Four finalists down (see our other favorite dessert bar recipes so far), and we're finally revealing our winner.
Without further ado, meet our voters' favorite bar of the over 30 recipes we received and baked: Super Yummy Raspberry Cheesecake Bars, by Vida Lake of San Angelo, Texas. Congratulations, Vida!
There are lots of raspberry cheesecake recipes floating around out there, but we promise, this one is the best. There's a reason it won over all the other exotic options. The gooey raspberry filling and sugar cookie combination is oh-so-good.
Super Yummy Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1/2 cup firm butter
2 packages (8 oz each) softened cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 can (21 oz) Wilderness Premium Raspberry Pie Filling*
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray.
2. Pour sugar cookie mix in a big bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly and coarse. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of mix for later (topping) and press the remaining crumbs in the bottom of the 13x9 pan. Bake for 10 minutes; do not overbake.
3. Put cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla, and egg in a large bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer (medium speed) until smooth.
4. Spread cream cheese mix evenly over crust. Spoon raspberry pie filling over the cream cheese; spread evenly. Take remaining 1 1/2 cups of unbaked crumbs and sprinkle over the top.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes or until crumbs on top are lightly golden brown. Cool 30 minutes, refrigerate about 2 hours to chill.
6. Cut into bars. Store covered in fridge. Makes 24 bars.
* Can easily substitute cherry or strawberry fillings.
Thank you again to all those who entered our contest! We hope you enjoy the winning recipes as much as we enjoyed tasting your great recipes.
Other winning recipes from this contest:
Fourth Runner-up: Strawberry Limeade Bars
Third Runner-up: Chocolate Orange Bars
Second Runner-up: Butterscotch Nutella Bars
First Runner-up: De Lime in de Coconut Bars
*All photography done by Jennifer Bacher.
