Description
Eggnog cheesecake crumble bars bring holiday cheer straight to your dessert plate with a creamy, festive twist that melts in your mouth. Crumbly, spiced cookie base meets rich eggnog filling for a seasonal treat perfect for sharing with friends and family.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
- ½ cup eggnog
- 1 large egg
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Finishing/Optional Ingredients:
- Optional: powdered sugar
Instructions
- Combine 1 ½ cups flour, ½ cup sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut your cold, cubed butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Transfer ⅔ of the crumb mixture into a parchment-lined 9×9 inch baking pan, pressing firmly to create an even crust layer.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and bake the crust for 12 minutes until it appears lightly set but not browned.
- In a separate bowl, blend 8 oz cream cheese with ¼ cup sugar until completely smooth using an electric mixer.
- Incorporate 1 egg, ½ cup eggnog, 1 tablespoon flour, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg into the cream cheese mixture. Mix until the filling is creamy and uniform.
- Carefully spread the cheesecake filling across the pre-baked crust, ensuring an even distribution to the pan’s edges.
- Scatter the remaining crumb mixture over the cheesecake layer, creating a rustic, textured topping.
- Return the pan to the 350°F oven and bake for 30 minutes, watching for set edges and a slight jiggle in the center.
- Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Lift the bars from the pan using the parchment paper, slice into 16 squares, and dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
- Crust texture matters most, so work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs for the perfect crumbly base.
- When mixing the cheesecake layer, ensure cream cheese is truly at room temperature to prevent lumps and create a silky smooth filling.
- Nutmeg is the secret flavor booster in this recipe, so use freshly grated if possible for a more intense, warm holiday taste.
- Chilling the bars completely helps them set and develop deeper flavors, so resist cutting them too soon and let them rest in the refrigerator for the full 2 hours.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 42 minutes
- Category: Dessert Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 260 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 130 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg