Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: These cheesecake bars have a rich chocolate flavor that works wonderfully with the tang of the cream cheese, the richness of the stout, and the saltiness of the crust. You don’t really taste the stout distinctly, it just enhances the chocolate flavor. Texture: I love this crust! The pretzels give it a little bit more crunch but it still holds its shape and provides a wonderful bed for the cheesecake filling. Ease: So much easier than baking a traditional cheesecake. You don’t have to worry about these cheesecake bars cracking or preparing a water bath. Appearance: I think these look pretty darn tasty. Pros: Easier than traditional cheesecake, absolutely delicious. Cons: Not exactly health food. Would I make this again? Yes.This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Chocolate Stout Cheesecake Bars have a rich chocolate flavor, a tang of cream cheese, richness from the stout, and saltiness in the crust.
Sometimes you just need to combine chocolate and beer. When the vessel for this flavor combination happens to be cheesecake, everything just feels right in the world, if only for a fleeting moment. I think that’s the magic of dessert and of chocolate especially. One bite and you’re transported somewhere else. A beautiful place where all that matters is that you savor each bite of chocolate goodness that you have. This recipe definitely takes you to that place! There’s so much goodness going on here but I especially love the pretzels in the crust. They add a perfect bit of salty crunch which takes this cheesecake to the next level.
Chocolate Stout Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 4 full graham cracker sheets
- 1 1/2 cups small twist pretzels
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/3 cup stout beer
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
For the crust:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on two sides. Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers, pretzels, and sugar until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until mixture is evenly moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
For the filling:
- In a small saucepan combine the chocolate and beer over medium-high heat. Heat until the chocolate is melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Wipe the processor bowl clean and add the cream cheese and sour cream. Process until smooth, scraping sides of the bowl as needed. Add both sugars, cocoa powder, vanilla and espresso powder and process until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and cornstarch and pulse to combine. Add the melted chocolate mixture and pulse until combined. Pour the filling over the cookie crust.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges of the cheesecake are set and the center is only slightly jiggly. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. Use the foil to lift the cheesecake from the pan and place on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice into bars. For cleaner cuts, dip knife in hot water and wipe between cuts.
These look amazing and I want to make them for a party. Do you think I could triple the recipe and make them in a sheet pan? Dimensions work out okay, but I’m not sure on the height of the bars. My sheet pan in 1.25 inches tall, would they go over or do you think it would work? Thanks!!
Oh man…I cannot wait to make these for a tailgate party!!! Im going to top them with a chocolate ganache and beer-candied bacon 🙂 thoughts?
I’ve just taken the brownies out of the oven. Its going to be really hard waiting for them to cool and chill in the fridge.
That’s definitely the hardest part about cheesecake!
I’ve never tried the beer + chocolate flavor combination before, but it must be good with all of the chocolate stout cakes, cupcakes, and now cheesecake around blog world. Personally, I just love the fact that you used a pretzel crust! It’s such a nice contrast to the chocolate cheesecake.
Oh these are perfect for St Patty’s day! I agree, sometimes you just have to combine chocolate and beer. And, the only con is that it’s not a health food? I’m in for these! Delicious!
Definitely saving this for St. Patty’s day. Love the new blog design too!
Thanks for your post. I also feel that laptop computers are getting to be more and more popular today, and now tend to be the only form of computer utilised in a household. This is because at the same time that they are becoming more and more economical, their working power is growing to the point where they’re as highly effective as pc’s through just a few in years past.