Vanilla Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Mousse

These vanilla cheesecake bars with caramel mousse are truly what dreams are made of! The smooth, creamy cheesecake filling lays on top of a buttery graham cracker crust, while the delicate caramel mousse ties the whole thing together. Each step to make these cheesecake bars is actually very simple. I have laid out how to prevent your cheesecake from cracking and how to make caramel sauce from scratch. With a little patience and a lot of sugar, you can make a perfect cheesecake everyone will love!

How do you prevent a cheesecake from cracking? 

These five tips will ensure your cheesecake bakes properly and does not crack! Of course, if it does, no one will ever know because the luscious caramel mousse will cover up any imperfections!

1. Bake the cheesecake at a lower temperature - 325 degrees F!
2. Place a large pan of water on the rack below your cheesecake. This creates steam and allows the cheesecake to bake more evenly. 
3. NEVER open the oven door! If you do, heat will escape and any dramatic change in temperature will cause the cheesecake to crack.
4. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 20 minutes after it is done baking. This will allow it to cool down slowly as the oven cools down. 
5. Allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature before placing in the fridge. 

The biggest takeaway is to avoid any dramatic change in temperature in any step at all costs! I know it's hard, but be patient and you'll be rewarded with a beautiful, creamy cheesecake!

Ingredients you'll need to make these cheesecake bars:

The graham cracker crust is extra thick, which is just how my family and I like it! There's a lot of butter and sugar going on, but the caramel mousse really helps to balance out the sweetness! 

• Graham Crackers: You'll need a whole box of graham crackers. It is a lot, I know, but trust me, an extra thick crust is necessary!
• Brown Sugar: A little bit of light or dark brown sugar is all you need.
• Unsalted Butter: You'll need just over a stick of butter to melt and add to the crust.

The cream cheese filling is fairly basic, but whereas many cheesecake recipes call for the addition of sour cream, I went with mascarpone. I find that mascarpone adds more of a tang than sour cream, and adds just as nice of a creamy texture.

• Cream Cheese: You'll need three 8 oz blocks of FULL FAT cream cheese. Don't bother with reduced fat cream cheese. 
• Mascarpone: Mascarpone adds a little bit of tang and makes the filling perfectly creamy.
• Granulated Sugar: You'll need about 1 ½ cups of sugar to beat into the cream cheese and mascarpone.
• Vanilla Extract: Since these are VANILLA cheesecake bars, you'll want to use a high quality vanilla so the flavor shines through.
• Eggs: The eggs are added at the very end, but be cautious of over-mixing!

The caramel mousse filling is simply a gelatinized caramel sauce folded into whip cream. It is HEAVENLY. If you have never made caramel sauce before, I assure you, it is much easier than you think. 

• Granulated Sugar: The trick to ensure your sugar caramelizes properly is to add a little bit of water.
• Cream of Tartar: This acts as a stabilizer for extra assurance.
• Unsalted Butter: Be sure your butter is at room temperature before adding to the caramelized sugar. 
• Heavy Cream: You'll need about a ¼ cup of heavy cream for the sauce, as well as 3 cups for the whip cream.
• Gelatin Powder: You'll need unflavored gelatin powder to add to the caramel to stiffen it up and add a mousse-like texture. 

A few tips to make these vanilla cheesecake bars with caramel mousse:

• Make the cheesecake and caramel the day before you intend to serve it. The next day, you can whip up the heavy cream for the caramel mousse and add to the cheesecake before serving. 
• Follow my tips for preventing your cheesecake from cracking above!
• When making the caramel, be sure to measure all of your ingredients and bring the butter and heavy cream to the right temperatures before beginning. The process moves quickly, so everything needs to be ready!

Happy baking! x

Vanilla Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Mousse

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Sloane

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Description

These vanilla cheesecake bars with caramel mousse are truly what dreams are made of! The smooth, creamy cheesecake filling lays on top of a buttery graham cracker crust, while the delicate caramel mousse ties the whole thing together.

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Ingredients

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For the Caramel Mousse:

• 100g granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp cream of tartar 
• 15g water
• 42g unsalted butter (room temp)
• 57g heavy cream (lukewarm)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ tsp unflavored gelatin powder
• 1 tbsp water
• 340g heavy cream

For the Crust:

• 400g graham crackers
• 70g brown sugar
• 150g unsalted butter (melted)
• ¼ tsp salt

For the Filling: 

• 3 8oz blocks cream cheese (room temp)
• 170g mascarpone (room temp)
• 150g granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 eggs (room temp)

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Instructions

For the Caramel Mousse:

1. Start by making the caramel sauce. In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, salt, cream of tartar, and 15g of water. Heat over medium high heat, swirling (not stirring) often to encourage even cooking. When it comes to a boil reduce heat to medium.
2. When the color turns an even medium amber color remove from heat and add the butter one tablespoon at a time, whisking to combine. Whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla. Allow to cool for a few minutes before pouring into a bowl.
3. Bloom the gelatin by combining the powder with one tablespoon of water. Stir into the slightly cooled caramel. Transfer caramel to a glass jar and place in the fridge overnight or until cooled and ready to use.

For the Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, blend together the graham crackers, brown sugar, melted butter, and salt.
3. Transfer the crust to the prepared pan and pack it in with a measuring cup or the back of a spoon.
4. Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Once the crust is done, turn the oven down to 325 degrees F.

For the Filling:

1. While the crust bakes, make the filling. Beat together the cream cheese, mascarpone, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the eggs and beat until fully combined, but do not over-mix. Pour the filling over the crust. 
2. Fill a large baking dish with water and place in the oven on the rack below the cheesecake. Bake the cheesecake for 40 minutes. Do not open the oven at any point. After 40 minutes, turn the oven off and keep the cheesecake in the oven for another 20 minutes. Then, take the cheesecake out and allow to cool completely before placing in the fridge overnight. 

For Assembly:

1. To finish the caramel mousse, melt the caramel sauce in the microwave in 20 second intervals (if it was refrigerated overnight). Allow to cool back down to room temp before adding to the whip cream.
2. Whip the 340g of heavy cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold in the caramel sauce. 
3. Top the cheesecake with the caramel mousse, cut into small squares, and enjoy!

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