Funfetti Cake Batter Cheesecake Bars

Listen up, I'm going to say a four-letter word..... DIET! Shocking isn't it? But about two months ago I decided to eat healthier and cut back on portion sizes. So far my weight lose has been slow and steady. And right now I'm at the halfway mark..... hooray!

My point to all this is that YES you can lose weight and eat dessert too. You just can't sit with the cake pan in your lap shoveling forkfuls of cheesecake into your mouth. SIGH!

Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups vanilla cookie crumbs (I used Nilla wafers)
6 tablespoons butter, melted
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (I used low-fat.)
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup yellow cake mix
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons milk (I used 1%.)
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sprinkles
5 drops blue food coloring (optional)
3 drops green food coloring (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan, then line with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Stir together cookie crumbs, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and the melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is just brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining granulated sugar and beat for an additional couple of minutes, until smooth. Add the eggs and yolk, milk, vanilla, salt and beat again until completely combined and smooth. Finally, stir in the cake mix and sprinkles until smooth.
3. Pour the filling over the crust. Set the pan in a larger pan (a 9×13-inch works for this), and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan. Bake until just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the water bath, and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
4. Cut into bars. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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