Cheese Bars Filipino Recipe

Cheese bars Filipino-style are the perfect sweet and salty treat. Tender but firm, easy to make, a childhood favourite.

(Fan of sweet and salty treats? You will love the combination of sweetened cream cheese and creamy garlic butter in Korean cream cheese garlic bread.)

Cheese bars are a popular Filipino snack — texture like brownies, sweet and salty, oh-so-cheesy.

I have fond memories of buying cheese bars from our school cafeteria. Those were thinner, cut into triangles like pizza (no idea why), with slightly burnt cheese on top. So good!

My version is thicker, tender but still has that familiar bite to it, and you can put as much cheese on top of it as you want. 

Let’s bake.

What are cheese bars?

These cheese bars are not cream cheese squares, cream cheese bars or cheesecake bars  (though I have this amazing pecan pie cheesecake bars you must try). 

There’s no cream cheese mixture because there’s no cream cheese and we’re not making a cheesecake (though try ube cheesecake if you’re in a cheesecake rut). 

This recipe is, quite literally, for bars made with good old fashioned cheddar cheese for a unique, delicious, sweet and salty party. 

Why you’ll love Filipino cheese bars

Despite the absence of cream cheese, you’ll love Filipino cheese bars because:

• They’re sweet and salty. Not too sweet, not too salty, just the perfect balance that’ll make you want more.
• The recipe is easy. This is not a finicky recipe. It’s easy to follow and pretty hard to mess up.
• The cheese bars travel well. You can bring them with you to picnics and potlucks, pack them in a lunch box, give them out as gifts.
• And they taste just like how you remember them. Best of all, if you’ve had cheese bars at your school too, these taste just like them. But better.

How to make cheese bars or cheese squares

These cheddar bars are easy to make, and even easier to eat.

Ingredients

To make this cheese bars recipe, you’ll need:

• Unsalted butter
• Granulated sugar
• Brown sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Powdered milk — see FAQs below for more info
• Cheese — cheddar cheese is best; if not available, make sure you choose a firm/hard and sharp cheese for this recipe
• All purpose flour

Baking tools

I use my stand mixer to mix the batter but you can also use a handheld electric mixer. It will be challenging to stir by hand because the batter is sticky and thick.

Other than that, you’ll need the following:

• 9×13 inch baking pan
• Cheese grater — or you could use pre-shredded cheese like I do
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Bench scraper to cut the bars but a sharp knife will do too

I also always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients and an oven thermometer to make sure you’re always baking at the correct temperature.

Cheddar cheese bars recipe

1 PREP. Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper with a slight overhang on each side.

8 BAKE. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bars turn golden brown on the edges, look matte and dry, and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with minimal dry crumbs.

9 COOL. Allow the bars to cool in the pan before slicing. Cut them into bars or squares, or even triangles if you’re feeling sentimental. Enjoy!

Baking tips and FAQs

Easy, right? Here are more baking tips and FAQs to make this recipe that much easier to make.

Other cheesy recipes

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Love everything cheesy, sweet and savoury? Try these other recipes where cheese is the star:

• Imagine oooey gooey cheese custard nestled in a flaky butter crust. These baked lava cheese tarts are luxurious and incredibly delicious.
• Lemon cream cheese puff pastry braid is a delicious, lemony, buttery treat perfect with your morning coffee or afternoon tea. Made with ready-made puff pastry and a luxurious lemon cream cheese filling.
• Treat yourself to these scrumptious jalapeño cheddar waffles. Top them with fried egg and start the day right.
• This is the best ensaymada recipe that’s simple to follow so you can make soft, sweet, cheesy ensaymada at home any time.

Happy baking!

Did you make cheddar cheese bars? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

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