No-Bake Maple Walnut Cheesecake Bars
These creamy maple-walnut cheesecake bars are an easy no-bake dessert.
No-Bake Maple-Walnut Cheesecake Bars
Photo Credit : Styled and photographed by Liz NeilyThese creamy maple-walnut cheesecake bars are an easy no-bake dessert. Just press the graham-cracker-and-walnut crust into a pan, let it chill, and make an easy filling with cream cheese, yogurt, and whipped cream. Let the filling set for several hours, then give it a drizzle of syrup and a sprinkling of walnuts right before serving for maximum maple magic.
Yield:
16-20 barsFor the Crust
Ingredients
16 graham crackers, broken into pieces
1⁄2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted
Instructions
Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving at least a 2-inch overhang on the sides to help you lift the bars out of the pan later.
Now, make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until mostly broken down. Add the walnuts, sugar, and melted butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press it down into an even layer. Transfer the pan to your freezer.
For the Topping
Ingredients
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
11⁄4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup whole-milk yogurt
3⁄4 teaspoon maple extract
1⁄4 teaspoon table salt
Maple syrup and chopped walnuts, for garnish
Instructions
Next, make the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer and a large bowl, beat the heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to another bowl and set aside. Now put the cream cheese, powdered sugar, yogurt, maple extract, and table salt in the original bowl and beat on high until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Then gently fold in half of the whipped cream until the mixture is evenly combined. Repeat with the rest of the whipped cream.
Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the topping over it, using an offset spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the cheesecake has firmed up, at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.
Lifting up by the parchment “handles,” carefully remove the cheesecake from the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut the cheesecake into 16 to 20 bars. Immediately before serving, drizzle the bars with maple syrup and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
