Chocolate SunButter Cheesecake Bars
These decadent Chocolate SunButter Cheesecake Bars are seriously next-level delicious! They feature a sweet and salty pretzel crust, which is topped with a rich and creamy cheesecake base. Chocolate SunButter are swirled through the cheesecake batter to finishthese cheesecake bars off!
WHAT IS CHOCOLATE SUNBUTTER?
SunButter, for those who have never heard of it or had the pleasure of trying it, is a seed-butter spread that is made from sunflower seeds! SunButter is an excellent alternative to nut-butters for any one with allergies, sensitivities, or looking to incorporate a delicious, but healthier alternative to most nut-butters! It has 7g of protein per serving, is jam-packed with vitamins & minerals, and has absolutely no trans-fat and actually has less saturated fat than your typical almond butter!
Chocolate SunButter is an excellent nut-free alternative to that well-known chocolate hazelnut spread! It is chocolatey, thick, and creamy in flavor! It is slightly less sweet than your traditional chocolate hazelnut spread, making it super versatile!
Check out my SunButter Salted Caramel Cheesecake, SunButter Pretzel Chocolate Cupcakes, or any of my other SunButter recipes if you’re interested in more SunButter recipes!
How to make the Chocolate SunButter Swirl Cheesecake Bars
1. Make the crust: Add the pretzels and sugar to a food processor and grind until pretzels become fine crumbs. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse the food processor until the butter is evenly dispersed.
2. Bake and cool the crust: Grease a 9×9” baking pan with baking spray and line both sides with parchment, then press the crust into the spring form pan. I like to use a flat bottomed glass to really compact the crust down. Place the crust into the oven to bake for 10 minutes, then allow the crust to cool to room temperature before adding the filling.
3. Beat cream cheese: Add the softened cream cheese to the stand mixer or large bowl and beat on low until the cream cheese looks creamy and smooth – about 3 or so minutes
4. Add sugar, salt, and vanilla: Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla to the cream cheese, and beat on low until everything is well-combined, smooth, and creamy looking.
5. Add eggs: Add the eggs and egg yolks in, one at a time, incorporating each one fully before adding the next one! This just ensures even mixing and no streaks of egg throughout!
6. Add cream, sour cream, and cornstarch: After all the eggs have been incorporated, add in the heavy cream and sour cream, and beat again on low until everything looks smooth, well-combined, and uniform. Add cornstarch, then beat on low until cornstarch is combined completely.
7. Swirl & Bake: Pour the cheesecake batter into the baking pan with crust. Dot around the top with chocolate SunButter, then using a wooden skewer or knife, lightly swirl the chocolate SunButter into the cheesecake. Place into the oven to bake.
8. Cool cheesecake: After the cheesecake has baked, allow the Chocolate SunButter Swirl Cheesecake Bars to cool in a cracked oven for about an hour. This reduces the amount of cracking. After an hour, let the cheesecake come down to room temperature on the counter, then cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge to cool and set overnight.
SOFTENED CREAM CHEESE IS ESSENTIAL
It is crucial that the cream cheese is well softened for this Chocolate SunButter Swirl Cheesecake Bars recipe. What does softened cream cheese mean? Well it means that the cream cheese needs to be extremely soft! Do not use cream cheese straight out of the fridge! I personally like to pull my cream cheese out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for several hours until it is very soft in texture and at room temperature throughout.
If you’ve forgotten to pull the cream cheese out on time, cut the blocks up into cubes then place them into the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the cream cheese is very soft and creamy (but not hot).
So why do you need softened cream cheese for a cheesecake? Softened cream cheese is easier to mix, making for a more uniform cheesecake! Cold cream cheese tends to be lumpier, meaning that you will most likely be left with chunks of unmixed cream cheese in your caramel pecan cheesecake!
Get the Recipe: Chocolate SunButter Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Pretzel Crust
- 5 oz (150g) Pretzels
- 1/3 cup (66g) White Sugar
- 8 tbsp (114g) Unsalted Butter,, melted
Chocolate SunButter Swirl Cheesecake Bars
- 24 oz (750g) Cream Cheese,, well softened (3 blocks of cream cheese)
- 1 cup (200g) White Sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 2 Large Eggs,, at room temperature
- 2 Large Egg Yolks,, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (142g) Heavy Cream
- 1/2 cup (120g) Sour Cream
- 2 ¼ tsp Cornstarch
- 6 tbsp (90g) Chocolate SunButter
Equipment
- Stand mixer
Instructions
Pretzel Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Add pretzels and sugar to a food processor and grind into fine crumbs. Pour melted butter into the food processor, and pulse until the butter is well dispersed.
- Grease a 9×9” pan and line with parchment paper, then add crust into pan and press it down evenly into the bottom of the pan. Use a flat bottom glass to really compact the crust down.
- Place the crust into the oven to bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the crust and allow to cool to room temperature.
Chocolate SunButter Swirl Cheesecake Bars
- Turn the oven down to 325°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer, add the soft cream cheese and beat on low until it looks soft and creamy – about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, vanilla and salt, and beat on low until very creamy – 3-4 minutes. While still beating on low, add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, ensuring that each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next, ensuring that you are also scraping at the bowl as necessary.
- Add the heavy cream and sour cream, then beat on low until the cheesecake filling looks creamy, smooth, and uniform. Finally, add in cornstarch then beat on low one last time on low until the corn starch is well-combined.
- Pour the filling over top of the cooled crust in the pan. Dot the top of the cheesecake batter with a few dollops of chocolate sunbutter, then use a skewer or knife to lightly swirl the sunbutter in.
- Place into the oven to bake for 40 to 45 minutes. When the cheesecake is done it should still be a little jiggly in the centre.
- When done, lightly crack the oven open to allow the cheesecake to slowly cool for about an hour and a half. After an hour and a half, remove the cheesecake from the oven and place onto the counter to cool to room temperature. Once at room temperature, wrap with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.
