Published 10/18/2023 With a crunchy chocolate graham cracker crust, smooth cheesecake filling, and deeply spiced chocolate chai swirl, there’s so much to love about these cheesecake bars. While they may look fancy, this is such a simple dessert recipe. We utilize the food processor for both the crust and the cheesecake filling – we tested this recipe without it, but for the creamiest cheesecake bars, a food processor (or high-speed blender) really is necessary. While the crust bakes in the oven, whip up the creamy filling, set some aside to turn into a chocolate chai version, swirl the two together, and bake. The flavors mingle while the bars chill, and we love them straight from the fridge! These cheesecake bars are easy to whip up for a mid-week treat yet impressive for any holiday celebration (a fun pie alternative for Thanksgiving!).
What You Need for these Greek Yogurt Cheesecake Bars
There are 3 parts to these creamy cheesecake bars. Here’s what you need for each:
Graham Cracker Crust
The base of these cheesecake bars is a chocolate graham cracker crust made with graham crackers, butter, and cocoa powder. When we tested this recipe, adding a little bit of cocoa powder really brought out the chocolate chai flavor of the cheesecake swirl.
Cheesecake Base
The base of these swirled cheesecake bars comes together with cream cheese (make sure you are using the block-style cream cheese), plain Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), pure maple syrup for a little sweetness, an egg white to help everything bind together, and a splash of vanilla for flavor.
Chocolate Chai Swirl
We’ll reserve a little bit of the cheesecake base to mix together with melted chocolate chips, coconut oil, and chai spices. This is layered on top of the cheesecake base to create the stunning swirl!
Substitutions for Cheesecake Bars
There are a few easy ways to customize these Greek yogurt cheesecake bars: Crust: Instead of a traditional chocolate graham cracker crust, simply omit the cocoa powder or make these cheesecake bars with a gingersnap cookie crust or a shortbread crust. For a gingersnap cookie crust (maximum fall flavor!!), follow the crust instructions in our pumpkin cheesecake bars recipe. For a shortbread crust, follow the crust instructions in our apple pie bars recipe. Spices: Use any or all of the spices we include in the recipe (or use 1 teaspoon of our chai spice mix instead). Don’t like ginger? Leave it out! Love cinnamon? Add even more! Omit the spices completely for chocolate swirled cheesecake bars. Pumpkin Spice: Replace all of the spices in this recipe with 1 teaspoon of our homemade pumpkin pie spice for chocolate pumpkin spice Greek yogurt cheesecake bars.
Storage
Cheesecake bars have to chill before serving anyways, so do yourself a favor and make these bars ahead of when you need to serve them. After cooling completely, tightly cover the pan of bars with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days before slicing and serving. If you have any leftover cheesecake bars, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You need two colors of cheesecake mixture for a simple swirl design. Set aside 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the white cheesecake mixture and set it aside. Differentiate this reserved mixture by adding melted chocolate, spices, etc. to it before swirling it into the plain mixture. Create a checkerboard with the darker cheesecake mixture and use a toothpick to swirl the colors together. Have fun with it! If it’s not perfect, don’t worry – it will still taste great.
Fall Dessert Bars
Pecan Pie Bars Apple Pie Bars Pumpkin Pie Bars Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie Bars Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cereal Bars
Freezing Cheesecake Bars
These swirled cheesecake bars freeze wonderfully. Once fully cooled, cut the pan of cheesecake bars into squares, place in a single layer on a baking sheet, and freeze until fully frozen. Remove the bars from the freezer, wrap individually in aluminum foil or plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn, and place into freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Delicious as an afternoon snack or for dessert, serve these chocolate chai Greek yogurt cheesecake bars straight from the fridge as-is, or for a little something extra, top them with a dollop of whipped cream, drizzle of chocolate sauce, sprinkle of sea salt or chai spices, or chocolate shavings.
