Today I'd like to introduce you to these fantastic Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars. They're a simple and delicious cheesecake, layered on an equal amount of chocolate chip cookie for crust. I've made these almost every week for the last couple of months, and we haven't gotten tired of them yet!
I created this for my sister's birthday in September, when she wanted a cookie cake, but with cream cheese frosting. Frosting is usually too sweet for me, and since she lives several states away, I was able to improvise to suit myself!
The past two years, I've made a Brownie Cheesecake to celebrate a Zoom birthday with her. This year, I decided cheesecake bars with chocolate chip cookie dough for the crust would be perfect! And it was!
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Ingredients
First, you make a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe (that I've adapted from the Betty Crocker Cookbook (affiliate link)). If you want to streamline it, you can use premade chocolate chip cookie dough instead; 16.5 ounces should be enough, but your crust may be thinner than mine.
Then, you top it with a simple cheesecake batter.
If you bake, you'll likely already have most, if not all, of the ingredients you need.
Chocolate Chips can be store brand or name brand. I've personally been using store brand for these since you get cheesecake too! Miniature chocolate chips on top are optional, but recommended.
Cream Cheese should be full-fat for best results. I've used lower fat Neufchatel cheese in cheesecakes before, but not recently and never in this.
Important: Your cream cheese must be at room temperature before you start, or the cheesecake layer will be lumpy. You can speed up softening butter in the microwave, but it doesn't work as well for cream cheese. Pull it out of the fridge at least an hour before starting.
Instructions
Start by making the chocolate chip cookie layer. Cream the butter with granulated and brown sugars. I don't recommend using margarine in place of the butter, because it will cook differently.
Cream the butter with the granulated and brown sugars.
Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined.
Stir in the flour until just combined. Then add chocolate chips.
Pat into a greased or parchment-lined 9x13 inch pan, making a ¾ inch edge up the sides.
I prefer using parchment paper for these because it makes it easy to remove them from the pan and cut. That said, I love my shiny aluminum 9x13-inch pan (affiliate link), and the bars have turned out perfectly in it without parchment. If you have a darker nonstick pan, I recommend parchment for a better crust and so you can remove them for cutting.
Bake the chocolate chip cookie crust for 5 minutes while you prepare the cheesecake layer. The edges will shrink down as it bakes; that's fine. You'll pull this from the oven before the cheesecake batter is ready.
Don't skip baking the cookie layer, because it helps the cheesecake set. The cheesecake will be much softer set, almost runny, if you don't pre-bake.
It's fine to reuse your cookie dough bowl to mix your cheesecake. I encourage it! A little cookie dough will still be on your stand mixer paddle, but try to get any clumps off.
Mix the cream cheese and sugar together on high for 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Pour over the warm cookie layer and spread out to the edges, covering the cookie layer entirely.
Bake until the top looks dry and mostly set, but is still soft. The cheesecake will jiggle a bit when you shake the pan, but it will not ripple or slosh.
Remove the cheesecake bars from the oven and cool at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Once the pan isn't entirely hot, place them in the fridge to chill.
Edge Crust or No Edge?
I prefer these cheesecake bars when I spread the batter over the cookie edge. They turn out prettier that way.
If you want an edge, the cookie dough will bake/puff up around the filling, and may be harder and crunchier, although the edges will soften up after a few days. The bars may also need to bake a few minutes longer because the filling will be deeper.
Cheesecake batter leaves the cookie dough edges exposed along the side.
Cookie dough bakes up and over the cheesecake filling, leaving little empty pockets as the cheesecake cools and sinks!
Serving and storage
If you've lined the baking pan with parchment paper, carefully remove the chilled parchment with bars from the pan. Use a bench scraper (affiliate link) to cut evenly through the bars. The crust will be firm to cut through, but will not be hard to eat.
If you've just baked in a greased aluminum 9x13-inch pan (affiliate link), cut the bars directly in the pan. They say to use floss to cut through cheesecake cleanly, but I've never tried it, and don't mind a jagged edge on these creamy treats.
Store cheesecake bars covered, in the fridge. Cheesecake will pick up off flavors if exposed to air. The bars will keep for up to 5 days, if you don't eat them all first.
Want more bar cookies?
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Have you tried this recipe? Or have a question about it? Rate it or leave a comment below! (PS: rating my recipes helps other people find them, too!)
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer
- 16 tablespoons butter (227 grams) (softened)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (150 grams)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ¼ cup flour (275 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (1 bag)
Cheesecake Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese (2 bricks; softened)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ cup miniature chocolate chips (3 ounces, for topping; optional)
Instructions
Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer
- With a stand mixer or hand mixer (affiliate link), beat the butter with the sugars on medium speed until creamy, about 1-3 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla, and beat for another minute.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low until the dough just comes together.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips on low speed.
- Turn the cookie dough into a greased or parchment-lined 9x13 inch pan. Press the dough along the bottom and about ¾-1 inch up the sides.
- Bake at 350F for 5 minutes while you start the cheesecake filling. The crust will not be set, and the edges will begin to slump down.
Cheesecake Filling
- Scrape as much cookie dough from the mixing bowl and paddle attachment as you can, but no need to wash it.
- Using the same bowl and paddle, beat the cream cheese with the sugar and salt for about 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Stop a couple of times to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the eggs one by one, beating for a minute after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the warm cookie dough. Being careful not to disturb the crust (which will not be set), spread the batter out over the crust edges, all the way to the sides of the pan. (The cookie dough edges will have slumped over, and that's ok.)
- If desired, sprinkle with ½ cup miniature chocolate chips.
- Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes. The cheesecake will be dry and set on top. It will wiggle a little, but will not be sloshy or jiggly underneath.
- Cool at room temperature for at least an hour, then chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.
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