These cheesecake cookie bars are layered with chocolate chip cookie dough and a creamy vanilla cheesecake filling. An easy dessert for holidays, bake sales and parties!
More delicious cookie bar recipes include M&M cookie bars, cheesecake brownies and cake mix cookie bars
Table of Contents
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars
These cheesecake cookie bars take your favorite chocolate chip congo bars up a notch by adding a creamy cheesecake filling in the middle. It’s a fun way to combine two classic desserts into one delicious bar just like with my brookies.
It’s the perfect fusion between my chocolate chip cookie bars recipe and cheesecake bars, making it chocolaty, creamy, rich and tangy all in one bite. They’re perfect for potlucks, holiday parties or whenever you need to satisfy a sweet treat craving!
Ingredients
- Chocolate chip cookie dough: Use my best chocolate chip cookies for the dough or use use a 16 ounce roll of premade store bought dough.
- Cream cheese: Use a block of full fat cream cheese not reduced fat cream cheese.
- Granulated sugar: This sweetens the cheesecake layer.
- Egg: Binds the creamy cheesecake layer together.
- Vanilla: Adds a rich vanilla taste to the filling.
Variations and Substitutions
This recipe is super easy to customize just like my cheesecake dip recipe.
- Use a mix of dark and semi-sweet chocolate, or even a mix of dark, milk chocolate and white chocolate chips.
- Mix in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Use white chocolate chips and dried cranberries instead of semi-sweet.
- Swap half of the chocolate chips for M&M’s.
How to Make Cheesecake Cookie Bars
- Make cookie dough. Make chocolate chip cookie dough then refrigerate while making cheesecake filling.
- Make cheesecake batter. In a mixer, mix cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until creamy.
- Assemble bars. Reserve about 2 cups of your cookie dough and press remaining dough evenly into prepared 9×13 pan. Spread cheesecake filling on top then sprinkle remaining cookie dough on top. Add chocolate chips.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes or until cookie crust is golden brown. Cool in the pan.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars Tips
- Chill the dough. Refrigerating cookie dough for 15-30 minutes is an easy way to enhance the texture of the bars. It makes them extra thick and chewy.
- Room temperature cream cheese. It’s important to use softened cream cheese when making the cheesecake filling. Set the cream cheese out on the counter for about 30 minutes to an hour before getting started.
- Don’t overcook. In order for the center of these cookie dough cheesecake bars to stay soft and chewy, don’t overcook the bars. Remove them from the oven when the edges are lightly golden and the center is almost set.
- Let rest. As tempting as it is, don’t slice the bars while warm. They need to cool completely in order to set and become firm. Trust me, it’s worth the wait!
More delicious cookie bars to try include s’mores bars, sugar cookie bars and Oreo cookie bars.
More Dessert Bar Recipes
Browse all
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
Cheesecake Cookie Bars
Video
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar , firmly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt , or table salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 to 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips , reserve some for the top
Cheesecake filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cookie Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together 1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes or until nice and creamy. Then mix in 2 eggs and 1 Tablespoon vanilla.
- Add 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Mix just until combined. Then fold in about 1 cup chocolate chips. Add more if desired. Refrigerate dough while oven is preheating.
Cheesecake Cookie Bars:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking pan. Reserve about 2 cups of your cookie dough and press remaining dough evenly into prepared pan.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine 8 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg. and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, being careful not to over mix. Spread cream cheese mixture over the cookie dough in your pan.
- Break reserved dough into small pieces and sprinkle over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over top.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until center is almost set and edges are lightly golden. Then let cool in pan. Once cooled, slice into 24 bars. Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Mix of white and dark chocolate.
- Use white chocolate and cranberries instead of semi-sweet.
- Add in 1/2 cup chopped nuts.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Bars, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Kid-Friendly, Nut-Free, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
These look amazing! Wanting to make this for a holiday party—could I double this recipe and make it in a sheet pan? Any changes you’d suggest? Thanks!
I haven’t tried, but let us know if you test it out. I would guess you’ll need to cook a few minutes longer and cover the top with foil if it’s browning too fast.
I have baked these bars from scratch as per your recipe and my 13 year old son loved them. I wanted to whip up a batch this afternoon but it turns out i do not have all the ingredients required to do so. I am wondering if i could use a boxed cake mix and follow your “3 ingredient cake mix cookie recipe” but swap the oil for butter and of course add the chips. Thanks so much for recipes and for taking the time to read this !
Hi Jacey! We actually just posted a cake mix cookie bar recipe, so you could try this one out: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/cake-mix-cookie-bars/. Hope you enjoy!
💗perfection
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe and idea!
It turned amazing and now it’s my family’s new favourite!!!
Yay, so happy to hear these were a hit with your family! :)
These are amazing! Love the cheesecake and cookie mixture. Delicious!
What’s not to love??!! You have combined two of my most favorite foods, cookies and cheesecake! I may have to make this when the kids are at school so I don’t have to share ;)
Thank you for sharing your recipes! One is more amazing then the next! We are having a Daddy baby shower next week & I will be making a few of your desserts!
Thanks for having me Jamielyn! :)
These look so good. I’m wishing I had some cream cheese in the fridge right now.