King Cake Cheesecake Bars (Printable Version)

Vibrant swirled bars combine creamy cheesecake with a cinnamon crust for festive celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crust

01 - 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

→ Cheesecake Layer

06 - 16 oz cream cheese, softened
07 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1/3 cup sour cream
10 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional

→ Swirl Colors

13 - Gel food coloring in purple, green, and yellow

→ Icing

14 - 1 cup powdered sugar
15 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
16 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Topping

17 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar for garnish

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang for easy removal.
02 - Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter in a medium bowl until evenly moistened. Press firmly into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes and set aside to cool slightly.
03 - Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in sour cream, flour, vanilla, and almond extract until just combined.
04 - Divide cheesecake batter evenly into three bowls. Tint each portion with gel food coloring—purple, green, and yellow—stirring until color is evenly distributed.
05 - Drop spoonfuls of colored batters randomly over cooled crust. Use a knife or skewer to gently swirl colors together for a marbled effect, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until center is just set with slight wobble. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
07 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle icing over chilled bars.
08 - Sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugar. Slice into bars and serve.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They taste like creamy, tangy cheesecake but with that warm cinnamon-sugar nostalgia of king cake baked right in.
  • The swirled colors mean every slice looks different and feels special, even though the technique is surprisingly forgiving.
  • You can make them days ahead, so they're perfect for parties when you need to stop stressing and start celebrating.
02 -
  • Gel food coloring is non-negotiable here—I learned this the hard way when liquid coloring thinned my batter and my swirls turned into soup during baking.
  • Don't skip the cooling step on the crust before adding cheesecake, because the temperature shock can cause cracks and prevent even baking.
03 -
  • Always use an electric mixer for the cream cheese mixture instead of beating by hand, because it ensures everything is truly smooth and eliminates lumps that will ruin the texture.
  • If your swirls start looking muddy instead of distinct, you've mixed too much—next time, use fewer swirling passes and accept that sometimes imperfect is more beautiful anyway.
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