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My red velvet obsession has extended once again; this time, I can’t stop thinking about these red velvet cheesecake bars! With a thick, cakey crust and rich creamy topping, these easy treats will fulfill your red velvet craving without costing you the time and energy of whipping up a whole cheesecake.
Cheesecake with Cake Mix Crust
If you’re a regular reader (or have taken just a quick browse through my blog), you know I love red velvet. It’s rich, unique, and always calls for my other love: cream cheese. And as the name of my blog suggests, I’m a pretty big fan of crust. That’s why I made the soft, doughy crust of these bars extra thick. The distinct taste of red velvet can sometimes be drowned out by the tangy punch of cream cheese, but not this time!
If you aren’t as gung-ho about red velvet as I am, have no fear; this recipe can be used with any cake flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Endless variations make this recipe perfect for any occasion
- Using boxed cake mix cuts out unnecessary steps and eliminates potential mistakes
- Simpler and easier than making a whole cheesecake or even mini cheesecakes, yet just as delicious
Ingredients in Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars
- Red velvet cake mix – or any flavor!
- Eggs – large, room temperature
- Butter – unsalted, softened
- Cream cheese – The cream cheese must be room temperature to avoid lumps in your cheesecake!
- Sour cream – room temperature is a must to avoid lumps!
How to Make Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars
- Preheat oven: Before you begin baking, preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a pan with aluminum foil and cooking spray.
- Create dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, egg, and cake mix with a paddle attachment. Mix them together until the ingredients have formed into a thick cookie dough. Using a hand mixer would work as well for this step, but it will take a bit longer for the dough to form. Press your dough into the bottom of the pan you just prepared.
- Make topping: Beat the cream cheese until it becomes smooth, then mix in the sugar. Once smooth, add the egg, sour cream, and vanilla extract and beat them together. Stir in your chocolate chips and then pour the mixture over the dough you pressed into the pan. Again, a hand mixer will work for this, but a stand mixer is ideal.
- Bake: For 30 to 40 minutes, bake the red velvet cheesecake bars until the cheesecake has started to brown. If it’s still jiggly in the center, don’t worry! It’s supposed to be a bit jiggly. Allow the bars to cool entirely and chill them for at least four hours before slicing.
Expert Tips
- Make sure that all of your ingredients are room temperature before mixing. Cold ingredients will make lumps harder to eliminate.
- Low-fat cream cheese won’t do the trick in this recipe. Fat makes cheesecake creamier and richer, so don’t be afraid to reach for the original.
FAQs
Yes! You can use any cake mix you’d like for this recipe.
Yes, you should refrigerate these bars in an airtight container. They should keep for up to five days.
Yes, you can freeze cheesecake bars for up to a month.
Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box red velvet cake mix
- 1 egg
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (61g) sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Mix butter, egg, and cake mix in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can also use a hand mixer but it will take longer. Mix until a thick cookie dough is formed. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Mix in sugar until smooth. Mix in egg, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until no lumps remain. (Your ingredients MUST be room temperature. A stand mixer does the job best, but a hand mixer will suffice if needed.) Stir in chocolate chips and pour over red velvet mixture.
- Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until cheesecake starts to brown around the edges and is no longer wet looking (it will still jiggle slightly in the center). Cool completely to room temperature, then chill (4 hours or overnight is best) before slicing into bars.
Recipe Notes
- Don’t use low fat cream cheese
- You can use any flavor cake mix
- Make sure all ingredients are room temperature to avoid lumps.
- Store bars in refrigerator or freeze in an airtight container.
Love the red velvet and cheesecake combination! And, of course, the chocolate chips are a great added bonus!
Love that you used cake mix & that it should be made the day before! Makes me get my dessert done first 🙂 Because that’s what’s MOST important.
Exactly!
I’m so glad you decided to share these now! Red velvet and cream cheese, PLUS chocolate chips? Sold!
Thanks Jen!
These bars look delicious!! And I love that you can easily switch out the red velvet layer for a different flavor (I have non-red velvet eaters in my house…)!
Yep, you can use any flavor you like! I want to make funfetti!
I’ve been working in real time, so I don’t have several posts planned ahead, although I generally have some ideas. So, I just do my thing, lol, and not worry about racing anyone. These bars sound so good!
Normally I don’t care…but sometimes I just want to get it out there. There are a few other bloggers who are on my wavelength!
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