Almond & Cream Cheese Cookie Bars
I love almond extract more than almonds themselves. I could bathe in it. And I can eat frosting that’s made with almond extract by the spoonful. Although it doesn’t take almond extract for me to eat frosting by the spoonful, it’s the literal icing on the cake for these easy, no-mixer, one-bowl layered almond shortbread bars. There’s a buttery shortbread crust that’s topped with a cream cheese and almond extract-based filling before frosting the bars and adding slivered almonds. They add great texture and boost the overall almond flavor. The filling is slightly tangy from the cream cheese and offsets the sweetness of the frosting. What I really like about the bars is that they look and taste fancy-schmancy, but are easy and straightforward to make. The best kind of recipe. Aside from the one bar I sampled, I donated the pan to a fundraiser bake sale. I got an email from the woman who was running it asking me if I had the recipe because she was being asked for it. Loved that.
What’s in the Cream Cheese Bars?
This almond bar recipe has three components: the almond shortbread crust, the cream cheese filling, and the frosting. You’ll need the following ingredients:
Unsalted butter All-purpose flour Confectioners’ sugar Cornstarch Salt Brick-style cream cheese Egg Granulated sugar Almond extract Cream or milk Slivered almonds
How to Make Cream Cheese Bars
First, you’ll make the shortbread cookie crust. Simply combine all the crust ingredients in a large bowl and cut the butter into the ingredients using two forks. Press the crust mixture into an 8×8-inch baking dish and bake at 350F until barely set. While the crust bakes, make the cream cheese filling. To do so, whisk together all of the filling ingredients. Once the crust has baked for 15 minutes, turn the filling over top while it’s still warm. Then, return the pan to the oven for another 19 minutes or so. Once the cream cheese cookie bars have baked, they need to cool completely before topping them with the almond frosting.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes, simply double the ingredients list and bake the almond bars in a 9×13-inch baking dish. The bake time should be roughly the same.
Can I Make the Bars in Advance?
Yes, but these are best within the first 48 hours of baking them. If desired, you could make the cream cheese cookie bars, freeze them, and then frost them once you’re ready to serve them. I haven’t done this myself, but it should be fine.
Tips for Making Cream Cheese Cookie Bars
Halve the frosting portion of the recipe if you’re not a huge frosting fan because it’s pretty sweet. However, halving the frosting isn’t something I personally ever do. I usually want to double it. The same goes for the almond extract. I love it and I used 2 teaspoons in the filling and the frosting and the bars are packed with powerful almond flavor. If you prefer almond-scented rather than almond-front-and-center, halve the amount of extract in both the filling and frosting.
More Easy Bar Cookies:
Strawberry Cream Cheese Shortbread Bars — A buttery shortbread crust topped with cream cheese filling, frosting, and strawberries!! EASY and perfect for spring and summer parties!! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Salted Caramel Buttery Crumb Bars — These salted caramel bars feature a buttery shortbread base and an addicting crumb topping I simply can’t get enough of! Such an easy one-bowl dessert!
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Bars — The bars have a buttery soft shortbread crust and are topped with a gooey, creamy, buttery topping that’s studded with chocolate chips.
Toffee Almond Bars — Toffee bits add a wonderful crunch to the bars which are made of an ultra buttery base before being topped with chocolate.
Springtime Sugar Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting — Sugar cookies in bar form with SPRINKLES galore!! FAST, EASY and yummy! Great for springtime, Easter, Mother’s Day, showers, and parties!!
Chocolate Chip M&M’s Cookie Bars — Soft buttery bars loaded with M&M’s and chocolate chips are a guaranteed hit!! Fast, easy, foolproof, no mixer recipe that’s so much simpler than making cookies!!
