Banana Foster Cheesecake Crumble Bars
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The Banana Dessert That Feels A Little Extra.
These are the bars I make when banana bread isn’t quite what I’m craving. They have creamy cheesecake, caramelized bananas, and a buttery crumble topping that somehow makes every bite feel a little special.
I love that they capture that warm bananas foster flavor without any complicated steps. Just layers of banana, cheesecake, crumble, and caramel.
Why You’ll Love These Banana Foster Cheesecake Crumble Bars
- Made with real bananas
- Buttery oat crumble crust and topping
- Creamy banana cheesecake layer
- Caramelized banana and pecan filling
- No water bath needed
- Great make-ahead dessert
- Perfect for holidays, brunch, or potlucks
Ingredients For Banana Foster Cheesecake Crumble Bars
Crumb Layer
- All-purpose flour or 1:1 gluten-free flour
- Melted butter
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt
- Rolled oats
- Egg
Cheesecake Layer
- Cream cheese
- Light brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Banana
Bananas Foster Layer
- Bananas
- Pecans
- Vanilla extract
- Light brown sugar
- Unsalted butter
Topping
- Caramel sauce
Ingredient Notes
- Bananas: Use ripe bananas for the best flavor. They should be yellow with some brown spots, but not so soft that they fall apart when sliced for the bananas foster layer.
- Cream Cheese: Room temperature cream cheese mixes more smoothly and helps create a creamy cheesecake layer without lumps.
- Rolled Oats:The rolled oats give the crumble more texture and help make the base sturdy enough to hold the cheesecake and banana layers.
- Pecans: Toasting the pecans first brings out their flavor and adds a little crunch to the soft banana filling.
- Caramel Sauce: A drizzle of caramel sauce over the finished bars makes them feel more like classic bananas foster.
How To Make Banana Foster Cheesecake Crumble Bars
- Mix the crumble ingredients until crumbly and press two-thirds into the prepared pan.
- Blend the cream cheese, banana, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth, then spread over the crust.
- Cook the bananas, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and pecans until lightly caramelized.
- Spoon the banana mixture over the cheesecake layer.
- Sprinkle with the remaining crumble.
- Bake until lightly golden, then cool completely before chilling.
- Refrigerate until firm before slicing and serving.
Tips For The Best Cheesecake Bars
- Line the pan with parchment paper so the bars lift out easily.
- Use room temperature cream cheese for the smoothest filling.
- Do not overmix the banana cheesecake layer.
- Let the bananas caramelize gently so they stay mostly intact.
- Chill fully before slicing for clean bars.
- Add caramel sauce right before serving
Storage and Freezing
- Store the bars covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To freeze, place sliced bars in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Add caramel sauce after thawing.
Banana Foster Cheesecake Crumble Bars
Equipment
- 8 inch square baking dish
- Knife
Video
Ingredients
Crumb Layer
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free flour)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 12 tbsp butter (melted)
- 1 egg
Cheesecake Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large banana
Bananas Foster Layer
- 1 cup pecans (chopped)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 large bananas (sliced)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
- Caramel sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Butter an 8-inch square baking dish and line it with parchment paper, leaving extra parchment hanging over two sides so the bars can be lifted out easily.
- In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, kosher salt, and rolled oats. Mix until combined.
- Add the melted butter and egg. Mix until a crumbly dough forms.
- Press about two-thirds of the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Reserve the remaining one-third for the topping.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and banana. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Spread the cheesecake mixture evenly over the crumb base.
- Place a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped pecans and toast for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, add the sliced bananas, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Let the mixture cook for a few minutes until the brown sugar starts to melt and the bananas begin to caramelize.
- Carefully turn the bananas as they cook, being gentle so they do not break apart too much. Cook for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Spoon the bananas foster mixture evenly over the cheesecake layer.
- Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the top.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool to room temperature.
- Transfer to the refrigerator and chill until firm before slicing.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce before serving.
Notes
- Use ripe bananas for the best flavor.
- Be gentle when turning the bananas so they hold their shape.
- Chill the bars fully before slicing.
- The caramel sauce is best added right before serving.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator because of the cheesecake layer.
- These can be made gluten free by using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
Nutrition
Yes. These bars are a great make-ahead dessert because they need time to chill before slicing. You can bake them the day before, refrigerate overnight, and drizzle with caramel sauce right before serving.
Yes. Because the recipe has a cream cheese layer, the bars should be stored in the refrigerator. Keep them in an airtight container and enjoy within 4 days.
Use ripe bananas with yellow peels and a few brown spots. Very firm bananas will not have as much flavor, and overly soft bananas may break apart too much when cooked.
Yes. Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. Make sure your oats are certified gluten free if needed.
Yes, but freeze them without the caramel sauce. Slice the chilled bars, place parchment paper between layers, and freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
The bars likely needed more chill time. Cheesecake bars slice best when they are fully chilled and firm. Use the parchment paper to lift them from the pan, then slice with a sharp knife.
Yes. Pecans are classic with bananas foster flavor, but walnuts will also work well in the crumble bars.
You still want to cook the bananas with butter and brown sugar for the best flavor. The caramel sauce is used at the end as a topping, not as a full replacement for the bananas foster layer.
Not quite. Banana pudding cheesecake bars typically include vanilla pudding or vanilla wafer flavors. These bars use real bananas, a creamy cheesecake layer, toasted pecans, and a cinnamon oat crumble for a flavor profile closer to bananas foster.
