Dulce de Leche Cream Bars (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Crust
01 -
Spray for greasing the pan, use as much as needed
02 -
140 grams melted unsalted butter
03 -
2 grams cinnamon powder
04 -
25 grams white sugar
05 -
270 grams fine graham cracker crumbs
→ Filling
06 -
10 milliliters vanilla
07 -
120 grams dulce de leche, let it soften up to room temperature
08 -
3 large eggs, room temp
09 -
200 grams white sugar
10 -
680 grams cream cheese, softened
→ Topping and Finishing
11 -
Add fleur de sel (sea salt flakes) on top
12 -
Splash in extra cream if you need to make it runnier
13 -
45 milliliters heavy cream, plus more if you want
14 -
180 grams dulce de leche
# Instructions:
01 -
Crank your oven to 175°C. If you like, line your 33 x 23 x 5 cm pan with foil for easy cleanup, then give it a good spray with nonstick stuff. Coat the pan well.
02 -
Dump your graham crumbs into a bowl. Toss in sugar and cinnamon next. Drizzle in the melted butter. Stir it up until everything's coated and a little clumpy. Push the mixture all over the bottom of your pan, making it nice and even. Bake until you see some golden edges—should take about 10 minutes. Let it chill on a wire rack so it cools down fully.
03 -
Toss your cream cheese and sugar into a mixer bowl or food processor, then beat until super smooth (scrape the sides if needed). Add in that dulce de leche and mix until it's all blended together. Drop in the eggs one by one, giving a gentle mix every time. Pour in the vanilla last, just blend until it's mixed in—don't overdo it now.
04 -
Take your smooth filling and spread it all over the cooled crust. Make sure it hits every corner. Slide it into the oven at 175°C. Once the middle barely jiggles and the edges puff and have tiny cracks (about 38 minutes), pull it out. Put it on the rack and let it chill out until totally cooled.
05 -
Mix 180 grams dulce de leche with 45 ml heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Warm it in very quick bursts (about 10 seconds), stirring every time, 'til you can pour it. If it’s too thick, throw in a splash or two of cream until it loosens up to your liking.
06 -
Pour the warm dulce de leche topping across the chilled cheesecake and gently spread right up to the sides. Chill in the fridge till the topping firms up, at least an hour so it sets.
07 -
Slice up the bars into 24 squares using a sharp knife. Clean the blade off between every cut for sharp, neat edges. Top each bar with a light shake of fleur de sel right before you serve them.
# Notes:
01 -
To get neat bars, make sure everything is well-chilled and grab a sharp knife warmed in hot water. Don’t stress if your topping isn’t totally smooth—little lumps are fine and it’ll still taste great.