Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
45 comments » 
I think I’ve made my love for cheesecake abundantly clear by now, but just in case you’re new around these parts, let me climb up onto the roof once more… I.Love.Cheesecake. It’s been my favorite dessert ever since I can remember. I make myself cheesecakes as my birthday cake each year. For awhile I was hooked on the Oreo cheesecake for my birthday, but a few months ago I decided to turn it up a notch and churn out a Peanut Butter-Fudge Cheesecake for the big 3-0. Amazingly though, one thing that I don’t seem to make very often are cheesecake bars. And I feel like such a knuckle head about it – it’s an easy, more manageable alternative to an entire cheesecake and I wouldn’t be tempted with an entire cake. Not that I have ever backed down from a cheesecake…no sir. So I just about threw a little party when I saw this recipe. You see, I am also a big, big fan of chocolate chip cookie dough. Especially in the best vanilla ice cream. And I was correct in assuming that I would positively adore it in a cheesecake filling.
These bars require a few separate steps to get put together and baked, but none are difficult or terribly time-consuming. The hardest part will be the waiting time while the bars chill in the refrigerator. This is a crucial step, though, and helps them firm up. Now, when you pour the filling into the pan, it’s going to look rather thin and the balls of cookie dough pretty much stick out. Just use a spatula to coax the cheesecake where it needs to go; it will puff up during baking (as you can see from my photos). That being said, the big cheesecake lover in me will more than likely double the cheesecake filling amount the next time I make these. After all, one can never have too much cheesecake. I’m almost certain that’s written on a stone tablet somewhere. Yes?
Before you go, please click over to see this recipe on Bake at 350. Bridget has done a series of posts called “Kiddo in the Kitchen” where she bakes with her son. I love the pictures and it looks like they have so much fun together! Plus, they make things like these amazing cheesecake bars. What’s not to love?
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
Yield: 16 bars
Prep Time: 30 minutes (active), 2 hours (inactive)
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients:
For the crust:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 8 whole graham crackers)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedFor the cookie dough:
5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup light brown sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chipsFor the cheesecake filling:
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extractFor the chocolate drizzle:
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable shorteningDirections:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking pan, line with parchment paper, and butter the parchment paper; set aside.
2. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
3. To make the cookie dough, stir together the butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in the flour, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes), and then roll teaspoon-sized ball of the dough and place on a plate, and refrigerate plate of cookie dough balls while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
4. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until thoroughly combined.
5. Remove the cookie dough balls from the refrigerator and toss with 1 teaspoon of flour. Drop into the cheesecake filling and mix together. Pour the filling into the cooled crust, coaxing the filling into corners and sides. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cheesecake filling is set and doesn't jiggle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
6. Using the parchment paper as handles, lift the bars out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into squares. Combine the chocolate chips and shortening in a small bowl and microwave for 1 minute at 50% power and stir until smooth. Drizzle over the bars and allow to set for about 20 minutes. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
(Recipe adapted from Bake at 350)
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Cookie dough? Cheesecake? Could this get any better? These sound so delectable- I need some of these!
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These look amazing! I see them in my tummy in the near future! ; )
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I agree with Betty. WOW. Combination of all things heavenly!!!!
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I thought I’d seen this somewhere
Loved it then, love it now!
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Oh, you are so sweet! ♥
So happy you liked them….I mean, what’s not to like, right?
And doubling the cheesecake? I’m in!
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These look amazing! I recently made your Peach Crumble Bars and posted it on my blog (with a link back to you). They were so good!
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I love love love all the cheesecake recipes you post. I just come and look at the pictures and drool. If I ever actually made one, it could get ugly. But I’m sure I’ll do it one of these days anyhow..
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OMG, these cheesecake bars look DECADENT!!! I’m all over cookie dough anything, so this recipe is definitely getting filed away into the MUST BAKE folder!!
Kelly
P.S. I’m participating in a Bake-n-Blog event today that you might want to check out. A bunch of bloggers baked cupcakes and are posting about them today.
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yum! I am definitely working on a vegan version of this one.
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I just found your blog this morning…..needless to say I have gotten nothing done around here ! Everything looks soooo good , how do I decide what to try first?
Well, I am most certainly an anomoly because I cant stand raw cookie dough …I know. I know. Now dont be hatin’ , unheard of right? but it’s true .
However, my two BFF’s love it. I was invited , last minute, to a BBQ tonight sooooo I’m gonna try these especially for them.
Hopefully the cookie dough cooks up, not sticky and goopy like raw, and I will enjoy them too !
LOVE this site and will be back every day to see how will tempt me
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Ohmygoodlord…these look fantastic! Right up my alley!! Deeeelicious!
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I’m SUCH a cheesecake fan, too, AND a cookie dough fan (hence my Coffee Cookie Dough Fudge Cheesecake). Also, though . . . I LOVE cheesecake bars. What more convenient way is there to show down on your faves?
These look a-maz-ing!
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My favorites all wrapped up into one….chocolate chip cookies, cookie dough, and cheesecake!!! Bravo!!
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Oh my goodness!! These look fantastic. I will join you in the Cheesecake is my favorite dessert club. My birthday was a Cappuccino Fudge from Epicurious… absolutely decadent.
BTW… we are on our 3rd pan of your PB Rice Krispy Treats!!
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Seriously, this is like heaven in a bar. They look amazingly delicious.
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Holy moly, how good do these look?!?! definitely a must-make for the next gathering!
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These are gorgeous. This is definitely a must have, err a must make I meant. You’re right one can never have too much cheesecake.
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Oh, drool!
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I hate waiting for things to set up in the fridge, especially when it’s dessert! And I don’t know if I have the will power for these puppies! They look too good!!!
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As per usual, these look amazing. Being a non-chocolate person, can I challenge you to do a series of brownies that are as delicious, gooey and creamy looking but don’t include even a hint of chocolate?
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Good grief! I can’t possibly stay on a diet looking at this stuff. These look fantastic! Cheese cake and chocolate chip cookie dough…how can it get any better than that?
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Hey I made those same bars! For some reason, I had way more cookie dough to put on top, so the cheesecake wasn’t as dominant. Yours look way more delicious than mine!
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Cookie dough and cheesecake combined – now that is a divine intervention. Yummy!
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These look really delicious. Can I have one for dessert tonight?
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They look amazing! Will try!
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yum!
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Too good to be true:)
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Two great flavors in one treat that looks fairly easy to make. Thank you for sharing it.
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These look so creamy and delicious! Love the chocolate drizzled on top!
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These sound amazing! I have also made cheesecake bars where you use cookie dough as a crust and drop on cookie dough as a topping as well. That way you get a crispy cookie on top but some of that half-baked feeling where it connects to the cheesecake.
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Oh my! Do these every look good. There’s something about cheesecake in bar form that is so appealing to me.
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I love cookie dough in every shape and form but combining with cheesecake? Genius! And, I’m sure, verry irresistible.
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Oh my gosh, these look delicious! And so beautiful!
http://www.prettygoodfood.com
I’ve recently launched my own blog, I’d love for you to check it out and let me know what you think
Thanks, and Happy Cooking!!!
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Is there a substitute for the vegetable shortening in the drizzle? Is vegetable shortening what Crisco is?
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Michelle on November 10th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Hi Jaime, You can just omit it if you don’t want to use it. I add vegetable shortening (Crisco) to all of my drizzles and to chocolate if I’m dipping something (like buckeyes, pretzels, etc.) because it helps to keep the chocolate thin and shiny – it dries smooth and doesn’t clump up.
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Jaime on November 10th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
thank you!
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I made these for a holiday party over the weekend, and they were a hit! Everyone was asking me for the recipe, and I directed them to your blog
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Michelle on December 13th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Aw, thank you Clarissa!
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Hi–I’ve had this is my recipe box for a while and finally made them this year for Xmas present. Thanks so much! This is a fabulous recipe!!! Absolutely delish and my niece just loved them!
I didn’t have graham crackers so used crushed ginger snaps. And next time I think I might use just 1/2 c. choc. chips. But this is definately a keeper! Love your blog!!!
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I made this recipe last month and i thought it was amazing others had varied opinions but i guess its taste preference with some people. However i did not have the right size baking pan so i improvised and slightly added more for each ingredient. When i dropped the cookie dough it stuck so if i tried to arrange it prettier it brought up the bottom crust. So anyone arranging this next time just place the cookie dough balls in to make it look prettier.
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Hi Michelle!!
I just wrote my own post about these(linking back to your of course). They came out fantastic-such an ingenious idea, mixing cookie dough with cheesecake. Also makes for better portion control than with an ordinary cheesecake! Thanks for another awesome dessert
http://spicesavant.blogspot.com/2011/11/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-cheesecake.html
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these were delicious! i didnt do the chocolate frosting but just the cheesecake by itself was enough to win me over
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Hi, I made these today for some friends and we all loved them. A really good way to have cheese cake in a smaller portion. In your recipe it calls for 1/4 cup of flour and Bake at 350 has it at 3/4 cup. Not sure if it was a typo or the way you liked it. But I’m very glad you shared the recipe. Yum! I love checking out your blog even though I comment rarely.
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Sorry for the huge review, but I’m really loving the new Zune, and hope this, as well as the excellent reviews some other people have written, will help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.
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This is the first recipe that I have been disappointed with from this site!
the cheesecake doesn’t have much of a taste to it and the cookie dough didn’t taste nearly as good as it did prior to baking. The upside: I found a really yummy edible cookie dough recipe when I’m in the need for raw cookie dough without the eggs!
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