Caramel Snickers Cheesecake Bars
Oreos + cheesecake + snickers + caramel. Talk about a showstopper of a dessert! Plus, you won’t believe how simple it is to make these caramel snickers cheesecake bars!
Have I told you that my four boys decided to give up sweets?
For a year?
It’s been the most depressing eight weeks of my life so far. The good mother that I am, I try to talk them out of it every day.
They got a bee in their bonnet to do this after I off-handedly told them how a friend of mine was taking her daughter to Harry Potter world after a year of no sweets.
The next morning, the boys woke up all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to announce that they, too, were going to go a year without sweets!
I was like, “Whoa! No! No, no, no. No one is going to Harry Potter World at our house, sorry charlies.”
Yet, even with that dream crushing statement, they were undeterred.
They still committed to each other that very day – all four boys – to go a year without sweets, and they haven’t touched a treat, cookie, brownie, piece of cake (not even for little sis’ birthday!), juice, ice cream, homemade waffle cone, and on and on in two months.
It’s crazy.
I mean, on one hand, I have some serious respect for their resolve.
But on the other hand, I’m like:
WHOSE CHILDREN ARE YOU ANYWAY??
It’s no surprise, they’ve have gained a bit of notoriety at school and church regarding this goal of theirs as they’ve been politely turning down school birthday treats and church cookies time and time again.
Scout leaders have started bringing yogurt in addition to cookies for after-activity treats, and I’ve had a lot of adults tell me they are impressed that these boys are so committed.
And then they ask me if I’m tempted at all to join them.
And I proceed to laugh so long and so loudly that it’s awkward for everyone.
Um, no.
I fully recognize my limitations, and I understand and appreciate that a little chocolate here and there is pertinent to my sanity.
But I WILL admit that I am proud of the boys – not because they are giving up sweets, but because they are sacrificing to accomplish something really hard. Maybe after it’s all said and done, it will prove to be a character building experience.
I’m fairly certain that Brian’s coworkers and a few neighbors are hoping the kids never return back to the land of sweets, because they are benefitting greatly from the outpouring of leftover treats from my kitchen.
That’s the true test of commitment right there – I’ve still been making and testing and brainstorming dessert recipes, and my boys don’t seem swayed or tempted at all.
I’ve even checked the level of chocolate chips in the pantry just to be sure there isn’t any stealthy midnight snacking going on by little persons.
But…not surprisingly, so far, I’m the only one responsible for the dwindling chocolate chip supply.
These amazing Snickers cheesecake bars are just one example of a mind-blowing dessert I made in the last couple weeks, only to have the whole pan of decadent goodness staring at me and Brian and Cam.
For the safety of me and my hips, I enjoyed a few, and then promptly packaged up the rest to accompany Brian to work.
It’s a good thing I did so.
These Snickers cheesecake bars (with that extra caramel drizzle) are insanely delicious.
We’re talking Oreo crust topped with a creamy cheesecake layer loaded with Snickers bars and then finished off with a healthy drizzle of caramel.
Baked and chilled until super cold?
Oh man, these cheesecake bars are very hard to say no to.
You can certainly leave them plain Jane, like in the picture above. But a little extra caramel artfully drizzled on top (lightly warmed dulce de leche is tasty, too) is really the icing on the cake, so to speak.
With all the summer BBQ’s and potlucks and hide-in-the-pantry-to-survive-school-being-out moments ahead in the next few months, it’s only smart to be armed with recipes like these caramel Snickers cheesecake bars.
Sanity, friends, sanity.
And since I don’t have many people to share the Snickers cheesecake bar love with around here (until March 2018), I’ll be sure to spread the word next time I make these.
Party in the pantry.
One Year Ago: Chili Lime Tacos with Mango Salsa {Grill or InstantPot}
Two Years Ago: Simple and Delicious Sour Cream Muffins
Three Years Ago: Skillet Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta with Broccoli
Caramel Snickers Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 3 cups Oreo cookie crumbs, about 30 Oreos, crushed
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) salted butter, melted
Cheesecake:
- 3 packages (8-ounces each) (680 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (113 g) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 10 ounces (283 g) Snicker bars, chopped (about 18-20 fun-size bars or 5-6 regular size bars)
- ⅓ cup (57 g) mini chocolate chips
- Caramel sauce for drizzling, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch pan with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup and to lift out the bars). Lightly grease with cooking spray.
- For the crust, stir together the Oreo cookie crumbs and butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- For the cheesecake layer, in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and combined, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and mix until just combined; scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the sour cream, vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Mix until just combined.
- With a rubber spatula or large spoon, fold in the chopped Snickers bars.
- Spread the batter evenly on top of the crust. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
- Bake for 30 minutes until the cheesecake is set throughout, adding a few minutes if the center is still soft and jiggly.
- Remove from the oven and let the bars cool completely. Refrigerate until completely chilled.
- Cut into squares, drizzle with caramel sauce (optional), and serve.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Hi, how long do you usually refrigerate these for?
At least 2-3 hours, but they can be refrigerated for a couple of days.
do these have to refrigerated?
Yes, I refrigerate them.
Delicious and addictive. Can’t stopped eating them
I made this and it was a huge hit. Unfortunately I couldn’t try it due to being lactose intolerant but I have used the base of this recipe and made some changes and OMG. Grateful for lactose free cream cheese and I love how easy I can convert your recipes to be lactose free. Thank you so much
I made these and they were delicious but not pretty because the caramel sauce I used was too thin and just spread out over the bar. It seems the sauces you recommend would do the same. For the picture did you use your No Stir Caramel recipe cooked to a lower temperature? It stayed in such a nice drizzle. I plan to make them for teacher appreciation and would like them to be gorgeous as well as delicious.
Hi Julie, I usually use this divine caramel sauce (or Trader Joe’s storebought brand of caramel sauce), but I don’t warm it up very much (if at all) before drizzling. That helps the caramel drizzle to keep it’s shape.
Thanks Mel. Sadly the closest Trader Joe’s is 250 miles from me. I went ahead and made the Divine Caramel Sauce, refrigerated it overnight, and drizzled it on this morning without heating it at all. I have to admit it worked MUCH better than expected but I didn’t quite achieve those glossy thick ribbons of caramel in your picture. I was, however, happy (and surprised) that the caramel didn’t spread much. Whatever the case, they all disappeared. Thanks again for another great recipe!
I’m glad it worked out ok – you are amazing for going the extra mile and making the caramel sauce homemade!
Hi, can I substitute the sour cream with plain yogurt? Do you know if the end taste and results will be the same?
Thank you,
Sunny
You can certainly try! Usually plain yogurt subs well for sour cream.
Hi Mel,
I have never used foil to line my pan before when making a bar recipe but I see that you have that in your directions often. I am going to try the caramel snickers cheesecake bars and want to try the foil lined pan. How much do I leave hang over the pan? Does it interfere when you are cutting the bars? I’m thinking tiny pieces of foil stuck in with bars and that makes me squimmish! I want to make these for a housewarming gift so want them to be perfect! I am so happy I’ve discovered your site. I’ve loved everything I’ve made so far, you’re awesome!
Hi Mel,
I have never used foil to line my pan before when making a bar recipe but I see that you have that in your directions often. I am going to try the caramel snickers cheesecake bars and want to try the foil lined pan. How much do I leave hang over the pan? Does it interfere when you are cutting the bars? I’m thinking tiny pieces of foil stuck in with bars and that makes me squimmish! I want to make these for a housewarming gift so want them to be perfect! I am so happy I’ve discovered your site. I’ve loved everything I’ve made so far, you’re awesome!
I like the foil lined pan because I can lift out the edges of foil and cut the bars outside of the pan, if that makes sense. I use my OXO bench knife to cut bars, usually, and don’t have a problem with bits of foil, but that may depend on the knife.
These are sooooo good! I was lazy and bought a prepared Oreo pie crust. This recipe fits perfectly in 2 of those premade crusts! I had to bake a little longer than 30 minutes because the filling was thicker than spreading it out in a 9×13 pan. I also turned the heat down to 300 for the last 10 minutes to keep it from browning on top. I will definitely be making this again. Seems like it would freeze well too!
I’m getting ready to make these for the second time in two weeks. When my daughter couldn’t decide on a treat for her 14th birthday at the end of May, I sent her to your website to look for something. She found these cheesecake bars, and they were a big hit. So much so, that when my soon-to-be-12-year-old son needed to decide on his birthday treat for tomorrow, he immediately said, “Would it be weird if we had that cheesecake again so soon?” No, son, not at all. As someone who vastly prefers cheesecake or brownies to cake, thanks for giving us this delicious option!
(I’ve never commented before, so I would also like to say thanks for the time you put in here. Over the past couple of years since I found your site, it has become my go-to for reliable, tasty recipes.)
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Valerie! Means a lot to me. And I’m so happy your family is loving these bars! I agree, not weird at all to eat the same thing time and time again. 🙂
Do you include the creamy filling in the oreo for the crushed crust?
Yes, I leave the filling in the Oreos.
I made this — using the peanut butter option — to absolutely RAVE reviews from family and coworkers! (I wonder what it would be like with crunchy peanut butter?) It is truly knock-it-out-of-the-park delicious! Thanks, Mel!
I made these yesterday to take to my daughter’s orchestra concert. It was the first thing gone from the potluck table. Her teacher said he took the empty tray the bars had been on into a side room to scrape off the crumbs! Needless to say this is another fabulous Mel recipe!
Haha! That’s high praise!
Hilarious that I’m reading about your boys giving up sweets all the while looking at these amazing decadent bars! I’m impressed as well as feeling shame because I could never do the same. I’ll be making these babies soon and everyone in my house will eat some.
Aaand Mel! Love the new site!
Thanks, Sally!
Sometimes when you post a recipe, the picture looks so delicious that I can’t get it out of my mind until I make it. That is what happened with this recipe! I couldn’t wait to buy the ingredients to try it. My family enjoyed this as a special Mother’s Day dessert on the weekend, and we LOVED! LOVED! LOVED!! this recipe. I can’t wait to try to the peanut butter version as well! If your sons can resist sweets with all of the good things you make, they have a lot more willpower than I would ever have 🙂
So happy you loved these bars, Nancy!
Is the butter melted? Doesn’t state
Melted. I’ll edit the recipe – sorry for the confusion!
Ha ha. This is my favorite post yet! I am amazed by your boys! Love how you have sprinkled pictures of the decadent caramel Snickers Cheesecake bars throughout the no-sweets narrative! Please keep us all updated on how they do with their goal.
These look delicious ! I will be making them soon. Do they need to be refrigerated or can they be left out on the counter? ( If there are any left )
They are best refrigerated if they won’t be eaten in a couple hours (plus, they just taste yummy when they are cold!).
Yum! These look amazing! Would these do well freezing and then pulling out a few days later?
I haven’t frozen them, but most cheesecake-type desserts freeze great, so I think they would fare just fine, although I’d drizzle with caramel after they have been frozen and thawed.
I have yet to make these, but FYI – I just spotted “Snickers Bites” in a 10oz bag near the chocolate chips at Walmart. These may have too large of a chocolate to filling ratio but I think I’ll give them a try. 🙂
Hi Mel,
These look great, planning to make them this weekend for a cookout we are having. I was wondering if you use the Oreo’s with their filling or just the plain cookie? Love all your recipes.
Yep, I use the filling, too.
I had to chime in today to give you props for all you do in making my life easier. I have downloaded your “if you make this, serve that as a side” onto my computer and being able to click from this to that is so sweet! Talk about taking the stress out of “what’s for dinner?”! Thank you! Now, let me just say that these Snickers cheesecake bars look killer good, and I’m not a big cheesecake fan. The Snickers and the peanut butter look like they would change my mind regarding cheesecake, pronto! Thanks again, Mel. You are great!
Why thank you, Patti!
Weird question, can you recommend something else besides Oreo? I just can’t handle an Oreo. I know, I know, strange.
Thanks Mel
That’s ok! Any type of chocolate cookie/cracker should work. Chocolate graham crackers, chocolate teddy grahams, chocolate Nabisco wafers?
Hi Mel, these look amazing! I have an unrelated question though: I bought your e cookbook a while back and now I don’t have it in my iBooks. Can I get it back somehow?
Hey Lauren – I just resent the email that should have a link for the book. Let me know if you have trouble accessing it!
Thank you! I’ll save it on my computer this time
Oh man, Mel. You could seriously write about Brussels sprouts dipped in mud and I’d still read it. You are hilarious and should you ever feel the need to move to Arizona, I would happily let you be my neighbor and feed me all your leftover treats. Thanks for the laugh out loud start to my day 🙂
Haha. You are funny and nice, Bonnie. 🙂 I don’t think I’d survive the heat of Arizona, but a vacation someday? Yes, let’s shoot for that. I’ll bring treats.
I’m not a big commenter, but I just had to write to say I adore you. You brightened my morning with your humor as you so often do. You’re hilarious! I read this post out load to my family just so they could see why I like you so much. I love your recipes as well! You’re my go to…my Betty Crocker. I often find myself thinking, “I bet Mel has a recipe for that”. And you do!! So thank you.
Well, your comment made MY day. Thanks so much, Jenn! You put a smile on my face. 🙂
Thanks so much for posting this, it’s my birthday tomorrow and I might use it 🙂
It’s my Becca’s birthday tomorrow and I told her to come here to find inspiration and this is what she chose too! Happy birthday
Happy birthday, Becca!
For Mother’s Day I had planned to make your Keylime cheesecake, but that’s going to have to wait for another weekend. My new plan is to make these snickers cheesecake bars! Thanks for another yummy recipe. Your boys are amazing. You must be so proud!
I am proud, Teresa, most definitely! They have really impressed me with their motivation (and it’s cute to hear them talk about what is going to be their first treat when they enter the land of sweet-eating again). Hope you love these bars. Happy early Mother’s Day!
Oh my gosh Mel, I panicked for half a second reading the email, thinking you weren’t going to be making desserts for a year! Phew! I actually did this as a kid, 3 times! Well the first time it was just no candy for a year for $100, my mom challenged us to do it because whenever we had any money we’d go to the little store near our house and buy candy (ya know when you could get a load of candy for $1!) Then I bumped it up to no soda and no sweets and I did that twice! The funny thing is it totally cured me from liking soda, I loved it as a kid but after it having carbonation for a year it was really gross to me, so I haven’t drank soda since I was 15. But treats in the other hand! I think it must come with being a mom and the emotional stress we deal with 24/7, because now, I could NEVER give up treats! I think I’d rather die because what would be the point of life without making cookies and brownies and cinnamon rolls and… I can hardly go a day without a little treat of some sort. Even when I’m trying to “be good” I need a little something. Oh gosh. Anyway, sorry for the novel comment, this just made me laugh thinking of how I did that as a kid but now I’d rather die than live in that misery!
Me, too! I just need a little bit of dark chocolate to keep me happy. Well, and snickers cheesecake bars and chocolate chip cookies and brownies…ok, I have issues. That’s amazing you gave up sweets a lot in your youth! I remember trying to give up chocolate for a year. My dad said he’d pay me $50. On the third day, I couldn’t take it anymore and guzzled a chocolate milk at school and never looked back.
Incredible boys! And just curious, who do you get to share with in March 2018?
The boys! That’s when they’ll be done with their year long challenge. 🙂
My husband’s 40th birthday is tomorrow & I planned to make him a cherry cheesecake with a chocolate crust (black forest-y), but given that he LOVES Snickers, I think we’re going with this instead!
I do have one son who would pick a bell pepper over most sweets, but the other more than makes up for it (You can guess what camp I’m in!)
You and me both, Renee! Treats camp all the way.
Well, these just look amazing. Now I need to think of something to take them to, so I don’t eat the entire thing myself. 🙂
I know what you mean!
Have you tried these with another candy? I’m allergic to peanuts. Do you think I could substitute anything? I’m thinking maybe kitkats or twix bars!
No, but I think they are VERY adaptable to whatever candy bar you want to chop up and throw in there! Twix…YUM!
I was just scrolling the comments to see if anyone had tried anything else because my son has a peanut allergy. If you make them it would be great if you update how they turned out! I was thinking of trying a Mars bar. (Is that a Canadian thing?).
My 2 oldest children did a year without sugar trying to earn $100. They caught wind of this from a friend who’s dad was a dentist and offered it for his children. Ironically, they finished their challenge while we were at Harry Potter World and bought lots of candy at Honeydukes!
This made me laugh! And your kids are amazing!
You should read The Year of No Sugar. It’s excellent. And funny!
I’m really impressed with your boys! I have considered giving up sweets for a couple months to see if it helps with some health problems, but haven’t committed yet. I have given up candy and I’m restricting my sweets to homemade (not necessarily because homemade is healthier, but to limit the opportunities a little further) for the time being. Good luck to your boys!!
Thanks, Amy! They are pretty darn committed. I wish I had their will power! I stick to mostly homemade sweets, too, but I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt me to minimize the intake a bit. 🙂
I gave up sweets for 3 years in high school and I could never go back! I have to have at least one treat per day to keep me happy.
Sounds like me. 🙂 I need chocolate for my sanity.
That is some serious willpower your boys have! These bars look sinfully delicious! I can’t wait to make them. We are moving to the greater Boise area this summer, and I’m hoping that I end up your neighbor so I can help rid you of the excess of sweets you might have in your house this year 😉 One can always hope!
Haha! I need some takers! That’s exciting you are moving to this area! We love it here (although we are about 25-30 minutes from Boise).
Oh man! Of course this is what I find in my inbox on the first day of me resolving to eat healthier so I’m not the fat one at an upcoming family wedding. Cheesecake is my weakness! I can do this! As for your boys resolve I am incredibly impressed that they can stare these and all your other delicious recipes in the face and say no. That’s amazing!
Yikes! Sorry. 🙂 Kind of. Haha. I should find some willpower for my upcoming family reunion AT THE BEACH but I think my boys stole all my willpower.
I actually gasped when I saw these. Lol admire your boys resolve!
Thanks, Heather – they are impressing me with their resolve, too.
These look to die for! Have you noticed any positive changes in behavior since the boys quit sweets?
Hmmm, that’s an interesting question. I haven’t noticed anything particular about behavior, but it’s interesting how eliminating sweets has made them ravenous for healthier foods. We are going through fruits and vegetables and milk like crazy – even more so than before. I’ll have to keep an eye on the behavior and other side issues the longer they do this.
Came over to look up your healthy applesauce oat muffin recipe but I might be having to make these instead bah!!
This is totally me! Looking for dinner, walk away with dessert.
Or make both, right? 🙂
Oh yum! Just what I was looking for! We have a Mother’s Day BBQ at our house every year and I was having trouble deciding what to make for dessert this year. ( I usually make 3 different kinds ) I was considering your Oreo cheesecake bites, but then I saw this one. Have you ever doubled either of these? Do you think a jelly roll pan would be deep enough to handle them or is higher sided pan needed? Maybe I will just have to make them both, each in a 9×13. But do I really need 2 cheesecake desserts? Who doesn’t love cheesecake?! Oh man, I have such ridiculous problems. But seriously, I love reading your newsletters and all your recipes are fantastic! Thank you for sharing!
I haven’t doubled either of those for a large sheet pan, but in both cases, the 9X13-inch bars are on the thinner side so my gut feeling says a large sheet pan would work; however, just to be safe, I’d probably 1 1/2 the 9X13-inch recipe for a large sheet pan the first time. And yes, I definitely think you need two cheesecake desserts. 🙂 Haha, your problems and mine are the same.
Oh man. These look truly amazing. I non-chalantly came to this site this morning knowing I could handle any temptation that would lie here. As it turns out my hips have already gained weight just drooling over the pics and I have a real desire to put a bag of Oreos in the food processor and get my three blocks of cream cheese out of the frig to get to room temp. We’ll see what happens here. Thanks for a fun delicious idea to create for “company”:) Your boys are inspiring!!!!!!!!! But so are those pics…….
Haha, thanks, Nicole!