Sometimes I sit and ponder delicious baked goods to make for the blog and jot them into my iPhone notepad. And sometimes I think my ideas are utterly genius – well, momentarily genius that is. As soon as I type my brilliant idea into Google, it typically reveals that someone else had the same amazing idea long before I did.
That was the exact scenario with these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars. It’s no wonder someone came up this deliciousness before me… I mean, can you think of a more amazing combination than the love child of a cheesecake and chocolate chip cookies? I think not!
Although this is a multi-step recipe, it’s simple to prepare and it’s pretty much the perfect comfort food. Serve them up with glass of ice cold milk and like magic, everything will seem a little bit better! Okay, so I can’t really guarantee these will brighten your mood, but trust me – if there’s a food that can, it’s these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars.
The buttery graham cracker crust is the perfect foundation for a layer of creamy cheesecake and buttery, chocolate-y goodness of chocolate chip cookie dough. When I first pulled these out of the oven, I was a little disappointed that the cheesecake layer wasn’t taller because as you all know, I love me some cheesecake.But after tasting the bars, I think the ratio is just fine. I tell ya, it’s a good thing this recipe only makes an 8×8 inch pan or otherwise your waistline could be in for some serious expansion.
Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
Yield: 12 bars
Ingredients:
For the Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedChocolate Chip Cookie Dough
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chipsFor the Cheesecake Filling
10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extractDirections:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Do not turn your oven off.
3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps. Flatten the clumps of dough in your palms to flatten them out a bit. Distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter. Be sure to use all of the dough. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
6. Lift the bars out by the overhang; slice into desired size and store in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature
Notes:
- adapted from The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook
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{ 109 comments… read them below or add one }
These look SO incredibly good! It would be a bad idea to make them for dinner, right?
I can’t stop looking at these, they are calling my name! Got any leftovers
In this day and age with info at our fingertips, there is no such thing an original idea…go ahead google it, I betcha someone else has already said the exact same thing!
These look amazing! They are definitely genius!
These sound so delicious! And cute straws in the pictures!
Oh wow, cookie dough AND a graham cracker crust with cheesecake? Amazing.
What if you did this as a brownie bottom cheesecake
?
now THAT sounds utterly AMAZING!
(as if the origial recipe wasnt good enough already….haha!)
Wow these look so homey yet decadent! Now I really want some cookie dough cheesecake bars.
YUM! What an awesome combination! Can’t wait to give these a try! I love your new blog makeover too!
Lauren-
Thanks so much for your kind words about the new design! I love it too, so thank you!
-Jamie
Total lol at the google line… I hear ya! These look gorgeous!!!
These look amazing. You’ve basically combined two of my favorite desserts into one awesome treat.
These look amazing! Do you store these in the refrigerator? If so, how long are they good for? Thank you!
Yes, step six lets you know that they need to be stored in the refrigerator. I think they’ll be fine for a couple of days.
Jamie
I’ve had cookie dough cheesecake bars but never with a graham cracker crust…. I bet that adds another element of deliciousness:-)
Ooohh! These look delicious! I think I’ll be making them this next week… I HOPE I will, at least
YUM!
These bars look absolutely delicious! Love the combination of crust-cheesecake-cookie dough. My boyfriend would devour a pan of these in a day
Please tell me there’s a method that you excluded that explains how to avoid eating the entire pan.
These look so, so good! I was planning to make another dessert recipe today, but have now changed my mind- I’m making these cheesecake bars instead. Your photos make them look irresistible!
Ok, I hope this confession doesn’t get me banned from MBA…but I don’t really like cheesecake (gasp!). BUT…that being said…the only kind I’ll order at Cheesecake Factory is the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake…so this is pretty much a heaven-sent recipe. Thanks, can’t wait to make them!!
Bravo for this original recipe. I personally think that the combo cheesecake and cookie dough is great because I’ve always found NY style cheesecake alone to be too creamy / dairy (I can’t swallow milk). That’s actually why I prefer the Italian ricotta cheesecake, less creamy but thicker.
Now, I think that if you wanted your bars to be a little thicker, you could use ricotta…
Jamie – it is amazing to me that your not like 1000 lbs and not able to leave your house ever after making all of these wonderfully delicious treats! Awesome job on these one’s!
I’ve never been a fan of eating raw cookie dough – especially once all of the health concerns came out about it, but these look so amazing that i’m going to have to try them out!
Just throwing this out there…the dough isnt raw, it gets baked!
I must make these, they are AMAZING!
These look really tasty. Great recipe!
Just look at that crispy little top. Mmmm. Really tempting, Jamie!
Happy weekend! Don’t forget to come over and share a recipe at Savory Sunday!!
Oh my word do these look too good to be true. I’m praying to the high heavens that they appear in front of me this instant!
Two little pieces of heaven stacked on a plate!
Im making me some tomorrow. Yummy!
This is combining favorite treats together. Gets a major WOW.
I would be delighted it you would link this to Bake with Bizzy. I would be proud to share it. It is a stupendous recipe.
http://bizzybakesb.blogspot.com/2011/05/bake-with-bizzy.html
such a great idea! cheesecake and chocolate chip cookies! defenitly gonna give this a try someday.
I love cookie dough and love cheese cake so this to me is the perfect combination!
I’m currently on the airplane eating cardboard pretzels, so these are a delightful surprise. Wish they were here… on the plane… with me!
Original or not, I still think these are genius.
ooh, these look divine!
These look soo good! I can’t wait to try to make them! I started baking from scratch about a year ago and started blogging about it. I can’t wait to try some of your ideas!
http://samsbakery.blogspot.com/
What a brilliant idea, incorporating cookie dough into a cheesecake bar. I love anything cookie dough!!
Yes please! I will take these. Cookie dough AND cheesecake? I’ll eat salad for lunch every day!
I bet those are amazing! They look incredibly good. Yum!!!
It really does amaze me how no matter how novel your food idea seems to be to you, googling always makes you feel less excited about your thought discovery. But either way these looks fabulous! I simply love cream cheese in desserts.
I need these! They look so good but I’m afraid I’ll eat the whole pan.
totally unrelated to your post. i just wanted to tell you that im loving this new blog! its so clean and fresh looking
Connie-
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment on the new design!
-Jamie
I made these over the weekend and they were the hit of the party! Thanks so much for the fantastic recipe!
Manda-
So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for stopping by!
-Jamie
Whether or not someone else may have made these first, you are still a genius. These are truly a thing of beauty and your photos them even more tempting.
These are so tempting! The pictures are gorgeous
Can I ask what you use for formatting your recipes? I love the look of that block.
These are seriously out of this world!!!! I can imagine the people I’ll win over with these bars!!!!
Here’s the problem… if you could call it that: I would eat the whole pan of these… it would be gone in seconds. No doubt about it.
it is 9:38 am and all i want are these cheesecake bars. and i have a feeling i will not change my mind about having them for breakfast.
Oh my goodness, so glad I stumbled across your blog – it’s beautiful! and such great recipes and tips!
It looks like the perfect ratio to me!! I like I might double up on the “buttery graham cracker crust” as that is always my favourite part. YUM!
These are too much. I’m really hungry.
very awesome. Fantastic picture as well
The look fabulous and I’ll definitely be trying them in the near future.
Quick question–can I freeze these?
Thanks and can’t wait to try em
Two of my favorite things combined into one! Looks so fantastic =)
Amazing x 100!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
OMG! These look amazing! This is on my list of must makes, just need to find the perfect event to make them for!
Decadently wonderful does not begin to describe what these sound like. I mean cookie dough is yummy, and cheesecake is yummy, but this combo sure appears to be over-the-top delicious. I think I am gaining a pound just looking at the photo!
These look just about perfect!
I made these delicious nuggets this past weekend and they were the HIT of the party. Due to my high altitude, I did have to bake for about 10 minutes more. My mother in law has since demanded the recipe, which I promptly emailed to her. Divine, and gorgeous photo!
Hi Jamie
I love your website!
What flour did you use? Self raising or plain?
Thanks in advance!
Alicia-
It’s simply all-purpose. Thanks for stopping by!
–Jamie
The other day I made these and they turned out beautifully. I particularly like that they are very simple to make (though I do have to wash my mixer bowl and paddle in between) and I regularly have all of the ingredients on hand. Possibly foresee some late night insomnia baking with these goodies.
Made these yesterday and everyone loved them
Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
made these and linked to your blog… they were gone so fast i didnt even get photos!
Ohhhh my goodness…you are correct any bigger than an 8 X 8 and we would be in trouble!
I made a double batch and mine looked NOTHING like the photo .. I had to bake and bake and bake and bake and it was NOT the oven. They just wouldn’t get “done” not sure what was wrong but the graham cracker crust was over done (almost burnt) because the top wouldn’t get done. What did I do wrong ?? LOL
Anna-
Sorry you had a hard time with these. I have never doubled the batch, so that could definitely have something to do with the cook time being off, I have made these numerous times without any issue.
Jamie
Woah. Now THAT is a recipe. On the list for sure..
O.M.G. I baked this last night between dinner and dropping off birthday cupcake & cookie love to a friend! It was so easy and quick to whip up when busy. Being in Australia I use the biscuits called Digestives and they were perfect! I just ate a slice and the recipe is A HIT!! DELICIOUS!!! When I finalise my blog commencement offically this week I will link up the recipe. I only discovered you yesterday and I am addicted to you already!!!
Its Love at first site!
CQxxx
Traci–
I am so glad you enjoyed these! Thanks so much for stopping by.
–Jamie
Hey Jamie!
I attempted to make these for my grad party. I got through all the steps successfully until layering the cream cheese on top of the crust and then the cookie dough. What do you mean when you say form clumps? I didn’t know what it meant so I simply just laid the cookie dough on top of the cream cheese and then when I took them out of the oven, they weren’t set. Help me, please!
Karen-
Simply take pieces of the dough and slightly flatten them in your palms and just lay the pieces on the cream cheese layer. They may need to bake a little longer depending on your oven.
-Jamie
I made this and took it to my brother-in-law’s house yesterday and in between moans of how fat everyone was going to get off of this, everyone couldn’t stop exclaiming how delicious it was! Thanks so much
this is too delicious. thanks a lot for sharing this recipe. everyone loved it. unfortunately this so ruined my diet! hahaha
These Cookie dough cheesecake were amazing. I have made it thrice already. I am loving it!! Just the right amount of sweet. My friend suggested he would like roasted peanuts along with the choco chip. I am going to try that too next time. But I used a 9x13inch pan for the given measurements and it was just the right size.. Thankyou MBA for another amazing recipe..
Thanks so much for this recipe! I think this is about the fifth dessert I’ve tried from your site and good thing I did. They were delicious and I got rave reviews (including the “mmm” after every bite). I will certainly be making this again!
Coffee cheesecake,brownie cheesecake and many more delicious desert recipes for iPhone & iPad
http://goo.gl/L8U6u
Could you use reduced fat cream cheese for this recipe?
Annie-
Thanks for stopping by. I have never tried it with reduced fat cream cheese, but I’m guessing it will work just fine.
-Jamie
Thank you so much for combining my two favourite desserts into one delicious treat. Can’t wait to make these!
I made these a week ago and they were DELICIOUS! I brought them to a party and everyone loved them. Definitely will make these again!
I made these once before and they were a huge hit. I want to do it again but want to make them a few days in advance of when I need them. Do you think they will be ok just in the refrigerator or do you think they would freeze ok? Thanks!
I made these and they were fantastic!!!!
These look incredible !!!!
Yum! I made these last week and took them to work. They were completely devoured! I think I ate at least 6 of them in one day!
Hey i flippin love this so much that when i saw this i fainted
I have a boyfriend that lives 4 hours away. Do you think these keep for about 3 days sitting at a post office, since thats about how long it takes to get to him. Might be a dumb question but Thanks!!!!!!!!
Jackie-
Do to the cheesecake component, I wouldn’t recommend shipping this item. Thanks for stopping by.
-Jamie
first time here … i’m sure gonna try this one … it sounds yummie …
Thanks so much for stopping by!
-Jamie
I made these for a party and they were a huge hit. Thanks for another great recipe! I had to make them again just to be able to take a picture. Here is my blog post http://lexslifeasanewwife.blogspot.com/2012/04/cookie-dough-cheesecake-bars.html
This recipe has been in my bookmarks for a couple of months now and I have been waiting for the perfect moment to try it out. It just so happens that this lazy Thursday evening was the perfect moment! They are in the oven now and I just had a peek and it looks delicious! Thank you for the wonderful recipe
I just made this recipe! They’re currently in the oven
So excited to try them!!
WOW! I made these last Sunday morning along with some other recipes on your blog. These are so delicious, I am gonna make them again. They are addictive, and my weight watcher’s weigh-in on Saturday supported that fact.
Hi Jamie,
. I just spread out the cream cheese because I thought it was impossible to form clumps with that sticky mixture 
, then instead of forming clumps of the dough, I just distribute the dough on top of the cream cheese without flattening it at all. It looked like crumbled cookie dough and it still turned out fine and tasted wonderful!!!! Thanks for the recipe.
I just made this bar and it’s cooling as I wrote this. I misunderstood your directions when it says ‘use your hands to form clumps’, I thought it was the cream cheese mixture instead of the cookie dough, silly me
Salianet-
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe despite misunderstanding the directions. Have a great day.
-Jamie
so the cookie dough batter doesn’t require eggs?
Hi Jamie, I baked this 3 times in total, really addictive and delicious, thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Jess-
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe – thanks for stopping by and leaving your feedback! Have a great day.
-Jamie
Made these a while ago, all I can say is yum, yum, yum.
I made these today, and for some reason the graham cracker crust didn’t stick to the bars. I followed all the recipe steps, and still had the issue :/ Any tips?
I made these today and my cookie dough mixture was REALLY dry… there is only the vanilla and butter that would make it all stick together correct? I couldnt even make clumps.
They just came out of the oven and the cream cheese underneath looks good but the cookie dough is more like cookie dust.
any suggestions?
thanks
Amanda-
I am so sorry the recipe didn’t work out. If you would like to contact me via email with specific questions, maybe we can figure out what the problem was. Have a great day!
-Jamie
i had the same problem as amanda, the dough was very dry, the only liquid ingredient in it was the vanilla, and the cream cheese did not cook well, did not turn out how the picture looks and i followed all the steps.
really want to make these again with the hopes of them turning out so please help!
Lindsay-
I am so sorry the recipe did not work out for you! The only thing I can think that may have went wrong is that your cream cheese wasn’t at room temperature. If you have any specific questions about the ingredients, please feel free to contact mybakingaddiction@gmail.com and we will try to figure out how to fix this! Good luck and have a great day!
-Jamie
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