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food

Peach Caramel Cheesecake Bars

Rich, creamy, crunchy and caramelly, these peach caramel cheesecake bars have it all.

Peach Caramel Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

  • For the crust:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
  • For the peach layer:
  • 4 large ripe peaches, pitted and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • For the streusel topping:
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup roller oats
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecan halves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • For the cheesecake layer:
  • 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated cane sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • For the caramel:
  • 1 (11 ounce) package caramel squares
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. For the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, brown sugar, salt, and melted butter about 5 or 6 times until dough has the consistency of wet sand. Transfer dough into the prepared pan and press evenly. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven to cool slightly.
  3. For the peaches: Toss the peach cubes and nutmeg together in a medium bowl.
  4. For the streusel topping: In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, butter, oats, pecans, and cinnamon. Using your hands, mix until well combined.
  5. For the cheesecake layer: Using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake filling onto the baked crust, spreading evenly with a spatula.
  6. To prepare the caramel: In a medium saucepan over low heat, place the caramel squares and heavy cream. Stir frequently for about 10 minutes or until caramels are completely melted and mixture is well blended.
  7. To assemble: (STEP 1) Spoon the peaches evenly over the cheesecake filling.
  8. (STEP 2) Sprinkle the streusel evenly on top of the peaches.
  9. (STEP 3) Bake the bars for 40 to 45 minutes, until cheesecake layer is set. Let bars cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing.
  10. (STEP 4) Once bars have chilled, slice them into squares and arrange on a serving platter. Before serving, drizzle a generous amount of caramel on top of the bars.