Maple Cheesecake Bars

This maple cheesecake bakes pure maple syrup and brown sugar into a creamy filling over a graham cracker crust, cut into bars for an easy, make ahead fall dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Maple Cheesecake

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 433kcal

Author Jason Decker

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
3 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
Pinch of salt

For the Cheesecake:

16 ounces cream cheese softened
½ cup pure maple syrup
½ cup light brown sugar packed
⅓ cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon maple extract or vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9×9 baking dish with aluminum foil and spray it well with baking spray.
First, make the crust. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt.
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs, 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, Pinch of salt
Press the crust into the bottom of the dish, set aside.
In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth.
16 ounces cream cheese
Add the maple syrup, brown sugar, sour cream, eggs, flour, extract, and salt, mixing until fully combined and without lumps.
½ cup pure maple syrup, ½ cup light brown sugar, ⅓ cup sour cream, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon maple extract or vanilla extract, Pinch of salt
Pour the filling on top of the graham cracker crust and smooth out the top.
Bake for 40-50 minutes. The very center will be the slightest bit jiggly.
Let cool on the counter, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving. Chilling overnight is best!
Serve with more maple syrup and maple whipped cream for garnish, optional.

Notes

Use room temperature ingredients – This helps everything mix smoothly and creates a creamier cheesecake.
Don’t overbeat the batter – Mixing too much can cause air bubbles, which can lead to cracks.
Line your pan with foil – This makes it easier to lift the cheesecake out for clean slices.
Chill for best flavor – Letting the cheesecake chill overnight enhances the maple flavor and texture.
Check your oven temperature – Make sure your oven is at 325°F to bake the cheesecake evenly without over-browning.
Test for doneness – The cheesecake is done when the center is slightly jiggly. It will firm up as it cools.

Nutrition