No-Bake Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bars
These No-Bake Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bars definitely fit the bill when you are in the mood for something sweet. This three-tiered dessert starts with a brown sugar graham cracker crust, moves on to a creamy cheesecake layer, and finishes it off with a luscious layer flavored by sweet potatoes.
Love sweet potatoes? You’ll also want to try my Mini Sweet Potato Pies, Sweet Potato Cheesecake, Moist Sweet Potato Muffins, and Southern Sweet Potato Pie.
Growing up in Louisiana, we ate sweet potatoes quite often. And for that reason alone, it’s been all things sweet potato on this site for a few weeks now—the season calls for it, and who doesn’t love sweet potatoes.
My grandfather had a garden where he grew a variety of different vegetables, and sweet potatoes were his favorite. When they were ripe and ready, my grandmother would bake them and fill the house with that great aroma.
For this recipe, I wanted to put a twist on my Easy Lemon Cream Pie, which is also a family favorite.
Instead of lemon, I used sweet potatoes and turned a single layer pie into a multi-layered cheesecake bar. Not a new idea, but a genius one.
Imagine taking a bite and getting the flavors from sweetened graham crackers, cheesecake, and sweet potato pie all in one. That is what this great no-bake dessert idea brings to the table.
And did I mention this recipe has zero baking time?
Ingredients you’ll need to make sweet potato cheesecake bars:
- Up first is the graham cracker layer. You’ll need whole graham crackers, butter, and dark brown sugar. Light brown sugar can be used as well (in place of the dark brown sugar).
- The second or middle layer is your largest layer, and it’s all about the cheesecake. A creamy blend of cream cheese, sugar, whipped topping (AKA Cool Whip), vanilla extract, and you are finished. Note: if you don’t have whipped topping, you can substitute 1/2 cup whipping cream that has been whipped.
- For my favorite layer of them all, the sweet potato layer, you’ll combine a sweet potato, cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract.
How to make no-bake sweet potato cheesecake bars:
Boil your sweet potato. Peel the skin from your sweet potato and cut it into big cubes before boiling for 30 minutes. Once it’s done, drain from the water and add the sweet potato to a large bowl. Mash using a potato masher (paid link). Set to the side when done.
Prepare the graham cracker crust. Add the whole graham crackers into a zip lock bag and crush into fine pieces using a rolling pin. Add those crushed graham crackers into a separate bowl along with your brown sugar and melted butter. Mix and use a fork to press down into the mixture to make sure it binds together. You won’t be baking this crust, so you’ll want to ensure it sticks together with ease.
Add the graham cracker layer to a casserole dish (paid link). With parchment paper on the bottom and sides (this will help you remove the cheesecake from the dish when it is ready to serve), add your graham cracker layer to a square 8×8 or 9×9 casserole dish (paid link). Press and spread out this layer until it covers the bottom of the dish.
Make the cheesecake layer. Add all the ingredients for the cheesecake layer in a large bowl except for the whipped topping. Using a hand mixer (paid link), combine the ingredients until smooth. This will take around 3-5 minutes. Add the whipped topping to the bowl and fold the ingredients together. Pour your cheesecake mixture over the crust spreading evenly.Â
Make the sweet potato layer. Add all the sweet potato layer ingredients and blend using a hand mixer (paid link) until smooth. Add the sweet potato mixture over the cheesecake layer and spread evenly. Note: If your mixture is warm, allow it to cool before evenly pouring it over the cheesecake layer.
Allow the cheesecake to set. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving. When it’s ready to serve, cut your pieces into even squares and serve.
Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bars Tips
- You can also bake your sweet potatoes instead of boiling them. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Using a fork, make a few holes in the top of the sweet potato. Place them on a baking sheet (paid link) and bake them for 1 hour. Allow to cool and peel back the skin.
- Add a large sheet of parchment paper that covers the bottom and sides of your casserole dish (paid link) before adding your first layer. This will make lifting the cheesecake from the dish easier when it’s ready to serve.
- If you prefer canned sweet potato puree, one (1) large sweet potato will make around 1 cup of sweet potato puree.
This No-Bake Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bar recipe will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth. When you want simply yer delicious dessert idea give this recipe a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!
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No Bake Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bars
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 9 1x
Description
No-Bake Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bars made with a graham cracker crust, a middle layer of cheesecake, and a layer flavored by sweet potatoes.
Ingredients
For the Crust Layer:
- 12 graham whole crackers
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
For the Cheesecake Layer:
- 16 oz cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whipped topping
For the Sweet Potato Layer:
- 1 large sweet potato
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Peel the skin from the sweet potatoes and cut them into cubes. Boil for 30 minutes. Drain the sweet potatoes and add to a large bowl. Mash using a potato masher (paid link). Set this to the side.
- Place the graham crackers in a zip lock bag and crush them into fine pieces using a rolling pin. Add the finely crushed crackers to a large bowl. Add the brown sugar and melted butter. Mix using a fork.Â
- Add the graham cracker mixture to a square casserole dish (paid link) (8×8 or 9×9 square dish*, depending on how thick you prefer your cheesecake layers). Press evenly into the bottom of the dish until it is fully covered.
- For the cheesecake layer, add cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract into a separate bowl. Mix until smooth (3-5 minutes) using a hand mixer (paid link). Add the whipped topping to the bowl and fold the ingredients together. Pour your cheesecake mixture over the crust, spreading evenly.Â
- For the sweet potato layer, add the cream cheese, sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and vanilla extract to bowl with the mashed sweet potato. Blend until smooth using a hand mixer (paid link). Add the sweet potato mixture over the cheesecake layer and spread evenly.
- Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving. When ready to serve, cut your pieces into even squares.
Notes
You can also bake your sweet potatoes instead of boiling them. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Using a fork, make a few holes in the top of the sweet potato. Place them on a baking sheet (paid link) and bake them for 1 hour. Allow to cool and peel back the skin.
Add a large sheet of parchment paper that covers the bottom and sides of your casserole dish (paid link) before adding your first layer. This will make lifting the cheesecake from the dish easier when it’s ready to serve.
If you prefer canned sweet potato puree, one (1) large sweet potato will make around 1 cup of sweet potato puree.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 457
- Sugar: 16.7g
- Sodium: 358mg
- Fat: 34.9g
- Carbohydrates: 32.5g
- Fiber: 1.1g
- Protein: 6.3g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
Hey, AI just suggested this for me to use up mashed sweet potato.
Look forward to trying it.
Hi, Cyndi! Wow, that’s awesome! We hope you enjoy it. 🙂
I made these this thanksgiving and it was a hit. I don’t have a hand mixer. I do but I make body butter and I don’t want to use it for food. I used my food processor and I blended it so fine and smooth it takes a long time to set but it is delicious. I would add less sugar. But other than that it is an amazing recipe. Thanks
Hey, Bridgett! Thanks for trying to recipe and sharing your feedback!
I made this tonight for a Christmas party tomorrow. I did individual servings and used cupcake liners in a cupcake tin. It made 24 standard-size cupcakes filled to the very top of each liner. I’ve not had it all together yet- they’re refrigerating and not set up yet- but I did test the individual components- DELICIOUS! I can’t wait to try one tomorrow! It was quite time-consuming and cramping on the hands to press the crust into each cupcake liner, then spreading the two fillings on, so I probably wouldn’t make it this way again, but I would DEFINITELY do it as written- in a 9×9. I’ll be saving this recipe!
Thanks for sharing your alternative approach, Emily! Yes, I’m sure the 9×9 would be easier but glad you enjoyed them either way! 🙂
Hi Eric, have you put this mixture in a graham cracker pie crust so it’s one cheesecake instead of bars. I’m going to make this tomorrow and thought I’d ask first. Top notch looking recipe 🙂
Hi Jessica! You can certainly use a graham cracker pie crust, but you’ll want to be mindful of how much cheesecake filling is used since this recipe calls for much more filling than a typical pie crust would hold. However, I have not tested this approach myself.
I’ve played with it mentally and I think I have it worked out, if it comes out right, I’ll send a pic, thanks Eric!
Thank you! Enjoy!
I am about to do the same using a pecan crust. How did yours turn out?
Could this be adapted for cupcake size individuals as opposed to the bars?
Hi, Angie! Yes, you can. I have made this into circular individual “bars” using a cookie cutter. You could also place/layer the ingredients in a cupcake pan (instead of one large dish) before placing them in the fridge to set.
I did that tonight. It made 24 standard-size cupcakes.
Sounds amazing but when I import the recipe into MyFitnessPal, the carbs are doubled. I put in 9 servings for a 1X recipe. How did you get it down to 32.5,?
Hi Joy I took a look at the measurements and I was able to get that number because of the amount of servings the recipe calls for. It yields for 9 and that’s how it shows for that carb amount. Let me know if you have any further questions.
Hi Eric, could you tell me the measurement of the pan? Also, could you use sweet potato purée in the can? If so what would that amount be? Thanks!
Hi Diane! One (1) large sweet potato will make around 1 cup of sweet potato puree, so 1 cup of canned sweet potato purée should suffice. For the dish, it should be an 8X8 or 9X9 square dish, depending on how thick you prefer your cheesecake layers. Enjoy!