Cheesecake Pecan Pie Bars

These cheesecake pecan pie bars combine the creamy richness of cheesecake with an easy, gooey caramel pecan pie topping that everyone will love. You can make them with regular, whole wheat, gluten-free or grain-free graham crackers.

As much as I love my Pecan Pie Recipe, these bars are even better. If you want to make a pecan dessert for Thanksgiving, I recommend these!

These are honestly one of my favorite desserts I’ve made. Between the buttery graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake and gooey caramel pecan topping, they’re especially hard to stop eating!

These bars and the Apple Tartlets I posted recently would be what I’d serve at Thanksgiving this year if we were actually doing Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

These are just some notes on select ingredients. Please scroll down for the full recipe.

For the Crust

• Graham crackers – gluten-free graham crackers and cookies also work, as explained below. The photographer used Great Value graham crackers for the crust and said that the crust didn’t stick together as well as when she used Honey Maid in my Red White and Blue Bars, which have the exact same crust. So if your crust is a bit crumbly, try switching to Honey Maid!
• Brown sugar – while granulated sugar can work, brown sugar adds more depth of flavor and makes the crust slightly chewier and less crumbly, which enhances its texture.
• Butter – butter is the best option for flavor and structure. Since the bars are already dairy-rich, I stuck with butter.

For the Cheesecake Filling

• Cream cheese – regular full-fat cream cheese is essential for achieving the perfect texture. Reduced-fat might work but hasn’t been tested, and fat-free is not recommended.
• Granulated sugar – a classic sweetener with no direct substitute.
• Sour cream – this ingredient ensures a creamy texture. Substitutes like Greek yogurt haven’t been tested, so I’m not sure if they’d work.
• Eggs – I haven’t tested an egg substitute in these bars, but I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t work. For a tested egg-free option, see my Eggless Cheesecake.

Graham Cracker Crust

The crust requires 3 cups of graham cracker crumbs, which equals 23–24 full sheets of graham crackers. If you have a scale, you’ll need 12.7 ounces (360 grams). Since a standard box of graham crackers is 14.4 ounces, you’ll have about two sheets left over.

And for another cheesecake bar recipe that has a graham cracker crust, try these Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars.

Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until you have fine crumbs, but don’t process them into a powder. Mix in the brown sugar and salt, then stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared pan, bake for 10 minutes and let cool for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.

In Germany, Leibniz Vollkornkeks are an excellent substitute for graham crackers, requiring no adjustments.

If you’re outside of the US or Canada, keep reading for more tips specific to this recipe.

The Filling

This recipe’s filling is based on my Keto Cheesecake, but I swapped in regular sugar for these bars. To fill a 9″x13″ (23 cm x 33 cm) pan, I increased the original filling recipe by a third, as the layer was too thin otherwise.

If you compare the two recipes, you’ll notice I didn’t increase the sour cream by a third. This is intentional. It’s not a mistake!

Beat the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy, then mix in the vanilla, salt and sour cream on low speed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and bake until the center appears set. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before adding the topping.

The Topping

This caramel pecan topping is easy to make and doesn’t require a candy thermometer or corn syrup.

Add all the topping ingredients except the pecans to a saucepan and bring to a full boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, stir in the pecans and let the topping cool until thickened but still spreadable.

Spread the topping evenly over the chilled cheesecake bars shortly before serving for the gooey topping shown in the photos.

How to Make Ahead and Freeze

If you want your bars to look like mine, with the sauce still in a liquid state, you need to keep the sauce separate until close to serving. That’s because the sauce firms up and turns opaque after it’s been sitting for a while.

Here’s what I mean. The photographer shot a few photos, realized it had already started to set, and used her heat gun to make it gooey again.

• Crust + cheesecake – you can make these up to 4 days in advance, cover and refrigerate. But I’d recommend making the bars the day before serving so they’re as fresh as possible. They can also be frozen up to 3 months.
• Caramel pecan pie topping – you can also make this up to 4 days in advance and store it in the fridge. Warm very gently over low, JUST until spreadable, before spreading over the cheesecake layer. It can also be frozen up to 3 months!
• Fully assembled bars – can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover tightly to maintain freshness. You can also freeze these, but remember that the topping will be firm and opaque. The flavor will be just as good! I personally prefer gooey caramel topping.

Gluten-Free and Grain-Free Version

To make these cheesecake pecan pie bars gluten-free, simply use gluten-free graham crackers or cookies. I tested the recipe with Simple Mills Honey Cinnamon Seed & Nut Flour Sweet Thins and Pamela’s Gluten-free Honey Grahams, and both worked great.

The Simple Mills cookies are denser than traditional graham crackers, but they still make a great crust and are also grain-free.

For either option, use 360 grams as called for in the recipe. The volume can vary depending on the crackers or cookies you use, so I recommend measuring by weight. No other crust adjustments are needed when using these gluten-free cookies or crackers.

Not in the US or Canada?

If you live in the US or Canada, feel free to skip this section! This recipe has been thoroughly tested with US ingredients by several people, so you’re all set. However, if you’re outside of these regions, this section will help you adapt the recipe for local ingredients.

Cream cheese

The texture of the filling is slightly creamier with US-style cream cheese compared to European Philadelphia or other cream cheese brands. Cream cheese in Europe (I live in Germany) tends to be more watery and less rich than the brick-style cream cheese available in the US.

If you only have access to cream cheese sold in tubs (the kind meant for spreading on toast), here’s what to do: for every 8 ounces (225 grams) of cream cheese, start with 300 grams of cream cheese. Brands from Lidl, Aldi, or Philadelphia all work well. Place the cream cheese in a clean tea towel or cheesecloth, then squeeze out the excess liquid until you’re left with 225 grams.

For this recipe, you’ll need 1,200 grams of cream cheese to begin with. After squeezing out the liquid, you should have about 907 grams of cream cheese. Don’t worry if you’re slightly over or under this amount; it won’t affect the outcome.

If you prefer not to deal with removing the excess liquid, I wouldn’t recommend this recipe. The additional moisture will significantly alter the baking time and likely result in over- or under-baking. Trust me, I’ve tried skipping this step before, and it doesn’t end well.

Butter

European butter, with its higher fat content (82%), can often cause issues in crust recipes. If using European butter, reduce the amount to 156 grams (instead of 168 grams) and add 12 grams of water. Some or all of that water can be replaced with vanilla extract for extra flavor.

I’ve heard that butter sold as European butter in the US works exactly like US butter, so if you’re in the US and use European butter, just follow the recipe as is and ignore the above tip.

I hope you’ll enjoy these cheesecake pecan pie bars! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments if you try them out. Thanks! :)

Cheesecake Pecan Pie Bars

Author Erin Dooner

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 47 minutes mins

Total Time 7 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

These cheesecake pecan pie bars have a buttery graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake filling and gooey caramel pecan topping. They can be made with regular, whole wheat, gluten-free or grain-free graham crackers.

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Ingredients

Crust

• ▢ 12.7 oz (360 grams or 23-24 sheets of graham crackers, this will give you 3 cups of crumbs) graham cracker crumbs see notes
• ▢ 1/3 cup (67 grams) light brown sugar
• ▢ pinch of salt
• ▢ 3/4 cup (168 grams) unsalted butter melted, see notes

Filling

• ▢ 32 ounces (907 grams) full-fat cream cheese room temperature, see notes
• ▢ 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3/4 cup (173 grams) sour cream room temperature
• ▢ 4 large eggs room temperature, 50 grams each, out of shell

Topping

• ▢ 1 cup (200 grams) dark brown sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
• ▢ 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (20 grams) maple syrup
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups (165 grams) pecans

Instructions

Prepare the crust:

• Preheat the oven to 325 °F (167 °C) and lightly grease a 9”x13” (23 cm x 33 cm) pan.
• Place the graham crackers in a food processor fitted with an S-blade and pulse until you have uniform fine crumbs, but not a powder.
  12.7 oz (360 grams or 23-24 sheets of graham crackers, this will give you 3 cups of crumbs) graham cracker crumbs
• Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the brown sugar and salt until combined.
  1/3 cup (67 grams) light brown sugar, pinch of salt
• Stir in the butter until well combined.
  3/4 cup (168 grams) unsalted butter
• Pat evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes while preparing the filling.

Prepare the filling:

• In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.
  32 ounces (907 grams) full-fat cream cheese, 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• Add the vanilla, salt and sour cream and beat on low until combined.
  1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup (173 grams) sour cream
• Add in the eggs, one by one, until combined. Be sure not to overmix.
  4 large eggs
• Pour this into the crust, which has cooled for at least 10 minutes.
• Bake at 325 °F (167 °C) for 35-45 minutes or until the middle appears set.
• Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and let come to room temperature, about 2 hours, before chilling for 4+ hours. Since you already have the oven on, you can toast the pecans for the topping now. Increase the temp to 350 °F (175 °C). Place the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350 °F (175 °C) for 3 minutes, stir, and bake for another 2-6 minutes or until they smell fragrant and toasted. Cool, chop and store in an airtight container until ready to use.
  1 1/2 cups (165 grams) pecans

Prepare the topping:

• Note that once the topping firms up a lot and becomes opaque once it's been sitting for a while. The bars will still be delicious, but if you want gooey pecan topping, you need to add the topping shortly before serving. You can make the topping up to 4 days in advance and refrigerate in an airtight container until you're almost ready to top the bars. Very gently reheat over low heat until the topping is runny enough to spread over the bars.
• To a medium saucepan over medium heat, add all the topping ingredients except for the pecans.
  1 cup (200 grams) dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream, 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon (20 grams) maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Bring to a full boil while stirring constantly.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pecans. Let cool for about 30-50 minutes at room temperature or until firm enough to stay in place on the slices when you cut them. It should still be spreadable, though. If you’re in a hurry, transfer the topping to a container with a large surface area and chill or freeze, stirring often. But keep a close eye on it so that the topping doesn’t firm up too much.
• Spread the topping over the top of the chilled cheesecake bars.
• Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

• If you’re gluten-free, use gluten-free graham crackers. I tested this recipe with Honey Cinnamon Seed & Nut Flour Sweet Thins from Simple Mills (using 360 grams) and Pamela’s Gluten-free Honey Grahams, and they came out great.
• If you’re in Europe, use 156 grams of butter instead of 168 grams and add 12 grams of water. Some, or all of the 12 grams, can be vanilla extract.
• If you live outside of the US/Canada, you’ll need to drain some of the whey from the cream cheese so your bars bake properly. The stuff at Lidl, Aldi, etc. works just as well as Philadelphia brand. You need to buy 1200 grams of cream cheese and squeeze out the liquid until you have 907 grams of cream cheese left. It’s fine if it’s a little more or less.
• The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 448kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 5gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 297mgPotassium: 148mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 964IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 1mgNet Carbs: 35

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