Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars

Instructions

Cinnamon Graham Cracker Crust

1. Preheat oven to 325 F / 165 C and line an 8-inch x 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. I like to use metal (unpainted) binder clips to keep my parchment paper in place.
2. Whisk 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tbsp of sugar and 2 tsp of cinnamon together into a medium bowl.
3. Add in 1/4 cup of melted butter and mix until the ingredients are fully combined and the cookie crumbs look moist.
4. Pour the cinnamon cookie mixture into your prepared pan. Use the back of a spoon or the bottom of a measuring cup to press down firmly and create a compact, even crust.
5. Bake for 8 minutes then remove from the oven. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool. Be sure to keep your oven on!!

Cinnamon Sugar Swirl

1. Whisk together 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon. Set aside.

Cheesecake Filling

1. While the cinnamon crust bakes and cools make the cheesecake filling.
2. Place 2 cups of room temperature cream cheese in a medium sized bowl. Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment on a medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until creamy and smooth.
3. Mix in 2/3 cup of granulated sugar on a medium-low speed until combined.
4. Add in 2 eggs, one at a time followed by 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Mix on a medium-low speed until the eggs are fully incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is properly mixed together.
5. Pour half of the cheesecake filling on top of the cooled cinnamon graham cracker crust.
6. Sprinkle 2/3 of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of cheesecake batter. Top with the remaining cheesecake batter. Use the back of a spoon to spread out the batter and completely cover the cinnamon sugar filling.
7. Add spoonfuls of the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the batter. Use a butter knife or small offset spatula to drag lines through the batter to swirl it together with the cinnamon sugar. This will give the bars a crackly cinnamon sugar top that looks just like a freshly baked snickerdoodle.
8. Bake the cheesecake bars at 325 F for 40-45 minutes. Check on the bars halfway through and cover the pan with a piece of foil if the top looks like it's browning too much.
9. Once you think the bars are done baking, do a wiggle test to check if they're ready. Gently wiggle the pan and watch the center. The edges should be relatively set and the middle should wiggle a bit when the bars are done baking. Cheesecake doesn't bake up completely firm the way cake layers do, so my usual toothpick test won't work.
10. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a metal rack. Once they reach room temperature, refrigerate them for an additional 2 hours or overnight. Do not put them immediately into the fridge, or the top can crack.
11. Cut them with a sharp, warm knife. Clean the knife after each cut to get perfect squares.
12. Leftover bars can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.