GINGERBREAD CRUST CHEESECAKE BARS

These perfect little desserts will be a favorite in no time. the gingersnap crust screams the holiday season. And those perfect red and green toppings can't be beat. Delicious, crunchy pistachios combines with pomegranate ariIs for festive fun on these Christmas Cheesecake Bars.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword christmas, dessert, holidays

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Cooling Time 2

Servings

Calories 180kcal

Author Luci Petlack

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups gingersnap cookies
3 tablespoons butter melted
Pinch fine sea salt

Cheesecake

1 8-ounce package cream cheese softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish

pomegranate arils
chopped raw pistachios
mint leaves

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-by-9-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Place the cookies in a small food processor and pulse until ground into fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl. Pour in melted butter and add the salt. Stir well until the butter has saturated all of the cookie crumbs.
Press the crumbs in a single layer along the bottom of the baking pan. Bake for 12 minutes, until lightly browned and firm. Set aside.
Add the cream cheese and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium until the sugar is blended into the cheese, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix 1 more minute on medium-high, until smooth.
Add the eggs, mix on medium until fully incorporated into the cheesecake filling, about 2 more minutes. Mix in the vanilla.
Pour the filling into the prepared pan, over the crust.
Bake 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325°F and bake an additional 30 minutes, until the edges are browned and the cheesecake is firm in the center. Cheesecake will look very fluffy coming out of the oven but will settle while it cools.
Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until completely chilled 2 ½ to 3 hours. Cut into squares. Garnish with arils, nuts, and mint, before serving.

Notes

Just a note: The reason for using the raw pistachios is so that they maintain their green color. Roasted work well too, but they tend to brown up and look less green when roasted.

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