A sweet and simple recipe for Funfetti cheesecake bars, made with cake mix and plenty of sprinkles! These are easy, colorful, and delicious!
Sprinkle-Studded Cheesecake Bars
These fun & easy Funfetti cheesecake bars are the party-version of my favorite cheesecake recipe. Perfectly sweetened, bright and colorful, they’re simple to make and a guaranteed showstopper.
As with my other cheesecake bars, this recipe does not require a waterbath, making it as simple and low-maintenance as it is beautiful. Spread over a slightly crisp golden Oreo crust, the filling is smooth and creamy.
These Funfetti cheesecake bars are great served as-is cut straight from the pan or topped with my homemade whipped cream or hot fudge sauce. Let’s get started!
What You Need
Let’s go over the key ingredients for today’s recipe:
- Golden Oreos. These make up our simple, sturdy, and slightly crisp Oreo crust layer. I like the way the sweet golden Oreos work with the Funfetti filling, but alternatively you could use my graham cracker crust (or a traditional Oreo crust).
- Cream cheese. Use “brick-style”, full-fat cream cheese (you’ll need 4 8-oz bricks!). The spreadable kind sold in tubs unfortunately includes additives that can affect the final outcome of the bars.
- Sour cream. This balances the sweetness of the Funfetti cake batter and contributes to the creamy texture of the cheesecake. For sweeter bars, feel free to reduce this to ⅔ cup.
- Cake mix. You can use white, yellow, or classic “Funfetti” cake mix here.
- Vanilla extract. While the cake mix adds some vanilla flavor, we still want to bump it up a bit with vanilla extract.
- Eggs. It’s key to not over-beat your eggs, or your cheesecake could end up cracked or with a curdled texture. Over-beating the eggs could also cause the cheesecake to rise, brown too much on top, and then deflate. To avoid this, lightly beat your eggs before adding them and stir them in on low speed, one at a time.
- Sprinkles! Add ¼ cup additional sprinkles (or homemade sprinkles!) to give these Funfetti cheesecake bars plenty of fun color.
SAM’S TIP: When making the cheesecake batter, it’s best if all of your ingredients are the same temperature before you begin. If you forgot to pull your eggs out of the fridge in advance, see my post on how to quickly bring eggs to room temperature (you just need a little bit of warm water!).
As always, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Funfetti Cheesecake Bars
- Prepare your graham cracker crust by grinding Golden Oreos to crumbs and then mixing with a bit of melted butter. Press this in an even layer into a baking dish.
- Beat together softened cream cheese and sugar, then add cake mix, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
- Lightly beat your eggs then add them, one at a time, to the batter, stirring until just combined. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently as you make your batter, this will ensure no clumps of cheesecake are hiding, only to resurface as unsightly lumps in the finished product!
- Stir in sprinkles, then pour the batter evenly over your crust.
- Bake until the cheesecake is set in the center (it may jiggle slightly in the center if you jostle it, but it should not be liquidy!).
SAM’S TIP: If you opt to use a glass or ceramic baking dish instead of a metal one, your Funfetti cheesecake bars will likely take a bit longer than indicated to finish baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re looking for a cake mix-free version, I would instead direct you to my classic cheesecake bars. For a flavor that tastes more like this Funfetti version, use clear/imitation vanilla extract (it helps give you that classic cake batter taste) and add ¼ cup of your favorite sprinkles.
Over-beating the eggs or over-baking the bars are the most likely reasons for cracking. However, as we learned with my key lime cheesecake, the cheesecake shrinks while it cools and if the edges are stuck to the pan, this tension can cause ugly cracks in the center of the bars! To prevent this, line your pan with parchment paper that goes up higher than the edge of the cheesecake on all sides. This will allow the bars to constrict nicely and help prevent cracks (so long as you don’t over-mix or over-bake!).
Most traditional sprinkles/jimmies or “sequin” style sprinkles shouldn’t bleed, but nonpareils may if allowed to sit in the batter too long before you stir. I still use nonpareils, though! Just add them to the batter and immediately stir and pour into your pan to bake!
You can also customize the Funfetti cheesecake bars by using the colors of your next party’s theme (ex: pink and blue sprinkles for a gender reveal!).
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Funfetti Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 25 Golden Oreos (do not remove the filling)
- 4 Tablespoons butter melted (salted or unsalted is fine)
Cheesecake Squares
- 32 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature (use brick-style cream cheese, not the sort sold in tubs)
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar (250g)
- 1 cup sour cream (226g)
- 1 cup Funfetti cake mix (130g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten room temperature preferred
- ¼ cup colored sprinkles (72g)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 13×9 metal pan with parchment paper (I like to use enough that it goes up the sides of the pan (this helps keep the cheesecake from cracking as the parchment will allow it to constrict as it cools).
- Place Golden Oreos in a food processor and process cookies into fine crumbs.25 Golden Oreos
- Add melted butter, process until fully incorporated.4 Tablespoons butter
- Pour cookie crumbs into the bottom of prepared and tamp down into an even layer. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese and sugars until smooth and creamy. and sour cream until smooth.32 oz cream cheese, 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Add sour cream, cake mix, and vanilla extract and stir on low-speed until smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed to make sure all ingredients are well-combined.1 cup sour cream, 1 cup Funfetti cake mix, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add eggs, one at a time, stirring until just combined after each addition.3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- Add colored sprinkles and stir quickly by hand until combined.¼ cup colored sprinkles
- Pour cheesecake batter evenly into prepared pan over crust.
- Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes (center of cheesecake should be set).
- Top with homemade whipped cream and additional sprinkles, if desired.
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours before cutting and serving.
Notes
Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Funfetti cheesecake bars may also be frozen for several months, but be sure to chill cheesecake as indicated before cutting, wrapping, and freezing.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
I originally published this recipe in June of 2014. I’ve added more information to the post, updated the photos, and made a few clarifying notes to the recipe, but the recipe remains the same & these are the same Funfetti cheesecake bars you know and love!
Tanya
Can I make this in a 9×9 pan instead of 9×13?
Sam
Hi Tanya! As long as you don’t overfill the pan it will work just fine. Your bake time will vary. 🙂
Elena Lope
Hello,
Can you put these in a water bath? Would it work for this recipe?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Elena! Our recipe is designed to be made without a water bath. If you read the post thoroughly and follow our tips while baking, you should have beautiful, crack-free results 😊
Sam
Hi Jake! It is correct as written. 🙂
Amy
Hi!
So I made these before & they were AMAZING! I want to change it up a bit and try these as individual cheesecake bites using a standard muffin pan. Do I need to reduce cooking time because they will be more “muffin/cupcake” style than the actual cake?
My plan was to make the crust, put it in the bottom of the muffin liner & then spoon the filling on top, as we do with the cake. Does that sound ok?
Thanks!
Amy
Sam
Hi Amy! I actually have a mini cheesecake recipe that you could use as a guide for baking times and methods. 🙂
Let
Do you use the filling in the Oreos or do you remove it? Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Hello! You want to leave the filling. 🙂
BRIGITTE Couture
What would you use to replace the cake mix? Not a fan of mixes, but we LOVE sprinkles.
Sam
Hi Brigitte! I would refer to my cheesecake recipes and choose a different one. I have an oreo cheesecake square recipe and cheesecake brownies as well as some others and you can always add sprinkles. 🙂
Marilyn
I did try these and everyone liked them!!! I have a couple of questions – how long can these be stored or even do you think they could be frozen? Also, has anyone mentioned trying this with a graham cracker crust? 🙂
Sam
Hi, Marilyn. I am so glad everyone enjoyed them. For storage, they should be ok in an air tight container for about a week in the refrigerator. I do think they would freeze well. For the graham cracker crust, I think that would be incredibly delicious. 🙂
Kristen
Ok so I used this recipe along with your recipe of ‘Brownie from Scratch’ for the bottom layer and OMG. BEST EVER!!!!! All of the ingredients are common so I wasn’t forced to go shopping for anything obscure, it was all already in my pantry. Very easy to follow instructions, and very easy to cut in 1/2. This is my go-to dessert for bringing to a birthday or just when I’m a guest to someone’s home. Thank you so much.
Sam
Awesome!! I”m so glad you enjoyed the recipe so much and how did I never think to pair this with a brownie base myself!? Genius!!! Thank you for coming back and letting me know how it turned out for you, Kristen!! 🙂
Mary
I made this two days ago. It was really easy. I just found that there was a ratio of too much cake vs. crust, but maybe that’s just a preference thing. Can you confirm if the crust is supposed to be hard/crunchy or soft? Thanks so much. Looking forward to making more of your recipes!
Sam
Hi Mary, glad you tried them out!
I do have a preference for a high cake to crust ratio, so the intent was for there to be a lot of cheesecake in comparison to the crust (it’s just my indomitable sweet tooth at the reigns there).
The crust is intended to be similar to a graham cracker crust, but softer. If you’ve ever made a cheesecake crust with regular Oreos, it is meant to imitate that. So, a bit of a crunch and hard enough as a result of the ingredients binding together when cooked, but soft enough that you can easily bite through or break through with a fork. I hope this answers your questions, but if you have any more feel free to comment/e-mail again! 🙂
Mary
Awesome info! Thanks so much, Sam.
I received a stand mixer as a wedding gift (got married a few weeks ago). Stumbled on your Imgur posts, and fell in love with the desserts! Very timely posting.
Sam
Stand mixers are the BEST! Congratulations on your wedding, and thanks for the kind words! 😀
Chris @ Shared Appetite
Hahaha 2 1/2 years later and my wife is still staring at her engagement ring all the time. You should be looking at it and loving it! That means your fiance did a great job 😉
Oh, and these squares… I WANT THEM! Look so good! Pinning 🙂
Sam
Thank you Chris! He really did do a great job, sounds like you did too!
Thanks! 🙂
Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods
Yum, these look so good. I could go for a couple of these tonight 😀
How super exciting to get your ring back. I still remember staring at mine and I still do. 😀
Sam
Glad I’m not the only one! 🙂
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext
These cheesecake bars look amazing, Sam! Super fun and I love all the colours! Definitely going to try these out! 🙂
Sam
Thanks Jess! 🙂
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel
Sprinkles totally make everything better! Sprinkles and sparkles. 🙂 I loooove the idea of using golden oreos for crust– so yummy!
Sam
I know right, sprinkles are THE best 😉 Thanks Jess!
dina
it looks yummy!
Sam
Thank you! 🙂
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely
After I got engaged I would stare at my ring for HOURS! I especially loved it when I was driving, and the ring would catch the light and make little diamond sparkles all over the inside of my car. Isn’t it just the best?
These cheesecake squares sound delicious! Love all the sprinkles in them, so happy looking : )
Sam
Haha I’m glad I’m not the only one! I’m so glad to have it fitted and on the right finger now 🙂
Thanks Natalie!