Caramel Heath Ricotta Cheesecake Bars #SummerDessertWeek

Some of the ingredients/items in today's post are courtesy of our sponsors for #summerdessertweek, as usual, all opinions are my own.

I love cheesecake and when I want to make a simple version for a large group of people, I have found that no bake cheesecake bars are the best option. These are a combination of both. Baked crust and no bake for the filling.  Still super simple and easy to whip up. 

 I have tried out a multitude of versions over the years and I think this may be my favorite so far. I love the combo of caramel and Heath in basically any recipe and this one ended up being no exception. For this particular recipe, I decided to mix ricotta and cream cheese for a sweeter and richer texture. My husband loves ricotta and while I dig it in savory dishes, I am not the biggest fan of it in sweet dishes (ie: cannolis) but this creation may have finally changed my mind. The added creaminess of the cream cheese lessened the grainy texture that I don't particularly usually care for in ricotta based desserts.  I think this Caramel Heath Cheesecake Bar recipe may end up being a regular contender on my dessert menu. 

For the crust on these bars, I did a somewhat 'cheat" I bought chocolate chip cookie dough and used that vs making my own dough but it was just as good. I have made a few different versions changing the crust each time. I have used sugar cookie dough and oatmeal butterscotch. All of them have been scrumptious so far. Feel free to make whatever version you prefer. 

Caramel Heath Ricotta Cheesecake Bars

10-12 oz chocolate chip cookie dough
8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz ricotta
1/2 cup Dixie Crystals Sugar
1 tsp Adams Best Vanilla Extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream 

Place foil in bottom of 9x9 pan. Fill the pan with the cookie dough, use your fingers to spread the dough out and use your palms to flatten it down, making sure the bottom of pan is covered. Bake on 350 for about 20-22 minutes edges begin to brown. Center may appear undercooked. Chill the in fridge for about 30 minutes. 

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, ricotta, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Start your mixer on low and once all combined increase speed and mix for about 2 minutes to make sure mixture is smooth. I usually do a spoon taste at this point to make sure I am happy with the sugar amount and don't need to add any more. Once you are satisfied with taste, add in the whipping cream and beat on high for another 2-4 minutes until it has more of a mousse/thick cheesecake mixture. 

Pour over chilled chocolate chip cookie dough crust and place in fridge for at least two hours. 

Before serving, sprinkle the top with crushed heath bar pieces and drizzle the top with a caramel sauce. I have used a few versions and I have noticed that the more expensive ice cream sauces hold up better and do not water the cheesecake down after it settles. You can get a good quality jar for about $3.49. Or you can always make your own!

Cut into bars and enjoy. I will also say that these *may be* even better at midnight two days later after you have frozen them. But only maybe;) 

 I used a 9x9 pan and ended up using about 10 oz of cookie dough. I like the dough to be a little crispy and thin so once the cheesecake mixture settles, it becomes very chewy but still with a good texture and bite! 

Check out the amazing #SummerDessertWeek recipes from our bloggers today!



Ice Cream Recipes:

• Healthy Watermelon Popsicles from Big Bear's Wife
• Fried Ice Cream Milk Shakes from Southern Plate

Pies of Summer:

• Mini Blueberry Pie from Food Hunter's Guide to Cuisine
• Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Pie from Daily Dish Recipes

Sweet Summertime Cakes:

• Cookies & Cream Mini Bundt Cakes from Me and My Pink Mixer
• Sweet Corn and Raspberry Layer Cake from Sweet ReciPeas
• Chocolate Malted Milkshake Cake from 4 Sons 'R' Us
• Layered Strawberry Shortcake from Southern From Scratch

No Bake Treats:

• Cherry Granita from The Bitter Side of Sweet
• Frozen Fruit Cupcakes from The Domestic Kitchen

Baked Desserts:

• Cherry Cheesecake Brownies from Love Bakes Good Cakes
• Blueberry Cheesecake Chimichangas from Home Sweet Homestead
• Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon Curd Topping from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Caramel Heath Ricotta Cheesecake Bars from The Whimsy One
• Banana Pudding Cake from A Blender Mom
• S'mores Crepes from For the Love of Food
• Apple Dumplings from Jen Around the World
• Summer Berry Dessert Bruschetta from Cooking In Stilettos
• Cinnamon Sugar Blueberry Banana Bread from The Spiffy Cookie

Welcome to the first #SummerDessertWeek event hosted by Angie from Big Bear's Wife. We're so glad that you've joined us for this week long event of desserts and giveaways. You're going to love what we have in store for you.



There are 25 amazing bloggers participating in this year's event! Throughout the week we'll be share tons of fantastic summer dessert recipes with you. With over 70 recipes being shared this week we just know that you're going to find a new summer favorite! Plus, don't forget that we have 6 (six) great giveaways for you this week thanks to our amazing sponsors!

Scroll down to take a look!

Prize #1

Prize #1 -- Dixie Crystals is giving one winner a $100 Willimas Sonoma Gift Card OR a $100 Sur la Table! Winner of prize #1 gets to pick which gift card they would like!

Prize #2

Prize #2 -- Rainier Fruit is giving one winner a Pie dish, Cherry Pitter, Serving Spatula, Pinch Bowls, Pie Carrier! Everything you need to make the perfect cherry or blueberry pie!

Prize #3

Prize #3-- OXO is giving one winner an 8 Piece Glass Bake, Serve & Store Set.

OXO Glass Bakeware is made of thermal shock resistant borosilicate glass, which means it can go from freezer to oven without the need to thaw. The OXO 8 Piece Glass Bake, Serve & Store Set is the perfect partner for all of your baking adventures. The Set includes a Glass 3 Qt Baking Dish, Glass 2 Qt Baking Dish, Glass Loaf Pan, Glass Pie Plate, 1 Cup Round SNAP Container, and 2 Cup Round SNAP Container.

Prize #4

Prize #4 -- Adam’s Extract is giving one winner a Pyrex with baking utensils and 4oz Adams Best, 1.5 oz Pure Lemon, Almond, Peppermint and Vanilla.

Prize #5

Prize #5 -- General Mills Cereal is giving one winner 4 boxes of cereal, 2 Big G Cereal character bowls, 2 Big G Cereal character , 2 “Good Morning” spoons, 2 Cheerios tumblers with straws 1 long-sleeve Cereal Character hooded t-shirt, 1 short-sleeve Cereal Character t-shirt.

Prize #6

Prize #6 -- Land O’Lakes is giving one winner a branded insulated tote with a stainless steel water bottle, two mugs with cocoa mix, a dish towel and coasters.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway open to US Residents 18 years or older.. All entries will be verified. No PO Boxes Please. Prizes will be sent directly from sponsors to winners, bloggers are not responsible for prizes. This giveaway runs from July 24th until July 30th at 12AMEST. Winners will be selected soon afterwards and contacted by e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. There are a total of 6 (six) prizes and therefore we will have a total of 6 (six) winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week long event, #SummerDessertWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like Thank our amazing sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Rainier Fruit, OXO, Adam's Extract, Land O'Lakes and General Mills Cereal! These wonderful sponsors provided the prize packs for our giveaways and also sent samples and products to the #SummerDessertWeek bloggers to use in their recipes.