in order to pry the top half out of the pan. This resulted in me just giving up and soaking the pan in water for three days.

But luckily, these cheesecake bars were a screaming success. They are based off of my Perfect Cheesecake Bars, which, in my humble opinion, are totally the best. They’re creamy, light, fluffy and packed with flavor, and they’re basically foolproof. No scary springform pans. No frightening water baths. I mean, what’s up with water baths anyway? I don’t want to bathe my food period. I don’t even take baths, and I don’t want my food to get better treatment than I do. So yeah, no water baths. No spas or saunas either.

Here’s what goes down:

Prepare your cheesecake. Beat the living daylights out of some softened cream cheese with some sugar. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla extract. Lastly, add in sour cream – this makes the cheesecake the creamy, dreamy success that it is. Pour it into your par-baked cinnamon graham crust. Allow me to repeat: CINNAMON GRAHAM CRUST (!!).

While all this is happening, make your oh-so-easy brown sugar cinnamon filling. You just melt some butter, brown sugar and a heap of cinnamon in a small saucepan until melted and gooey and divine. Then drizzle it onto the cheesecake bars and give it a little swirl. Bake until golden and juuuust about set and voila! Amazingness.

Also, I know I’ve been posting a lot of cheesecake recipes lately. If you mind, clearly you are in the wrong place. Sorry not sorry.

FYI: this is totally a breakfast food.

FYI #2: Even my dentist and dental hygienist approve. A DENTIST. So you know it’s good, y’all.

Ingredients
FOR CRUST:

2 cups cinnamon graham crackers, finely crushed
⅓ cup butter, melted
¼ cup brown sugar
FOR CHEESECAKE:
2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened to room temp
⅔ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream
FOR CINNAMON SWIRL:
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2-3 Tbsp ground cinnamon (depending on how cinnamon-y you want it)
6 Tbsp butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8x8 pan with foil, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil with cooking spray; set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together the cinnamon graham crumbs, melted butter and brown sugar together until completely moistened. Press the mixture evenly along the bottom of the pan and bake for approx. 10-12 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven but keep the oven on.
While crust bakes, prepare your cheesecake. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, followed by the vanilla. Lastly, beat in the sour cream. Set mixture aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter, stirring until smooth. Set aside.
Spread half of the cheesecake mixture into the prepared crust. Top with half of the cinnamon mixture. I like to draw lines with the cinnamon mixture into the cheesecake and then swirl them together with a butter knife. Top with remaining cheesecake, then remaining cinnamon mixture, swirling together.
Bake for approx. 35-40 minutes or until cheesecake is set and the center is just a little jiggly. Cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.