The amazing flavors of chocolate chip cookie and cheesecake join perfectly in these easy peasy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars! For another dessert that combines cheesecake with a chocolate chip cookie, try my Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars Recipe
These bars are a perfect matchup of chocolate chip cookies and cheesecake filling. I have made them more times than I can count and they are OFTEN requested by the kids and friends. We love the thick cream cheese layer, but you can certainly cut the cream cheese in half should you want less.
Tips for the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
One of the most common baking questions is “does the temperature of my ingredients really matter?” The answer is a resounding “yes”! Paying attention to detail, such as the temperature of ingredients, truly elevates from-scratch baking.
When making a recipe that starts with creaming butter and sugar together, as this recipe does, the ingredients should be at room temperature. This ensures the emulsification of butter and sugar won’t break.
To make the cookie dough, first, cream together both sugars and the butter, beating until incorporated. Next, mix in the vanilla and egg. Then, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, adding that to the wet ingredients. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips by hand.
Cream Cheese Filling
Just like with using room temperature butter and sugar, it is also important to make sure the cream cheese is room temperature for this cream cheese filling. If it is not, you could end up with dreaded lumps! In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and egg until smooth.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars
Once you have the cookie dough and cream cheese filling ready to go, it’s time to assemble the bars and get them baked! Grease a 9×13-inch pan. Take half of your prepared cookie dough and press it into the greased pan. Making sure that your hands are either floured or greased, press the dough down into the pan trying to create an even layer.
Next, evenly spread the cream cheese mixture over the cookie dough. You should be able to spread this out with an offset spatula or butter knife. Finally, grab small amounts of the remaining cookie dough mixture and sprinkle it over top of the cream cheese layer.
Bake the bars for 35-40 minutes. Let them cool for about 30 minutes before chilling them in the refrigerator for two hours before serving.
Looking for More Dessert Bar Recipes?
Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Ooey-Gooey Bars
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookie
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed brown sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 packages (16 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- In a medium bowl combine the granulated and brown sugar, 2 sticks butter and beat until incorporated.
- Add in 1 teaspoon vanilla and egg and mix until combined.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the wet ingredients. Stir chocolate chips in by hand.
Cheesecake Filling
- In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth.
Assembly
- In the prepared pan, break up half of the cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in the bottom of the pan to form a crust.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over the dough. Crumble and sprinkle remaining half of dough over the cream cheese mixture.
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 2 hours until chilled.
Video
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Would you double the cookie part for a 9×13 pan? Or double the whole recipe? I saw below that you already doubled the filling part.
Would this recipe change for high altitude? My dough wasn’t as thick as yours and I followed your recipe! Help!
I love your website
I just put these in the oven for a party tonight. There is no way this recipe fits in an 8 or 9 inch square pan. My pan was overflowing the cream cheese mixture before I finished the top layer. I had to scrape off the cream cheese filling, and put the base in a 10″ pan.
I ran into the same thing. I did bake it in a 9×9″, but held my breath the whole time. They did not overflow, but I plan to use a 9×12″ next time. I can’t wait to taste them!
I have a request from someone to make these but I’ve read the previous comments about the cheesecake later being proportionately larger than the cookie dough. Should I consider baking this in an 8×11 pan to avoid any issues?
Also don’t you add any vanilla to the cheesecake filling?
I don’t understand why when I try to print this recipe, I get a bunch of geometric type symbols over the written instructions. I am confidant the issue is not my printer and it is the website. Kind of annoying and defeats the purpose of trying this if I can’t read the complete instructions.
Your videos and recipes are awesome they provoke me to try it out.
I like your chocolate .. super
So I make these a few days ago and they were fine but so sweet, so I made a second batch and cut way back on the sugar. I bake cheesecake all the time and there is enough sugar in this recipe for 4 full size cheesecakes so here’s what I did, for 3 boxes of cream cheese I only used 1/2 cup of sugar and 3 eggs and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla that made enough cheesecake filling for 3 pans of cookie. Then for the cookie itself I used 1bag of chocolate chip for the triple batch then topped the whole thing with crushed toffee bits. It turned out so much better (to me) than the original batch. Now mind you this is only my opinion but the people that ate it left no crumb to be found!
First-they are totally delicious. That being said however, they totally stuck to the bottom of the pan and the 8×8 size seemed too small. They were too messy to cut in to bars because the cookie layer was so thick. I would make them again but in a larger pan.