Heavenly Cookie Butter Cocoa Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Have you tried the Cookie Butter Cocoa Swirl spread from Trader Joe's yet? I have always been a big fan of Cookie Butter (aka Biscoff knock-off) since back in the day, but Trader Joe's really took the concept to another level with their Cookie Butter Cocoa Swirl. Amazing! One taste and I knew I had to create something with it that allowed its' amazing flavor to shine.

 

 

I tried Blondies with the Cookie Butter swirled into it, but the flavor got a little lost and I wasn't happy with the results....then one day, on my drive to work, inspiration struck and my old stand-by, Cheesecake, came to mind (you really can make cheesecake out of just about anything). I felt that cheesecake flavored with Biscoff spread baked on top of a Biscoff cookie crust would really hit the mark...and what a winner it was! Creamy, cinnamon-y (is that a word?), with the flavor of Biscoff...eh I mean Cookie Butter.. throughout. Divine!

If you love Cookie Butter, Chocolate, Biscoff Cookies & Cheesecake, this recipe is for you!

 

 

Heavenly Cookie Butter Cocoa Swirl Cheesecake Bars with Biscoff Cookie Crust

Makes one 8x8 or 9x9 pan, 12-16 bars

 

 ** Plan ahead: The bars need to chill several hours or overnight before serving **
 

Bar Ingredients:

2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
3/4 cup Biscoff spread

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup Cookie Butter Cocoa Swirl

 

Crust Ingredients:

1 package of Biscoff Cookies

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

7 -8 tablespoons of butter melted

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 35of

 

Line an 8x8 or 9x9 square baking pan with nonstick foil or spray regular foil with nonstick cooking spray.

 

Make the crust

 

Place the Biscoff cookies in a food processor and process until fine crumbs.

 

Place the crumbs in a bowl, add sugar and stir with a fork to combine. Drizzle in the melted butter and toss with a fork to combine.

 

Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom about 1/2" up the sides of the prepared baking pan.

 

Bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes or until lightly toasted/golden brown.

 

Remove and set aside.
 

 

Make the filling

 

Reduce oven temp to 325f

 

Place the softened cream cheese in a large bowl and mix with your hand mixer at med-low speed until creamy (this will take about 30 seconds if you cream cheese is softened properly).

 

Add the sugar and mix at medium low speed until combined.

 

Add the eggs and mix at medium-low speed until combined, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. At this point try to make sure there are no lumps.

 

Add the Biscoff spread, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt and heavy whipping cream mixing at low speed just until combined.

 

Pour batter into the prepared pan.

 

Heat the Cookie Butter Cocoa swirl spread in a small bowl for a few seconds just to loosen it up but not long enough for the swirls to dissolve.

 

Dollop the Cookie Butter onto the batter and create a swirl pattern using a butter knife or skewer.

 

 

Place on a rimmed baking sheet then bake in the oven at 325f until set. This should take about 40-45 minutes, but all ovens are different so your actual baking time may vary.

Remove from oven and transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely. The cooling process should take place slowly to help prevent cracking so try to cool in a draft free spot to prevent sudden temperature change.

 

Once the bars have cooled to room temperature, refrigerate them for several hours or overnight to allow them to set.

Remove from the pan using the foil liner. Cut & serve!

Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.