Dulce De Leche Cheesecake Bars with a Salty Twist

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars

Dulce de leche is a rich, spoonable caramel product that is usually sold in a can. For a long time it was little known in much of the United States, and plenty of home bakers walked right past it in the baking aisle without a second look.

These days it has a firm spot in the pantry, right next to the condensed milk, because it turns an ordinary dessert into something that tastes like it came from a pastry case.

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In this recipe, dulce de leche is spread over a cheesecake base to make Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars. The bars are then finished with a sprinkle of fleur de sel, a flaky sea salt that lands as a small, bright crunch on top of all that sweetness.

I had wanted to make these bars since the first time I saw them in Bon Appetit years earlier. The page stayed with me: a thick cheesecake layer, a glossy caramel blanket, and that final pinch of salt. When I finally pulled the pan out of my own oven, I understood the fuss.

Imagine sinking into a pan of these rich, caramelly bars where the creamy cheesecake meets a soft dulce de leche blanket and a tiny crunch of sea salt. My kitchen is usually a cool room where salads, gazpacho, and overnight oats do the work, so an oven session has to earn its place. This one earns it.

Keep one can of dulce de leche in the pantry and you are one relaxed afternoon away from a dessert that looks far more complicated than it is.

About Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars:

These bars are an easier cheesecake option than a classic round cheesecake, mostly because they need no special pan and no water bath. A standard 13 x 9 x 2 inch metal or glass baking pan does the job, and there is a good chance you already own one.

They are also very rich, and that is a serving instruction rather than a warning. The recipe is written to be cut into 24 small squares, and small is the right size here. One square alongside a cup of coffee is plenty, and a second square is a decision you make on purpose.

What makes the flavor work is the pairing of caramel and cream cheese. Both are soft and sweet, and the cream cheese brings just enough tang to keep the caramel from taking over. The fleur de sel is the detail that pulls everything together.

It works the way salt works in salted caramel, lifting the sweetness and making the caramel taste deeper and more grown up. The original recipe is credited to Bon Appetit, with a few small changes by the author who shared it.

A few practical things are worth knowing before you start.

• Add the fleur de sel right before serving rather than when the pan goes into the refrigerator.
• The caramel topping stays soft, so these bars cannot be stacked. Plan on a single layer in the pan or on a platter.
• They are easy to pick up and eat, which makes them a good fit for a potluck table, a bake sale, or a holiday tray.
• Trim the edges and cut the bars before anyone sees the pan. Bubbles and wavy caramel are far more noticeable when you are looking at the whole surface at once.

Equipment you will actually use:

A word on chilling. The finished pan goes into the refrigerator for about 1 hour so the topping can settle into that soft, glossy blanket. It will not become firm, and it is not supposed to. Serve the bars straight from the refrigerator for the cleanest slices and the neatest edges.

Small squares are not a suggestion. A 24 piece pan is built to serve 24 people comfortably, and nobody ever complains about a second trip back.

Making Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars:

Making the bars is straightforward. The only moment that might raise an eyebrow is the middle of the bake, when the cheesecake base can puff up dramatically in the center. Do not panic and do not pull the pan out early.

Leave it in the oven until the center feels slightly firm to the touch and the top is golden brown. Once it comes out, it settles into a flat, even layer as it cools.

Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 13 x 9 x 2 inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. A glass pan works fine too. If you want easier removal, line the pan with foil and then spray the foil.
2. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until everything is coated. Transfer the crumb mixture to the pan and press it evenly onto the bottom. Bake until the crust is light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.

Filling

1. Blend the cream cheese and sugar in a food processor until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The recipe works fine with a mixer as well. Add the dulce de leche and blend until incorporated.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, processing 3 to 5 seconds between additions. Add the vanilla and process until blended, about 10 seconds.
3. Dollop the batter across the cooled crust and spread it into an even layer. Bake until just set in the center and the edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 38 minutes. Check the center: even when it looks puffed, it should feel slightly firm to the touch. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

Topping and Finishing

1. Mix the dulce de leche and 3 tablespoons of cream in a microwave safe bowl. The cream may not totally mix in at first, which is normal. Microwave for 10 seconds, then stir gently. Continue microwaving in 10 second intervals until melted.
2. Stir to blend, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if the mixture is too thick to pour. The amount of cream you need depends on the brand of dulce de leche.
3. Pour the topping over the cooled cheesecake and spread it evenly. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. This topping will not be firm.
4. Cut the cheesecake lengthwise into 4 strips, then crosswise into 6 strips, which gives you 24 bars. Sprinkle the bars with fleur de sel right before serving.

Two small tricks make the crust easier. You can grind graham crackers in a food processor, which you will likely be using for the filling anyway.

Or put whole crackers in a large Ziploc bag, break them up, and roll over them with a rolling pin. The crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter can be mixed right in the bag, so you never dirty a bowl.

Saving Money on Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars:

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars are not an expensive dessert to make, and a few simple habits keep the cost down even more. The ingredient list is short, which means the smart move is to buy the few things you need well and skip the rest.

Cream cheese is the biggest line item, and it is also the easiest one to plan around. It keeps for weeks in the refrigerator, and it can be frozen.

That means you can stock up during holiday sales, when it is usually about half price, and bake these bars in the middle of summer without paying full price.

If you already have a baking week coming up, this is exactly the kind of thing worth adding to the list in advance.

Graham crackers are the second place to look. Making graham cracker crumbs from whole graham crackers is less expensive than buying a box of crumbs, and whole crackers go on sale more often than crumbs do.

Crushing them yourself takes a minute or two, and you already have two easy methods: a food processor, or a large Ziploc bag and a rolling pin.

The bag method comes with a bonus, since you can mix the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in the same bag and skip washing a bowl.

Dulce de leche is the one ingredient where the store matters. It is usually more reasonably priced at a Mexican market than at a standard grocery store, and the cans hold the same product. If you happen to be near one, buy two cans.

The recipe uses 1/2 cup in the filling and about 2/3 cup for the topping, so a single can covers the pan with a little planning.

If dulce de leche simply is not available where you shop, you can make it at home. Put a couple of cans of condensed milk, labels and all, in a slow cooker in the evening and let it cook overnight.

You wake up to dulce de leche, and the whole house smells like caramel. There is a separate post on homemade slow cooker dulce de leche if you want the full walk through.

One more note on planning. The crust bakes for about 10 minutes, the filling for about 38 minutes, and the finished pan chills for about 1 hour before you cut it.

None of that is difficult, but it does mean these bars are best made on a day when you will be home anyway. Bake in the morning, chill in the afternoon, and sprinkle the fleur de sel right before the first square leaves the pan.

Wrap the pan loosely once it is chilled and the bars hold well for a day or two, though the fleur de sel is at its crunchiest the day they are made. Serve them cold, cut them small, and let the salt do the talking.

A can of dulce de leche and a block of sale priced cream cheese in the refrigerator mean you are always one afternoon away from a dessert that looks like a bakery special.

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Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars

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Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars Dulce de leche is a rich, spoonable caramel product that is usually sold in a can. For a long time it was little known in much of the United States, and plenty of home bakers walked right past it in the baking aisle without a second look.

• Total Time: 0 min
• Yield: 24 bars 1x

Ingredients

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Crust
Nonstick spray
2 1/4 cups finely ground graham crackers, from about 17 crackers
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 tablespoons melted butter, 1 1/4 sticks

Filling
3 eight-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup Dulce de Leche, store-bought or home-made, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping & Finishing
about 2/3 cup Dulce de Leche, remainder of can
3 or more tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Fleur de Sel

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Instructions

Crust
1-Preheat oven to 350°F: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan (a glass pan works fine) with nonstick spray. (Line pan if desired, with foil and then spray the foil for easier removal.)
2-Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon: Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add melted butter; stir until coated. Transfer crumb mixture to pan. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake until crust is light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

Filling
3-Blend cream cheese and sugar in a: Blend cream cheese and sugar in a food processor (recipe works fine made with a mixer) until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add dulce de leche and blend until incorporated.
4-Add eggs 1 at a time, processing: Add eggs 1 at a time, processing 3 to 5 seconds to blend between additions. Add vanilla, process until blended, about 10 seconds.
5-Dollop batter across cooled crust and nudge: Dollop batter across cooled crust and nudge and spread into an even layer. Bake until just set in center and edges are puffed and slightly cracked about 38 minutes. Check the center, although puffed, it should feel slightly firm to the touch. Transfer to rack; cool completely.

Topping & Finishing
6-Mix dulce de leche and 3 tablespoons: Mix dulce de leche and 3 tablespoons cream in microwave-safe bowl (cream may not totally mix in) and microwave for 10 seconds. Gently stir. Continue to microwave in 10-second intervals until melted.
7-Stir to blend, adding more cream by: Stir to blend, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if too thick to pour (amount of cream needed will depend on brand of dulce de leche).
8-Pour over cooled cheesecake: Pour over cooled cheesecake; spread evenly. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. This topping will not be firm.
9-Cut cheesecake lengthwise into 4 strips, then: Cut cheesecake lengthwise into 4 strips, then crosswise into 6 strips, forming 24 bars. Sprinkle bars with fleur de sel right before serving.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 0 min
• Cook Time: 0 min
• Method: bake