These maple bars are made with a maple cream sandwich cookie crust, no bake cheesecake and milk chocolate ganache!
How to make milk chocolate ganache
The most important step in making any ganache is heating up the heavy cream. Ganache is typically made by pouring steamed heavy cream over finely chopped chocolate and letting it melt.
The most common thing I see go wrong with ganache is boiling the cream. If you let the cream come to a boil, it is too hot and will cause the chocolate to separate and get chunky instead of creamy smooth.
To avoid this, heat your cream in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Keep an eye on it, and remove it from the heat as soon as it starts to steam. Do not let it boil! The microwave is tempting to use here, but it almost always boils over.
I prefer to use a high quality milk chocolate here. Lindt milk chocolate bars are my absolute favorite for this.
I also add a little butter to the ganache, which helps prevent it from getting too hard as it cools and adds a bit of shine to the chocolate.
How to make the cookie crust
The crust is made up of equal parts maple cream sandwich cookies and graham crackers crushed to crumbs with melted butter. This mixture is pressed into the bottom of a 9×9 pan and chilled to set.
You can swap the graham crackers out for another cookie like nilla wafers if you like. I don’t recommend using all maple cookies as it gets too sweet.
How to make no bake cheesecake filling
To make the maple cheesecake filling for these no bake bars, start by combining room temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt until smooth.
Beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form and then gently fold into the cream cheese mixture. That’s it! Pour the filling overtop of your cookie crust and place in the fridge until you are ready to add the ganache layer.
Once it’s all assembled, place in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours, but overnight is best.
Storage instructions
These bars will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week. The crust can be made up to 1 week ahead of time and kept in the freezer.
The ganache can be made up to 1 week ahead of time and kept in a glass container in the fridge. Simply microwave it in 10 second increments when ready to use it, stirring after each.
Common questions
- Where can I find maple cream sandwich cookies?
I usually find them at either Sprouts or Trader Joe’s, but you can also buy them on Amazon. There are a few different brand options, but they are all very similar. - Can this dessert be frozen?
Yes! It is difficult to cut through when it is frozen so I recommend letting it sit in the fridge for an hour or at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. It can be frozen in a sealed container up to 3 weeks.
I do not recommend freezing it to set the cheesecake as this can cause the texture to be icy. Let the bars set completely in the fridge before freezing. - Why isn’t my cheesecake setting up?
The most common reason is simply that you aren’t waiting long enough. It really needs a minimum of 6 hours in the fridge to set, but overnight is best.
It could also be that your whipped cream was not whipped into stiff peaks, or you stirred too hard when folding it into the cream cheese, which knocks the air out. - Why is my filling lumpy?
Using cold cream cheese instead of room temperature will result in a lumpy mixture. - Can I save curdled whipped cream?
Yes! Turn your mixer on low and slowly add a little more heavy cream. Continue mixing until the whipped cream comes back together into perfect peaks. - What kind of maple syrup should I use?
Please, please use real maple syrup. It is the number one ingredient that I think is worth splurging on for your kitchen.
Maple Bars (No Bake)
Course: Uncategorized4
servings30
minutesThese maple bars are made with a maple cream sandwich cookie crust, no bake cheesecake and milk chocolate ganache!
Ingredients
- COOKIE CRUST
1 cup (110g) maple cream sandwich cookies, crushed
1 cup (85g) graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup melted salted butter
- NO BAKE CHEESECAKE FILLING
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature*
1 cup (100g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon (5g) salt
1/4 cup maple syrup**
1 cup heavy cream
- GANACHE
8 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon salted butter
- OPTIONAL
9 maple cookie halves for topping
Directions
- CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- Heat heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat until steaming. As soon as it starts to steam, remove from the heat. DO NOT LET IT BOIL.
- Pour steamed cream overtop of chopped chocolate in a shallow bowl and let sit for a few minutes to melt the chocolate. Stir together until creamy and smooth. Set aside to let cool while you make the bars.
- COOKIE CRUST
- Stir together the crushed maple cookies, graham crackers and melted butter to combine. Press evenly into a 9×9 pan, making sure to pack it down tightly. Place in the freezer to set while you make the filling.
- NO BAKE CHEESECAKE FILLING
- Use a mixer to beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and maple syrup until smooth.
- Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Pour filling over prepared crust. Chill until you are ready to add the ganache.
- When the ganache is cooled enough that it is no longer warm at all, but it is still pourable consistency, pour overtop of the cheesecake filling. Use a small spoon or spatula to spread the ganache evenly.
- If adding the maple cookie halves on top, go ahead and place them on top of the ganache now. There should be 9 that will cut into 9 even squares.
- Cover and chill the bars for at least 6 hours and preferably overnight to set before serving.
Notes
- *Using cold cream cheese will result in a lumpy filling. You can let the cream cheese sit out for an hour to come to room temperature or place the package in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes to soften.
- **Please please please use real maple syrup for this recipe.