S'mores Cheesecake Bars

Did you know that May 6th was "International No Diet Day"?  That is my kind of holiday!  A day to eat whatever you want and not have to feel guilty about it (at least until the next day when your pants are too tight)! 

I wanted to make a dessert.  I was trying to decide what the most decadent dessert was?  In my opinion, it is cake and frosting.  I searched through my millions of cake recipes I have in my "to make" stack, but nothing was standing out at that moment?

Then, I was thinking maybe I would make some homemade ice cream or a homemade pie, but still nothing was hitting the spot. . . until someone at work mentioned a cheesecake!  

A cheesecake, huh?  That is not a bad idea.  I have only made one real cheesecake in the past few years.  I consider  cheesecake the kind of dessert you save for a special occasion and "International No Diet Day" was that special occasion.  Maybe you could have "Mother's Day" be your special occasion this Sunday?  Or even Father's Day?

These cheesecake bars were so easy to throw together.  You don't have to worry about cooking them in a water bath or worry that the top is going to crack, because it will be covered with marshmallows.  I loved that you can pick up a square and eat it.  No forks needed.  The graham cracker crust was delicious.  The filling is thick and creamy with a slight tang from the sour cream and has just a light chocolate flavor.  The mallows and chocolate drizzle turn these into the dessert we all love - a S'more!     

S'mores Cheesecake Bars

(Printable Recipe)

For the crust:

1 c. graham cracker crumbs (one package)

1 Tbl. sugar

4 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

4 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used milk)

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

3 Tbl. sour cream

1/2 c. marshmallow cream

2 tsp. cocoa powder

3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

For the topping:

1 1/2 - 2 c. mini marshmallows

melted milk chocolate chips, for drizzling on top

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line an 8x8" baking pan with foil; spray lightly with cooking spray.  Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a small bowl.  Stir together with a fork until well combined.  Press the mixture in an even layer into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.  Bake 10 minutes; transfer to a wire rack while you prepare the filling.  Reduce the oven temperature to 325˚ F.

To make the filling, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.  In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream and marshmallow cream.  Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and well combined, 1-2 minutes.  Blend in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and eggs until incorporated.  Stir in the melted chocolate until well blended.  Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust and smooth the top with a spatula.  Bake about 30 minutes, or until the center is just set (does not jiggle when shaken gently.)  Remove from the oven.

Evenly top the cheesecake layer with the mini marshmallows.  Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes, just long enough so the marshmallows begin to melt into each other.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack.  Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the tops of the marshmallows.  (Alternatively, this can be done underneath the broiler with a very watchful eye.)  Once the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, drizzle with melted milk chocolate if desired.  Transfer to the refrigerator and chill 2-3 hours before slicing and serving (I refrigerated overnight). 

adapted from: Annie's Eats originally from: Visions of Sugar Plum

Jenn's Notes: I am a huge milk chocolate fan, so I used some milk chocolate candy bars for both the filling and the drizzle on top.  I personally did not think these were too sweet with the milk chocolate, but I like sweet things.  I thought these bars were super easy to make and they tasted great for several days!