The decadence is off the charts. # 402: Millionaire Cheesecake Bars

The caramel didn’t want to stick around, dramatically dripping down the sides in a bid for freedom.

While espresso millionaire shortbread is my favorite iteration of this ridiculously rich treat, I think this version is Nate’s favorite. I swapped out the shortbread for an Oreo crust and adding a layer of cheesecake, but kept the same toppings of caramel and chocolate ganache.

Did you know Post Malone has his own Oreo flavor? Well now you do! It’s salted caramel and shortbread-flavored filling (confusing, I know) with one chocolate cookie and one vanilla cookie. Passing over the concept of shortbread-flavored filling (is it just butter? I have so many questions), the overall effect of the flavors is straight up sugar. *Cue Hozier’s Too Sweet*

Clearly the fix for a too-sweet cookie is to cover it in more sugar, right? Oops. The creamy neutrality of the cheesecake along with the bitterness of the dark chocolate ganache and salt in the caramel offset the sugar overload just enough for it to work.

Gotta love a 4-ingredient recipe:

• 1.5 lbs cream cheese
• 7 oz (1 cup) sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla

It can easily be scaled up or down depending on the size of your pan, and takes whatever flavorings you can throw at it. I only used a third of the ingredients for this mini bake – I happened to have one block of cream cheese in the fridge and conveniently the blocks are a half pound each!

Technically this was a one bowl recipe, but specifically the bowl of my food processor. Still counts!

Accepting the Oreo freckles as penance for not cleaning the bowl after blending up the crust.

Toppings incoming.

Before the caramel ran away.

Fork required.

Happy munching!

Cheesecake recipe originally from America’s Test Kitchen