Impress family and friends with this easy dessert recipe. Only one bowl and a handful of ingredients makes this recipe for 6-Ingredient Orange Cheesecake Bars a winner every time. Cheat day just got a fresh citrus makeover!
I don’t know about you, but in the winter I want to eat all things chocolate, caramel, rich, and deep. There’s something cozy and comforting about those flavors and dense, rich textures when the weather is cold and maybe even snowy. I love to snuggle up with my knee socks and a blanket and eat a brownie while sipping a hot latte.
Then spring comes and something happens. Suddenly, I crave lighter flavors, bright colors, and different textures. Even though citrus is technically in season in the colder months, there is something about lemon/lime/orange that just screams spring to me. That’s when these 6-Ingredient Orange Cheesecake Bars make an appearance in my house.
There are few treats in life that get my heart pacing like a classic lemon bar. When I step into a deli that makes their own baked goods and see lemon bars wrapped in cling wrap or in clear clamshell containers, I know exactly what my answer to “would you like dessert?” will be. Over the life of my cooking evolution, lemon bars have been a constant – something I always turn to when I need a little sweet tartness, especially in the spring.
6-Ingredient Orange Cheesecake Bars
These red orange cheesecake bars are like lemon bars elevated. I mean, they really aren’t just like a lemon bar, but lemon bars were the first thing I thought of when I thought about a spring dessert. That thought evolved into lemon cheesecake bars, then orange cheesecake bars, and that’s how I created this easy dessert recipe.
These red orange cheesecake bars really are a one-bowl wonder. Buttery crushed animal crackers make the perfect easy base. Red Cara navel oranges that I picked up at my local natural grocer lend the prettiest hint of a pink hue to the creamy batter. I used an electric mixer, but if you aren’t opposed to putting some elbow grease into it, you can just use a wooden spoon to mix it up!
With just a handful of ingredients and only a couple of dishes to be washed afterward, I really don’t know how you can say no to these red orange cheesecake bars. They’ll make your springtime sweet tooth sing, and they’re a minimalist cook’s cheat day dream!
Ingredients
- 8 oz animal crackers, crushed
- 1/2 cup (8 tbsp or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- Zest of one red navel orange
- Juice of 1/2 navel orange (about 1/4 cup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the animal cracker crumbs and the butter. Firmly press into an 8-inch square metal or ceramic pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven, but do not turn the oven off.
- Wipe out the bowl. In the bowl, cream together the cream cheese and the sugar until well combined (you can use an electric mixer or a wooden spoon for this).
- Add the eggs one at a time, stirring or beating well to combine.
- Add the orange zest and juice and stir until completely incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the baked crust. Bake until just beginning to turn golden around the edges and no longer jiggly in the center, 30-40 minutes.
- Cool the bars on the counter for 20 minutes then cover and place in the refrigerator until completely chilled, about 3 hours. Cut into bars and serve.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: When I want super fine crumbs, I crush my animal crackers in the food processor. However, I want to keep up the minimal dishes vibe here, so I just pushed the air out of the bag of animal crackers and pounded them with a rolling pin until they were mostly crushed!
We hope you love these Red Orange Cheesecake Bars from SoFabFood Home Chef, Mary from Chattavore, as much as we do. If you love this 6-ingredient dessert recipe, stop by our Dessert Section to find more like it. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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