Orange Dreamsicle Bars

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 1 1/2 cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 box (3 oz / 85 g) orange-flavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) cold heavy cream
• 16 oz (452 g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened, divided
• 2/3 cup (80 g) powdered sugar, divided
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
• 1 tbsp finely grated orange zest, plus more for garnish

How to make orange dreamsicle bars

1. Step 1.

   Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides.

2. Step 2.

   Stir the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter together until the crumbs look like wet sand. Press firmly and evenly into the pan. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until fragrant and slightly darker at the edges. Cool completely.

3. Step 3.

   Whisk the orange gelatin into the boiling water for 2 minutes, until fully dissolved. Let it stand at room temperature for 20–30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until it feels barely warm or cool but is still completely liquid.

4. Step 4.

   Whip the heavy cream to firm, but not grainy, peaks. Set aside 1/2 cup of the whipped cream for the vanilla layer.

5. Step 5.

   For the vanilla layer, beat 8 oz of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla until completely smooth. Fold in the reserved 1/2 cup whipped cream. Spread evenly over the cooled crust and refrigerate while you make the orange layer, about 20 minutes.

6. Step 6.

   For the orange layer, beat the remaining 8 oz cream cheese with the remaining 1/3 cup powdered sugar, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and the orange zest until smooth. With the mixer on low, pour in the cooled gelatin in a slow stream, scraping the bowl, until the mixture is smooth and evenly orange.

7. Step 7.

   Fold in the remaining whipped cream in two additions until no white streaks remain. Spread gently over the vanilla layer.

8. Step 8.

   Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight, until the top is firm to the touch and a knife comes out with a clean edge.

9. Step 9.

   Lift the slab out with the parchment. Cut into 16 bars with a large knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts. Sprinkle with a little orange zest and serve cold.

Why orange gelatin, not orange juice

Fresh orange juice is the obvious way to add orange flavor, but it is mostly water. Stirred into a cream cheese filling in any useful amount, it thins the layer, and the flavor still comes out faint once chilled. Orange gelatin solves both problems at once: it concentrates the bright, candy-like orange flavor of the frozen treat, gives the layer its soft orange color and sets the filling firmly enough to cut.

Fresh zest adds what the gelatin cannot, the aromatic oil of a real orange. Grate only the colored part of the peel; the white pith underneath is bitter.

Getting the gelatin temperature right

This is the step that decides whether the orange layer is smooth. After dissolving, the gelatin needs to cool until it no longer feels warm on your finger but still pours freely, usually 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature. Stir it once or twice so it cools evenly.

If it is still hot, it will melt the whipped cream you fold in next, and the top layer will stay soft and slump when cut. If you leave it until it has begun to gel, it cannot blend into the cream cheese and forms small, rubbery beads. Should it start to thicken, warm it in the microwave for about 5 seconds and stir until it is liquid again.

Pour it into the cream cheese slowly with the mixer on low. Beaten-in all at once, the thin liquid splashes and leaves lumps of cream cheese floating in it.

Two layers, one batch of whipped cream

Whip all the cream at once, then divide it. The smaller portion lightens the vanilla layer just enough to keep it from tasting like plain cream cheese. The larger portion goes into the orange layer and gives it the airy, frozen-dessert texture that makes these bars taste like a Dreamsicle rather than a cheesecake.

Whip the cream to firm peaks that hold their shape, but stop before it looks grainy. Overwhipped cream is harder to fold in and can leave the layers with a slightly buttery texture.

A short chill for the vanilla layer before adding the orange layer keeps the two colors distinct. Spread the orange mixture gently from the center outward, instead of pressing down with the spatula, so the layer underneath is not disturbed.

Soft cream cheese prevents lumps

Block cream cheese needs to be fully softened, about 1 hour at room temperature, before you beat it. Cold cream cheese forms small lumps that no amount of folding will remove, and they are especially noticeable in the smooth orange layer. Tub-style spreadable cream cheese is softer but too loose to set these bars properly.

Is a baked crust necessary?

You can simply press the crumbs into the pan and chill them, but 8 to 10 minutes in the oven makes a real difference in a refrigerated bar. The butter binds the crumbs more firmly and the crust tastes toasted rather than raw. It also holds together better when you lift out the bars. Let the crust cool completely before adding the filling, or the cream cheese layer will soften against it.

Swaps and variations

Whipped topping: 3 cups of thawed Cool Whip can replace the whipped heavy cream. Use 1/2 cup in the vanilla layer and the rest in the orange layer. The bars will be slightly sweeter and a little more stable at room temperature.

Other flavors: the same method works with lime, lemon or strawberry gelatin. Change the zest to match, or leave it out for strawberry.

Sugar-free gelatin: a 0.3-ounce box of sugar-free orange gelatin sets these bars the same way. The layer will be less sweet, so taste the cream cheese mixture and add a spoonful more powdered sugar if needed.

Serving, storage and freezing

Keep the bars refrigerated and serve them straight from the refrigerator. They start to soften after about 30 minutes at room temperature, so for a buffet, set out a few at a time on a chilled plate. Stored covered in the refrigerator, they keep for up to 4 days, although the crust is crispest on the first 2 days.

For longer storage, freeze the uncut slab well wrapped for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator for several hours, or serve partly frozen for something closer to the original ice cream bar. Add the fresh zest just before serving.