For this week I thought that we could try something a little different.  We have been taking a bit of a break from baked cheesecakes and I miss them.  I want to show you that baked cheesecakes don’t have to take 2 days make.  They can be quick and easy and you can be eating in juat a few hours.  Let me show you how.

    These Mocha Cheesecake Bars are so much quicker and easier than making a full cheesecake, without sacrificing any of the taste.  Now you probably guessed that the base of this recipe is none other than my plain vanilla cheesecake.  We are just going to take 1/3 or 2/3 of the recipe (if you want your bars a little thicker) and add some melted chocolate and instant espresso powder to make it mocha. We are then going to pour that over top of my chocolate graham cracker crust.  Also, cheesecake bars do not need the waterbath to bake in which makes the recipe so much easier. Sound good?  Lets get to it.

    So to start we are going to prep a 9×9 inch pan by lining it with parchment paper or aluminum foil.  Then spray it with non stick spray.  Set that aside until the batter is ready. 

     Next we are going to start our batter.  So put the softened cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer or regular bowl with a hand mixer and beat that until smooth. Remember to crape down the bottem and the sides of the bowl to make sure everything gets incorperated and smooth.

     After this I added the sugar but you can add the chocolate and espresso powder first if you want.  It really doesn’t matter.  Just make sure you add everything one at a time, beat in between and scrape down the bottom and the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.  Just really take your time.  You won’t be sorry.  If you are anything like me you will be so much more irritated if you find chunks of un incorporated cream cheese at the end of the recipe than if you take your time. and make sure it’s smooth.

      So at this point I added the melted chocolate all at once and beat it to incorporate.  I didn’t know how much espresso powder I would need so I added it in, a teaspoon at a time and kept tasting it until I was happy with the mocha taste.  I ended up adding in a tablespoon.  Also, add the vanilla extract at this point.

   Next add the plain greek yogurt and beat until incorporated.

       Lastly, you are going to add the eggs and beat to incorporate and scrape down the bottom and the sides of the bowl between each addition.  Once smooth you are going to pour this into your prepared crust and spread it out to the edges of your pan.  Bake at 325 degrrees for about 25-30 minutes or until the edges are set but the middle jiggles slightly.

      Let the cheesecake cool for about 20 minutes and then put it in the fridge for 2 hours to set.  After it is set, cut into bars and enjoy! Once I tasted it while I was cutting it up I found that they needed sweetness so I dusted them with powdered sugar.  Problem solved.

       I hope you enjoyed this recipe and I hope I showed you that cheesecake doesn’t have to be a process.  It can be pretty quick.  These would be perfect for a party or just when you have company coming over and you want to wow them but you don’t have much time.  Use this recipe as a template and add your own flavors and make it your own.  Have fun and I will see you later. 🙂

Mocha Cheesecake Bars

Yield: 1 9x9 pan

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 3 hours

A crunchy chocolate graham cracker crust with creamy mocha flavored cheesecake on top.

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Ingredients

Componants

• 1/2 Recipe of Plain Vanilla Cheesecake
• 1 Recipe of Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust

For Crust

• 1 Pack of Chocolate Graham Crackers
• 4 TBSP of Unsalted Butter
• 2 TBSP of Granulated Sugar (Optional)

• 1.5 Sticks of Cream Cheese
• 1/2 Cup of Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 Cup of Plain Greek Yogurt
• 3 Eggs
• 1 TBSP of Instant Espresso Powder
• 2 TSP of Vanilla Extract

Instructions

For Crust

1. Crush the chocolate graham crackers either by putting them in a food processor or putting them in a zip lock freezer bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. 
2. Add the butter little by little until the texture of the mixture resembles wet sand.
3. Add the sugar to taste if your graham crackers are not already sweet enough.
4. Bake the crust at 350 degrees for ten minutes.
5. Allow the crust to cool slightly and then place in the freezer for one hour.

For Filling

1. Prep a 9x9 inch pan by lining it with parchment paper and spraying with non stick spray.
2. Prepare and bake crust.
3. Place the cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer or by hand with a hand mixer. Beat until smooth. Scrape down the bottom and the sides of the bowl and beat again until smooth.
4. Add the sugar and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the bottom and the sides of the bowl and beat once more until incorporated.
5. Add the melted chocolate and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the bottom and the sides of the bowl and beat again until incorporated.
6. Add the instant espresso powder a tsp at a time until the mocha flavor is to your liking. Scrape down the bottom and the sides of the bowl until incorporated.
7. Add the greek yogurt and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the bottom and the sides of the bowl down and beat again until incorporated and smooth.
8. Add the eggs one at a time scraping down the bowl and beating to incorporate between each addition.
9. Bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes until the middle jiggles just slightly.
10. Let the bars cool for about 20 minutes and then stick them in the fridge to chill for 2 hours.
11. Cut the cheesecake into bars and enjoy.

You May Also Like

No Bake Cheesecake

Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  If you have any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below, message me on instagram, facebook or leave me an email.  Also show me your recreations of this cake if you make it!

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