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Edible Experiments

Healthy Vegetarian Meals and Not-So Healthy Desserts

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Pear Cheesecake Bars

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I was feeling creative the other day. When I saw a box of cinnamon toast crunch on sale at the store, I thought “that cereal would be yummy crushed and used as a crust.” So I bought them and started experimenting. The cinnamon toast crunch crust turned out great! And the flavor of the  pears in this dessert are outstanding! Sweet and light and refreshing. I am still experimenting with this recipe, so I might make adjustments later on as I figure out better ways to make it. It is one of my new favorites!

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 2 1/2 C. Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, finely crushed
  • 2 TBSP. butter, melted

Filling

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 C. sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 C. powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 pears, sliced
  • 1 TBSP. lemon juice
  • sprinkle of cinnamon

Topping:

  • 1/2 C. flour
  • 1/2 C. brown sugar
  • 2 TBSP. cold butter, in small chunks
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 3/4 C. Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (optional)

Directions:

1. Melt butter for the crust and mix with crushed cereal. I crushed the cereal using a food processer. It made it nice and fine. You can also put it in a plastic baggie and crush with a rolling pin. Press the crust mixture into a 9×9 pan or a pie pan. Then put it in the fridge until ready to use again.

2. With a hand mixer, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla to make the filling. Pour it into on top of the cereal crust. Layer on the pear slices on top of the cream cheese filling. Splash the lemon juice over the pear to keep them from browning. Sprinkle cinnamon over the pear.

3. For the topping, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in the cold butter. Sprinkle over the pears. If you choose, sprinkle the crushed cereal over the top of that. I put larger chunks of cereal on it and they tasted kind of weird. I think it would be better if it was sprinkled on crushed up more finely or sprinkle on after cooked. Or even better. Serve with a swirl of whipped cream and sprinkle some cereal on top of that.

4. Cook at a preheated oven at 350  for about 35-30 minutes. Refrigerate until the cream cheese sets up. It is good hot too, but it is pretty runny. Serve with whipped cream.

Variation: cook in a pie dish and serve as a chilled or hot pie. Yum!

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Recipe by Amy Jo from Edible Experiments.