These Irish cream cheesecake bars are perfectly infused with the flavor of Irish cream liquor in both the creamy cheesecake layer and silky, smooth chocolate ganache glaze.
Cheesecake in any form is my jam, and I will use any opportunity to make it! In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, I decided to jazz up my cheesecake bars recipe with the addition of Irish cream liquor. I wanted each bite of these cheesecake bars to be delicately infused with the delightful flavor of Irish cream; and so, Irish cream liquor is added in the cheesecake batter, chocolate ganache glaze and chocolate whipped cream frosting. The goal was to have the right balance of Irish cream flavor in these cheesecake bars without it being too overpowering. I would say, mission accomplished! These Irish cream cheesecake bars are absolutely scrumptious and could honestly be enjoyed any time of year!
How to Make Irish Cream Cheesecake Bars
Chocolate Cookie Crust
Key Ingredients
- Chocolate Cookie Crumbs – may be brought or made by grinding/crushing chocolate cookies into fine crumbs. If using chocolate sandwich cookies, remove filling before grinding/crushing into fine crumbs.
- Unsalted Butter – melted and cooled to room temperature
To Make Chocolate Cookie Crust
- Prepare – preheat oven to 325F. Line an 8” x 8” square baking pan with parchment paper in a crisscross fashion so that all sides of the pan are lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Mix – add chocolate cookie crumbs into a medium mixing bowl, pour in melted butter and mix until mixture resembles wet sand.
- Transfer – chocolate cookie crust mixture to prepared pan. With the back of a measuring cup, gently press crust mixture into an even layer.
- Bake – chocolate cookie crust for 12 minutes.
- Cool – allow crust to cool to room temperature while cheesecake batter is being prepared.
Irish Cream Cheesecake Batter
Key Ingredients
- Cream Cheese – full fat cream cheese is recommended for a creamier cheesecake consistency
- Eggs
- Granulated Sugar
- Plain Yogurt/Sour Cream – plain full-fat yogurt helps to lightened up the thickness of the cream cheese. Yogurt may be substituted with sour cream.
- Irish Cream Liquor – any Irish cream liquor will work in recipe. I used this brand.
- Cornstarch – acts as a thickening agent that helps to bind and bring batter together.
- Vanilla Extract
To make Irish Cream Cheesecake Batter
- Reduce – oven temperature to 300F.
- Beat – in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add and beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch at medium speed (4 on stand mixer) for 5 minutes. Stop mixer and with a flexible spatula, scrape the sides and base of bowl.
- Mix – add yogurt and vanilla extract into the cream cheese mixture and mix at a low speed (2 on stand mixer) until incorporated (about 30 seconds). Next slowly pour in the Irish cream liquor and allow liquor to mix into batter (about 30 seconds).
- Add – with the mixer running at low speed, mix in the egg yolks one at time allowing each yolk to be incorporated into Irish cream cheesecake batter before adding the next one. Once all the egg yolks have been mixed into batter turn off mixer and give batter a good mix with a flexible spatula taking care to scrape the sides and bottom of bowl.
- Whisk – in a separate medium mixing bowl, add eggs whites. With a whisk or hand-held mixer, whisk egg whites at high speed until it reaches medium stiff peaks. If you were to hold the whisk/beaters upright, the peaks should fold over and not be stiff.
- Fold – use a spatula to fold half of the whipped egg whites into Irish cream cheesecake batter making sure to reach the bottom of the bowl. Repeat with the second half of whipped egg whites. Take care to lightly fold whipped egg whites into cheesecake batter to avoid deflating the air out of egg whites.
- Pour – Irish cream cheesecake batter over cooled chocolate cookie crust. Use an offset spatula to spread batter into an even layer.
- Bake – Irish cream cheesecake for 40 minutes. Cheesecake is ready once the edges appears firm, slightly puffed and the center has a slight giggle.
- Rest – allow Irish cream cheesecake to rest at room temperature for at least (1) hour.
- Refrigerate – once cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight before decorating and serving.
Chocolate Ganache Glaze
Key Ingredients
- Chocolate – I used semi-sweet chocolate but may substitute with any high-quality chocolate like bittersweet, milk or dark chocolate.
- Heavy Cream
- Irish Cream Liquor
To Make Chocolate Ganache Glaze
- Chop – finely chop chocolate and add into a medium mixing bowl.
- Heat – up heavy cream and Irish cream liquor just until hot but not boiling either on stovetop or in the microwave at 30 second intervals.
- Pour – warmed heavy cream and Irish cream liquor over chopped chocolate.
- Rest – allow mixture to sit untouched for at least 30 seconds.
- Whisk – heavy cream and liquor into chopped chocolate starting inward and moving outward until all the chocolate is melted. Chocolate ganache should be smooth and shiny without any lumps of chocolate.
Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
Key Ingredients
- Heavy Cream
- Powdered Sugar
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Irish Cream Liquor (optional)
- Vanilla Extract
To Make Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
- Place – a medium mixing bowl in the freezer to chill for at least 10 minutes.
- Add – heavy cream, Irish cream liquor (optional), powdered sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract into chilled mixing bowl.
- Whisk – cream mixture together until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer – chocolate whipped cream frosting to a pastry bag fitted with your favorite pastry tip. I used this tip.
Irish Cream Cheesecake Bars – Bring It All Together
- Remove – Irish cream cheesecake from pan.
- Cut – use a sharp knife to cut Irish cream cheesecake into 16 equal bars/squares.
- Place – a cooling rack over a sheet of parchment paper and transfer cheesecake bars to cooling rack.
- Pour – cooled but pourable chocolate ganache glaze over each of the Irish cream cheesecake bars.
- Pipe – chocolate whipped cream frosting on top of each bar.
- Decorate – with chocolate shavings (optional).
Looking for More Cheesecake Recipes, Checkout the Links Below:
PrintIrish Cream Cheesecake Bars
These Irish cream cheesecake bars are perfectly infused with the flavor of Irish cream in both the creamy cheesecake layer and silky, smooth chocolate ganache glaze.
- Prep Time: 90 Minutes
- Cook Time: 40 Minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 16 Bars 1x
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie Crust
- 1 2/3 Cups Chocolate Cookie Crumbs (24 chocolate cookie sandwiches with filling removed crushed into crumbs)
- 5 Tablespoons Melted Butter, Cooled to Room Temperature
Irish Cream Cheesecake
- 16 Ounces Full-Fat Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs, Separated, Room Temperature
- 1/4 Cup Plain Yogurt, Room Temperature
- 1/4 Cup Irish Cream Liquor
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Ganache Glaze
- 6 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar, Roughly Chopped
- 1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Irish Cream Liquor
Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream, Cold
- 2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
- 2 Teaspoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Irish Cream Liquor, Optional
- 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Finely Chopped Chocolate, Garnish, Optional
Instructions
Chocolate Cookie Crust
- Preheat oven to 325F. Line an 8” x 8” square baking pan with parchment paper in a crisscross fashion so that all sides of the pan are lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add chocolate cookie crumbs into a medium mixing bowl, pour in melted butter and mix until mixture resembles wet sand.
- Transfer chocolate cookie crust mixture to prepared pan. With the back of a measuring cup, gently press crust mixture into an even layer.
- Bake chocolate cookie crust for 12 minutes.
- Cool chocolate cookie crust to room temperature while cheesecake batter is being prepared.
Irish Cream Cheesecake
- Reduce oven temperature to 300F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add in the cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch and beat at medium speed (4 on stand mixer) for 5 minutes. Stop mixer and with a flexible spatula, scrape the sides and base of bowl.
- Add yogurt and vanilla extract into the cream cheese mixture and mix a low speed (2 on stand mixer) until incorporated (about 30 seconds).
- Slowly pour in the Irish cream liquor and allow liquor to mix into batter (about 30 seconds).
- With the mixer running at low speed, mix in the egg yolks one at time allowing each yolk to be incorporated into Irish cream cheesecake batter before adding the next one.
- Once all the egg yolks have been mixed into batter turn off mixer and give batter a good mix with a flexible spatula taking care to scrape the sides and bottom of bowl.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, add eggs whites. With a whisk or hand-held mixer, whisk egg whites at high speed until it reaches medium stiff peaks. If you were to hold the whisk/beaters upright, the peak should fold over and not be stiff.
- Use a spatula to fold half of the whipped egg whites into Irish cream cheesecake batter making sure to reach the bottom of the bowl. Repeat with the second half of whipped egg whites. Take care to lightly fold whipped egg whites into cheesecake batter to avoid deflating the air out of egg whites.
- Pour Irish cream cheesecake batter over cooled chocolate cookie crust. Use an offset spatula to spread batter into an even layer.
- Bake Irish cream cheesecake for 40 minutes. Cheesecake is ready once the edges appears firm, slightly puffed and the center has a slight giggle.
- Cool Irish cream cheesecake to room temperature for at least (1) hour.
- Once cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Ganache Glaze
- Finely chopped chocolate and add into a medium mixing bowl.
- Heat up heavy cream and Irish cream liquor just until hot but not boiling either on stovetop or in the microwave at 30 second intervals.
- Pour warmed heavy cream and Irish cream liquor over the top of chopped chocolate.
- Allow mixture to sit untouched for at least 30 seconds.
- Whisk heavy cream and liquor into chopped chocolate starting inward and moving outward until all the chocolate is melted. Chocolate ganache should be smooth and shiny without any lumps of chocolate.
Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
- Place a medium mixing bowl in the freezer to chill for at least 10 minutes.
- Add heavy cream, Irish cream liquor (optional), powdered sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract into chilled mixing bowl.
- With a whisk or hand-held mixer, whip cream mixture together until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer chocolate whipped cream frosting to a pastry bag fitted with your favorite pastry tip. I used this tip.
Assembly
- Remove Irish cream cheesecake from pan.
- Use a sharp knife to cut Irish cream cheesecake into 16 equal bars/squares.
- Place a cooling rack over a sheet of parchment paper and transfer cheesecake bars to cooling rack.
- Pour cooled but pourable chocolate ganache glaze over each of the Irish cream cheesecake bars.
- Pipe chocolate whipped cream frosting on top of each bar.
- Decorate with chocolate shavings (optional).
Notes
- Irish cream cheesecake bars will last up to one week if stored in an airtight container and placed in the refrigerator.
- Chocolate cookie crumbs may be brought or made by grinding/crushing chocolate cookies into fine crumbs. If using chocolate sandwich cookies, remove filling before grinding/crushing into fine crumbs.
- In place of Irish cream liquor, may substitute with Irish cream coffee creamer which alcohol-free.
- Not a fan of liquor/Irish cream, replace the Irish cream liquor with 1/4 cup of heavy cream/yogurt in cheesecake batter, substitute the liquor with heavy cream in chocolate ganache and omit liquor from chocolate whipped cream frosting.
- Use a shape knife to cut cold Irish cream cheesecake into bars. Dip knife into a cup of warm water and wipe with a clean kitchen towel in between cuts. This will allow for clean evenly cut bars.
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