Hello friends! Do you ever get fixated on one thing? Like an intense craving for something and that’s all you can think about for days? This happened to me recently with S’mores and the results of that craving were these s’mores cookie bars.

I’ve been craving s’mores for well over two weeks. We visited my in-laws at their camping site for a day and the kids put together a fire pit and there was roasting of marshmallows and making of good ole s’mores. But unfortunately for me on that day, I was fasting (as it was Ramadan) and was unable to indulge in the festivities. Bummer right? That’s how my fixation with s’mores started and last weekend I settled the score with these bars and boy just looking at them satisfied my s’mores craving.

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Let’s talk about Thanksgiving leftovers, shall we? Yes, I know the big day is not even here yet, but it’s right around the corner, and as tradition calls, everyone overcooks, and it makes sense to start my Thanksgiving recipe sharing with leftovers in mind. There will be lots of leftover food that must be creatively repurposed. We will be knees deep with food from turkey breasts to cranberry sauce to pumpkin puree.

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Today, my boo Nancy from gotta get baked is here to share with you these chocolate bar cookie bars. First of all, cookie bars are my thing!! I love how easy they are to whip up and just so ooey, gooey decadent. I can’t wait to try these. Secondly, you know Nancy right?? She is the kick-ass, sassy writer of the blog gotta get baked. She is a constant inspiration for me and someone I truly think you should get to know. My girlfriend is real, funny, and uber-talented. Go check out her blog after this and show her some love on social media too (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest)! 

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I’m taking some time off the next few weeks to spend time with our new baby boy. While I’m away, I’ve scheduled some recipes here and there to share with you, like these Strawberry Oatmeal Bars today. I couldn’t leave you hanging all summer long. 

OK, I’ll be the first to admit that these are not the prettiest of bars. But don’t let their looks fool you. These strawberry oatmeal bars are ridiculously addicting and one of the best things I’ve made in a while. You have to trust me on this 🙂

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Happy Monday everyone!! I hope you had a lovely summer holiday weekend (US folks). It was very exciting in our next of the woods with multiple parties, a trip to the zoo, one too many ice cream cones and fireworks at the end of it all. Summer weekends are truly the best; lots of family time, outdoor activities and fresh fruits and produce.

I’ve reached the point where I need to eat more than berries and embrace the rest of the fruits in season like cherries and peaches. I love the sweet cherries that are in peak season right now but man, can they get pricy when you want a few pounds for a pie or to snack on.

I needed a few pounds of cherries last weekend so I hit my local ALDI grocery market where I know I can get fresh fruits and produce for a great price. After eating almost a pound of the cherries, I decided I should bake something. These cherry lime cheesecake bars were the resulting culprits. I love cheesecake bars as they are miniature cheesecake slices in your hand but take less the time and effort to put together.

These bars start with a classic graham cracker crust, that’s pre-baked and topped with a sweet lime cheesecake filling and finally topped with a swirl of cherry lime topping. It’s three layers of complete bliss; a crunchy crust, a sweet cheesecake filling and a tart cherry lime topping.

Absolutely what you want to be indulging on this summer!

Print

Yield: ~12 bars

Cherry Lime Cheesecake Bars

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

For Crust:

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• 10 whole graham crackers
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• a pinch of salt

For Cherry Swirl

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• 1 ½ cup cherries, pitted and chopped
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• zest of 1 lime
• juice of ½ a lime

For Filling:

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• 2 8-ounce cream cheese packages, softened at room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• a pinch of salt
• juice of half a lime
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

For Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch square pan and line with parchment paper with overhang.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until processed. Add in the melted butter and pulse until combined.
3. Press the graham cracker mixture to the bottom of the prepared pan and distribute evenly. Bake crust for 10 minutes and let cool completely.

For Cherry Swirl:

1. Meanwhile in a small saucepan combine the cherries, sugar, zest and lime juice along with a ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, until cherries are soft and mixture starts to thicken.
2. Transfer the cherry mixture to a food processor or blender and pulse briefly to break up the cherries.You don't want it smooth. Transfer cherry compote to a small bowl and set aside to cool.

For Filling:

1. In the large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and salt until combined and smooth. Add in the lime juice and mix until combined. Add in eggs, vanilla extract and all-purpose flour. Mix until just combined and mixture is smooth.
2. Pour the cream cheese filling into the cooled crust and smooth with a spatula to evenly distribute. Dollop the cherry compote over the filling one tablespoon at a time. Using a small knife or skewer, swirl the cherry compote.
3. Bake cheesecake for about 25-30 minutes or until the edges are set and lightly brown. The middle will be slightly jiggly. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack to set. Chill cheesecake for at two hours to set.
4. When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the pan using the overhangs. Cut into squares.

Making this Recipe?

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I’m sharing this recipe in partnership with ALDI. As always all opinions are 100% mine. Thank you for supporting the companies that make it possible for me to continue to create great recipes for you. For more information and recipe ideas, visit ALDI on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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I’ve been unable to kick this cold in the butt and have been laying low this week. My dear friend Allie from Baking a Moment was so willing to come over and help on a last minute notice. If you are not already familiar with her blog, she writes an amazing dessert blog and I just love her unique eye for great flavor combinations! She is just as sweet and adorable in real life as she sounds on her blog. I was fortunate to meet her a few weeks ago on a clandestine trip to DC. She welcomed me and Mr. J graciously into her home where we hung out with her cute boys and husband. She is just the best and is here today to share with you her love for peanut butter as well (we all know how you love your peanut butter!).

Here’s Allie!

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