Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

These Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars basically speak for themselves. They’re bar cookies where two layers of chocolate chip cookie dough sandwich a layer of creamy vanilla cheesecake – and they deliver all the flavor of both cheesecake and chocolate chip cookies in every bite. As a bonus, these bars are pretty easy to make and are guaranteed to be a hit every time you bake a batch.

Chocolate chip cookie dough is the base of this recipe. The buttery dough is a fairly standard chocolate chip cookie dough, with a good brown sugar flavor and packed with chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. The slightly sweet cheesecake layer sits just over this first layer of cookie dough, and is topped with a crumbled layer of cookie dough that toasts up in the oven to take on just a hint of crunch. It’s a great – and dangerously addictive – blend of two popular desserts. Because of the cheesecake layer, these bars should be chilled and served cold, so that the filling has a firm and cheesecake-like texture. Cut your bars into small servings if you want to serve them as snacks, and larger squares if you prefer to plate these and turn them into a full size dessert.

My favorite things about these bar cookies are actually the chocolate chips and walnuts that are added to the cookie dough. There are a lot of semisweet chocolate chips in this cookie dough and they deliver a big punch of chocolate flavor, as well as serving to temper the sweetness of the cookie-cheesecake combination. The walnuts also help to temper the bars’ sweetness, and they also add a welcome element of crunchiness to every bite. You can use toasted or untoasted nuts, and you can also substitute pecans or even almonds for the walnuts for a change of pace in these bars.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (or pecans)

8 oz (1 package) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, followed by vanilla extract. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
In another large bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until well blended.
Place 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chip cookie dough into the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer. If necessary, use a few extra pinches of dough to patch any holes.
Spread cream cheese mixture over the cookie dough base. Break up remaining cookie dough with your fingertips until it is crumbly, then sprinkle evenly over the cream cheese layer.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until cheesecake is set and cookie dough is golden brown.
Allow to cool completely in the pan, then chill before serving.
Use the aluminum foil to easily lift the bars out of the pan for slicing.

Makes 16 bars.