Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

• 2.5 cup All-purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp Ground cinnamon (Divided: 1 tsp for the dough and ½ tsp for the cinnamon-sugar mixture.)
• 0.5 tsp Baking soda
• 0.75 tsp Salt (Divided: ½ tsp for the dough and ¼ tsp for the cheesecake layer.)
• 2 cup Granulated sugar (Divided: 1½ cups for the dough and ½ cup for the cinnamon-sugar mixture.)
• 1 cup Unsalted butter (Very soft.)
• 4 Eggs (Large, room temperature; 2 for the dough and 2 for the cheesecake layer.)
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract (1 tsp for the dough and 1 tsp for the cheesecake layer.)
• 16 oz Cream cheese (Room temperature; 2 8-ounce packages.)
• 1 cup Powdered sugar
• Baking spray (Lightly spray the baking dish; amount not specified.)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly coat a 9 × 13-inch glass baking dish with baking spray and set it aside.

2. 2

   In a small bowl, combine ½ cup of the granulated sugar with ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon. Set the cinnamon-sugar mixture aside.

3. 3

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set the dry mixture aside.

4. 4

   In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with the remaining 1½ cups granulated sugar on low speed for 1–2 minutes, until light and fluffy.

5. 5

   Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Add the 2 eggs for the dough one at a time, mixing for 1–2 minutes until fully incorporated.

6. 6

   Gradually mix in the flour mixture just until combined; avoid overmixing.

7. 7

   Press two-thirds of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. If needed, slightly wet your fingers to smooth the layer.

8. 8

   Sprinkle 2–3 tablespoons of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the dough base.

9. 9

   In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, the remaining 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon salt together for 1–2 minutes, until smooth.

10. 10

    Spread the cheesecake mixture evenly over the dough base.

11. 11

    Drop the remaining one-third of the dough in pieces over the cheesecake layer.

12. 12

    Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the top.

13. 13

    Bake for 45 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the center is set.

14. 14

    Cool the bars completely on the counter before slicing and serving.

Notes

The recipe gives 2–3 tablespoons of cinnamon-sugar mixture for the base and the remainder for the top; the mixture is made from ½ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Cooling time is not specified.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• bars
• baked
• cinnamon
• cheesecake
• American