Hot Cocoa Cheesecake Bars
Hot Cocoa Cheesecake Bars combine the comforting flavors of both hot cocoa and cheesecake into one delicious treat. These bars are rich, creamy, and perfect for the cool weather.
If you’ve read our blog for any length of time, you know we love making cheesecake bars. When fall rolls around, we love making these particular bars because they’re so creamy, and the hot cocoa flavor is a big-time winner this time of year. Yet they are delicious all year long!
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s rich and creamy with the perfect mix of tang and sweetness.
- It’s loaded with the classic flavors of hot cocoa and cheesecake.
- It’s an easy, no-bake cheesecake dessert everyone loves.
🛒Ingredients
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This recipe only uses simple ingredients that you can find easily at your local grocery store. We’re including the ingredients that really shine in this recipe, but you’ll find the complete ingredient list along with amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Cocoa
- Cream cheese
- Lemon juice
- Heavy cream
- Powdered sugar
- Hot cocoa mix
- Mini marshmallows
🔪 How to Make Hot Cocoa Cheesecake Bars
Making these bars is a snap. You’ll have no problems making this one.
Step 1: Combine the Wet Crust Ingredients
Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg until light and fluffy in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.
Step 2: Combine the Dry Crust Ingredients
In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and cocoa together.
Step 3: Make the Crust
Add the flour mixture a little at a time and mix on low to blend until all the flour is added. Continue blending until a smooth ball starts to form.
Step 4: Bake
Line the bottom of an 8×11 baking pan with parchment paper and press the crust dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until the crust beings to turn golden brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 5: Make the Cheesecake Filling
Cream the softened cream cheese, vanilla, lemon juice, and heavy cream until smooth and creamy in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Then, add the powdered sugar and mix until thick and creamy. Finally, add the hot cocoa mix and mix until blended.
Step 6: Finish the Bars
Pour the cheesecake mixture over the cooled crust and smooth it out evenly. Then, sprinkle mini marshmallows and hot cocoa mix on top of the filling. Chill overnight – 24 hours for best results – cut into 3×3-inch pieces, and enjoy!
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
- Hot Cocoa – You can use any brand of hot cocoa you like.
- White Hot Cocoa – Use a white hot cocoa mix in place of chocolate for a different flavor.
- Peppermint Hot Cocoa – Try using peppermint hot cocoa mix for a fun, minty twist.
For another easy cheesecake bar recipe, check out these banana cream cheesecake bars.
🥄 Equipment
You won’t need much to make this recipe. It only takes a few kitchen staples.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- A stand mixer (preferred) or hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Baking dish
- Parchment paper
🥫 Storage
You can store these bars in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze them in an air-tight, freezer-safe container for up to a month.
💭 Tips
As cheesecake bars go, this is a fairly simple one. You’ll just need to remember a couple of things.
- Be sure your cream cheese is fully softened for the best mixing and to ensure you have no raw chunks of cream cheese in your mixture.
- Let your crust fully cool before adding the cheesecake mixture.
- For the best results, chill this cheesecake for a full 24 hours before cutting it into bars.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
They’re simply a cheesecake that’s been cut into squares or rectangles.
Neither is better, they’re just different. While baked cheesecake is richer, no-bake cheesecake is creamier.
They’ll keep for about 5 days in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer.
After about a month, ice crystals being to form in the cheesecake, changing the texture and flavor.
🍽 More Recipes
Do you enjoy cheesecake bars? Then try these delicious recipes:
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake Bars
- Brownie Bottom Butterfinger Cheesecake Bars
- Raspberry Cheesecake Cookie Bars
📌 PIN IT!!
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Hot Cococa Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Stand mixer (preferred) or hand mixer
- mixing bowls
- Baking dish
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
- 1 Egg
- 3 cups flour
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Cocoa
For the Cheesecake
- 32 ounces Cream Cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
- 3 to 4 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 packages of Hot Cocoa Mix
For the topping
- 2 package of Mini Marshmallows
- 1 ½ packages of Hot Cocoa Mix
Instructions
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, using the Whisk attachment, add the Butter, Sugar, Vanilla, and Egg, and blend until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, add the Flour, Baking Powder, and Cocoa, and stir well to blend.
- Add the Flour mixture a little at a time and mix on low to blend, until all the Flour is added.
- Continue to blend the Cookie dough until it’s completely blended and a smooth ball starts to form.
- Scrape down the mixing bowl as needed.
- Line the bottom of an 8 X 11 inch pan with Parchment paper, and press the Cookie Dough mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cookie dough begins to turn golden brown around the edges, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Cheesecake Filling:
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, place the softened Cream Cheese, Vanilla, Lemon Juice, and Heavy Cream, and mix with the whisk attachment until smooth and creamy.
- Add the Powdered Sugar, until the mixture is thick and creamy.
- Add the Hot Cocoa Mix (I used Swiss Miss) and mix until blended.
- When the Cookie dough is cool, pour the Cheesecake filling on top of the Cookie Dough, filling the dish.
- Smooth out evenly, and place Mini Marshmallows on the top, then sprinkle the Hot Cocoa Mix on top of the Cheesecake Filling, and Marshmallows.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator overnight, or 24 hours for best results.
- Cut in 3 X 3 inch pieces, serve, and Enjoy!
