Eightyrecipes
Christmas Cheesecake Bars
Warm Christmas cheesecake bars with creamy cream cheese, tart cherry pie filling, and a buttery sugar cookie crust—hello, holiday magic. The crunchy toasted almonds on top? That’s the cozy, nutty hug it didn’t know it needed. Sweet, cherry-swirled, a little tangy, and rich enough to count as a dessert and a hug. Soft but structured, with a cherry jammy center and a golden almond-crunch top that sings.
Ingredients
Cookie Crust & Topping
- 1 package sugar cookie mix about 17.5 oz (dry mix)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
Cheesecake Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Topping
- 1 cup cherry pie filling about half a can (use storebought or homemade), thick style
- 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
Instructions
- Prep the oven and pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8 or 9x13 inch baking pan with foil and coat with non-stick spray.
- Make the crust: In a bowl, combine the sugar cookie mix with cold cubed butter. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingers, until the mixture is crumbly and sandy. Reserve about 3/4 cup of this mixture for the topping and set aside.
- Press the remaining crust mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing evenly.
- Parbake the crust: Bake 10 minutes. It may look pale and soft, that's fine. Cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
- Prepare the cheesecake layer: In a separate bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla, and egg until smooth and creamy, with no lumps remaining.
- Spread the cheesecake mixture gently over the cooled/parbaked crust in an even layer.
- Add cherry filling: Spoon cherry pie filling evenly over the cheesecake layer. Swirl gently with a knife if desired or leave as is for even coverage.
- Top and bake: Combine reserved crumble mixture with toasted sliced almonds. Sprinkle evenly on top of the cherry layer.
- Bake 40 minutes for 8x8 pan or up to 45 minutes for 9x13, until the top is golden and the center is set.
- Cool 30 minutes at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (or overnight) before slicing into bars for the best structure and flavor.
Notes
Storage: Fridge-friendly up to 5 days in an airtight container. Freeze up to 2 months (best texture in the first month). Slice before freezing and separate layers with parchment. Serve cold. If you want to remove the chill a bit, microwave for 10–15 seconds.
Variations: Try blueberry, raspberry, or apple pie filling. Swap almonds for walnuts or pecans; add a little citrus zest to the cheesecake layer for brightness. Graham cracker crust (1½ cups crumbs + ⅓ cup melted butter) works as a swap for cookie mix.
Serving: Perfect with hot coffee, cocoa, mulled wine, or vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition is an estimate, calculated automatically.
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