Let’s kick start the new year with this easy Kit Kat Cheesecake Bar. It’s a full fat cheesecake bar. No skinny or dieting resolutions here. Although you can easily make this “skinny” with low-fat cream cheese. Either way you go, start from bottom with a graham cracker crust then stack whole Kit Kat bars on top and layer it with a rich chocolate cheesecake. To finsh things off, pour a chocolate layer all over and then garnish or decorate to your liking.
Okay, truth be told, the chocolate layer on top wasn’t part of the original plan. The original plan was to have a white chocolate swirl, but that didn’t work out so well. My hand did too much swirling and it ended up looking like a “swirly” mess, so I covered that up with what you see.
I considered starting over but then realized if I did—I’d have two pans of cheesecake bars to eat, which usually isn’t a problem unless I’m lazy. As evident, I was lazy and improvised. Those little cream colored spots under the chocolate layer are peeks of the failed swirl.
Ah, well. Life can get like that right? Improvise where you can, when you can. At least that’s what I’m trying to convince myself when it comes to dessert, so I won’t waste so much food and time.
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope it was great holiday season for you. Now let’s get back to our cozy corner filled with butter, sugar and random thoughts.
Easy Kit Kat Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 8 tablespoons of butter
Chocolate cheese cake layer
- 12 oz cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ¾ cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 6 Kit Kat packages
Chocolate layer
- 10oz. chocolate
- 8 tablespoons butter
White chocolate striping
- 4 oz white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line pan with a sling foil.
To make crust
Place graham cracker crust and sugar in a bowl and toss to combine. Add in melted butter and mix to combine. Press mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool while making cheesecake portion.
To make chocolate cheesecake
Place all ingredients in a bowl and beat until fully combined and smooth; set aside. Place Kit Kat bars on top of crust. Pour cheesecake mixture over Kit Kat bars and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
To make chocolate layer
- Place chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl over (not on) simmering water, gently stir until chocolate is melted and butter is fully combined. Pour chocolate over baked cheesecake.
- Place white chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl. Boil heavy cream. Pour boiled heavy cream over chocolate and let sit. Do not stir for 3-4 minutes. Then using a sturdy spatula gently stir and fold chocolate, continuing until chocolate is completely melted. Chocolate may appear lumpy for the first few stirs, but will melt into smoothness. Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a number 2 round tip or a place mixture in a Ziploc bag and cut a small hole in one corner.
- Pipe white chocolate horizontally across from top to bottom. Use a toothpick and starting at the top drag the toothpick vertically through horizontal lines. Starting from the bottom drag the toothpick to the top. Continue to alternate starting points with toothpick.
Notes
A few notes:
- For nice clean edges while cutting, run hot water over the knife’s blade and wipe away the moisture before cutting. Along with that, wipe the blade down between cuts.
- This can be prepared 3 days in advance and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Kathia says
This looks heavenly! and I totally love the dark pictures. Thanks for sharing and Happy New year!!
sally @ sallys baking addiction says
Naomi, these are gorgeous cheesecake bars! All of the beautiful layers and the gorgeous swirl striping on top. I feel like kit kats are underrated. But they are truly one of my favorite chocolate bars. the crispity crunch gets me every time!
JulieD says
OMG love, I want like three of these right now, I think they would cure my cold, STAT!
Amy says
These look irresistible! Your treats and photos are always stunning.
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Now these are one way to kick off the New Year!! Love!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
They’re perfect in every single way. I love kitkats and the fact that you incorporated them into such a beautiful and classy bar, well, speechless! Amazing!
the 3volution of j3nn says
I always loved Kit Kats. These look too good to be true! Heavenly!
Joanna @ Chic & Gorgeous Treats says
Happy New Year!! These Kit-Kat Cheesecake Bars are enough to tempt me to drop everything now that I am doing and get into a kitchen and make them for this weekend. Drooling right now too{slurps}-Cheers, Jo
vanillasugarblog says
this is going on the list
right next to the english version of the groom cake–remember that?
it was an all crunch cake. oh I cannot remember the name
ThisBakerGirlBlogs says
I would never have thought to combine kitkat with cheesecake … absolutely genius! 🙂
Aikko @ Bake Happy says
Anything with KitKat has my thumbs up. These are amazing Naomi! 🙂
julia [life on churchill] says
amazing! I think the top chocolate layer looks great 🙂
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says
I love that this design wasn’t your intention and yet they’re still completely stunning.
Kevin (Closet Cooking) says
Those bars look so good!
Julie @ Table for Two says
This is sheer genius and absolutely stunning. I love your photography and I want some of this at my dessert table!!
Maria says
What a fun bar treat! Gorgeous too!
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough says
Welp, there goes my appetite for anything else, ever — I want kit kat cheesecake bars and only kit kat cheesecake bars now and forever. 🙂 YUM!
Gaby says
omg stop it! these look AMAZING. I need them in my life the second I come off my juice cleanse!!!
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says
What stunners! Those are so beautiful as well as enticing!
Tanya says
These look absolutely amazing! To bad I restarted my diet..
MikeVFMK says
Loss for words. These are ridiculous, both in the way they look and I’m sure in the way they taste. You are a baking phenom.
Kristen says
These are the most perfect looking treats – gorgeous and tasty, both!
Jaclyn says
Gorgeous Naomi – as always =)! I wish I had time to make everything you post.
Aimee @ Simple Bites says
Decadent. Which is a word I hope will describe my (and yours) 2013. You’re certainly off to a great start, Naomi!
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
So gorgeous and tempting! No other way but to give up to the temptation and make these. Like ASAP. Pinned!
marla says
These bars are absolutely stunning girl!!
Judy Klein Romero says
These look really great! Can’t wait to try your recipe. What is a “foil sling”?
Judy Klein Romero says
Sorry – I meant “sling foil”!!
Jenny Flake says
Unbelievably fabulous Naomi! xoxo
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
These bars are beautiful! And the failed swirl is only noticeable since you pointed it out! It’s still amazing!
Megan {Country Cleaver} says
Let me pick my jaw up off the floor here for a moment… Holy frijollies!
Leslie says
Ohhh many. Kit Kats are my favorite candy bar of alllll times. These might be quite dangerous for me to have around.
Laura says
Oh my! Those look absolutely divine. Pinned and on my must try list for when the weather cools down a bit around here. 🙂
Im At Home Baking says
These look amazing!
Jacki comber says
Mmmmm wonder how they would go if I used TimTams instead go kit kats…
Connie says
Please add me to your email list. I’d love to receive your blog!
linda says
BR is a beautiful site with exquisite baking executions & perfect photography…that makes me strive to greater heights. thank you for inspiring!
Shanna@ pineapple and coconut says
Oh wow I like your idea of starting off the new years with these decadent bars!! I think the tops came out perfect even with the “imperfect” swirls peeking out!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts says
Oh my, these just look heavenly!! Kit Kats are one of my favorites, so I would go crazy for these!
Carol says
Looks delicious!
Chocolate layer – use semi-sweet chocolate? Just to be sure
Naomi says
Hi Connie- I don’t have an email subscribe yet. I will very soon though. The site will is going through a re-design and once completed, it will have that functionality.
Naomi says
Jacki-Um, pretty awesome. Do it!
Naomi says
Judy-To create foil sling, simply cover the pan with foil and make sure there is a two inch over hang on each slide. This allows for easy removal of the cheesecake from the pan.
Jen @ Savory Simple says
Naomi, you’re brilliant. These look divine!
Katie | The Hill Country Cook says
HEL-lo, Kit Kat is my middle name, add cheesecake? BOOM! Speechless. And how gorgeous it looks like Tiramisu!
Melissa says
I love your style. Those look heavenly.
christina @ ovenadventures says
totally pinning this right now. you make everything look amazing.
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
Who cares about a failed swirl, those are gorgeous!
Feli Nelson says
Kit Kat Cheesecake bars – ah l’amour!
Naomi says
Carol it’s totally up to your preference, that’s why I didn’t specify it in the recipe.
Pam says
I found this on Pinterest , took one look and knew it was your recipe! I can hardly wait to try it.
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
That chocolate layer on top definitely takes this to the next level. And god forbid you had even more of these amazing bars to eat. Or you could send some to me. Just sayin’
Jen @ Savory Simple says
These look totally amazing
Vicki says
Yeah they look nice in the photos.
Except they got cemented to the pan. I had to break them out of there using a knife as if it was a pick axe. Not cool.
Mary Beth Elderton says
OMG! *pinned* *drool*
Jordan says
Making these for hubsters bday and can’t find dark cocoa powder anywhere! If is use only regular cocoa powder will they still be as divine?
Mary Riley says
I’m sorry,but these were not a hit. I made the recipe as directed . The crust was way too thick for an 8×8 pan. I use this much in a 13×9 pan. The cheesecake layer was too much dark cocoa powder. If I made it again I would use a regular cheesecake layer,not chocolate. I always say that there is no such thing as too much chocolate,but in this recipe it is very overpowering. Would try again with adjustments. 😉
A says
Definitely not a hit. The graham cracker crust was way too thick and you couldnt taste the kit kats. It really wasn’t anything special. I won’t make this again.
Wendy says
I tried these because they just look fabulous! I replaced your crust by a shortbread crust and used a NY Cheesecake recipe to which I just added some cocoa to get the matching brown colour… my topping was the other way round, I used vanilla frosting and created the pattern with melted dark chocolate (it didn’t look as neat as yours though)
I’m just defending that recipe by saying that they turned out pretty good, we ate them all! (:
Alex says
They look delicious – just wondering with the kit kats, do you use the 2 or 4 finger size bars?
Debbie says
Yes they will taste great. I couldn’t find it either, but made them anyway. Fantastic.
Debbie says
line your baking dish with foil, once baked and cooled you take the cheesecake bars out and cut. As stated in the recipe.
Erin @ Making Memories says
Oh my gosh! These look absolutely wonderful!!!
Chantal says
Hi
Could I just use the regular unsweetened coco powder only I stead of both? We don’t have the dark one where I live. Will that make a difference?