Samoa Cheesecake Bars
With this recipe, I’m combining my favorite flavor Girl Scout cookie and cheesecake…I don’t think it gets much better than that. I am using my base cheesecake recipe with a graham cracker crust then carving out a small amount of cheesecake down the center of each bar and filling it with that delicious coconut caramel Samoas mixture. Then of course each bar is completed with a drizzle of chocolate.
How To Make Samoa Cheesecake Bars
This recipe is so easy and delicious! This Cheesecake recipe is maybe the least intimidating one I know and I’m going to walk you through every step! The first and most important detail is the temperature of your ingredients. Room-temperature ingredients combine much more easily than if they’re cold. If the cream cheese is too cold then you will have lumps in your cheesecake and will most likely over-mix the batter to try and work out those lumps resulting in too many air bubbles. Too many air bubbles in cheesecake cause a lot of cracks on top since all of this air is trying to release while baking.
Mixing Cheesecake Batter
Now that we’ve established the importance of using room-temperature ingredients, let’s talk about mixing. I use an electric mixer but you can also use a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment. If both of these are not an option you can mix this batter by hand it just may take a little bit of muscle in the beginning to really smooth out the cream cheese. After that, you should be smooth sailing.
Cheesecake batter does not require a lot of mixing. I find it best to mix just until my ingredients are evenly incorporated. I also like to use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides and the bottom of my bowl a few times.
More Desserts You Might Be Interested In…
- Copycat Samoas Cookies
- Copycat Tagalong Cookies
- Copycat Thin Mint Cookies
- Copycat Philadelphia Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
- Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
How To Tell When Cheesecake Is Finished Baking
A finished Cheesecake should still have a slight jiggle when it’s done baking. If you’re worried about your Cheesecake caving in, when it’s done baking, leave it in the oven with the oven turned off and the door opened slightly. You can leave it in here for 15 minutes to an hour. This will prevent the cheesecake from going into a temperature shock and caving. However, this recipe is extremely forgiving and easy so this step is not necessary.
It is okay for your cheesecake to have slight brown spots on the top but too many can be visually unappealing so you can also judge the doneness of your cheesecake based on color.
To make graham cracker crust, we are only using two ingredients. Graham crackers and butter! We need our graham crackers to be a fine crumb, almost like a powder. To do this I recommend using a food processor for best results. It only takes a few seconds and leaves you with the perfect consistency we need.
How To Toast Coconut
Toasting coconut is extremely easy and only takes a few minutes. Pour your coconut onto a cookie sheet and spread it around evenly. Place this baking sheet into the oven at 350 degrees. Keep a close eye on it because it doesn’t need long to toast. This process should take anywhere from 5-8 minutes. You may need to toss the coconut around a bit to ensure that it’s all toasting evenly. Those are the only instructions! Super easy and so delicious!
Samoa Cheesecake Bars
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9
servings40
minutesKeep the screen of your device on.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
2 eggs, room temperature
- Samoas Filling
2 1/4 cups shredded, sweetened coconut
11 oz kraft baking caramels
5 Tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a 9″ x 9″ pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, use a silicone spatula to combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Transfer this mixture to the prepared baking pan then use a measuring cup to press the crust firmly and evenly in the pan. Set aside.
- To make the cheesecake mixture, use an electric mixer or stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment to combine the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla until there are no lumps and the mixture is nice and smooth. About 2 minutes.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the prepared pan and graham cracker crust. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is barely jiggly and the sides are lightly golden brown. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely (up to 3 hours or overnight).
- Samoas Filling
- In a small saucepot, place the caramel squares, milk, and salt over low to medium heat. Be sure to stir this mixture around so no caramel gets stuck to the bottom of the pan. As the mixture melts the milk and caramels combine easier.
- Once this mixture is melted and smooth and your coconut is toasted, combine them both in a medium-sized bowl. Mix completely to combine.
- Once the cheesecake is completely cooled, remove it from the pan and slice it into even bars. Feel free to trim the edges off if they are slightly brown.
- Use a spoon to carve out a strip of cheesecake to allow the coconut mixture to sit. You don’t want to carve too deep near the crust. Just enough as shown in the pictures above.
- Spoon the coconut filling in the center of each cheesecake bar.
- Microwave the chocolate in 30-second intervals mixing between each until the mixture is melted and smooth.
- Using a spoon or piping bag, drizzle the chocolate on top of each bar.
Did you make this recipe?
I love seeing what you bake on socials! Just tag @thesqueakymixer
Samoa Cheesecake Bars
Join my creative baking community! In depth courses, direct access to me, and more 🤎 Click here to join!
9
servings40
minutesKeep the screen of your device on.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
2 eggs, room temperature
- Samoas Filling
2 1/4 cups shredded, sweetened coconut
11 oz kraft baking caramels
5 Tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a 9″ x 9″ pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, use a silicone spatula to combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Transfer this mixture to the prepared baking pan then use a measuring cup to press the crust firmly and evenly in the pan. Set aside.
- To make the cheesecake mixture, use an electric mixer or stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment to combine the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla until there are no lumps and the mixture is nice and smooth. About 2 minutes.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the prepared pan and graham cracker crust. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is barely jiggly and the sides are lightly golden brown. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely (up to 3 hours or overnight).
- Samoas Filling
- In a small saucepot, place the caramel squares, milk, and salt over low to medium heat. Be sure to stir this mixture around so no caramel gets stuck to the bottom of the pan. As the mixture melts the milk and caramels combine easier.
- Once this mixture is melted and smooth and your coconut is toasted, combine them both in a medium-sized bowl. Mix completely to combine.
- Once the cheesecake is completely cooled, remove it from the pan and slice it into even bars. Feel free to trim the edges off if they are slightly brown.
- Use a spoon to carve out a strip of cheesecake to allow the coconut mixture to sit. You don’t want to carve too deep near the crust. Just enough as shown in the pictures above.
- Spoon the coconut filling in the center of each cheesecake bar.
- Microwave the chocolate in 30-second intervals mixing between each until the mixture is melted and smooth.
- Using a spoon or piping bag, drizzle the chocolate on top of each bar.
Did you make this recipe?
I love seeing what you bake on socials! Just tag @thesqueakymixer
Wondering if these will store in the refrigerator? Or will that make the caramels so hard that you can’t bite into it?
Hi there! Cheesecake should always be stored in the fridge to maintain freshness. The caramels coconut center will harden, so it’s best to remove it from the fridge about 15-20 minutes before you enjoy!