Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars Recipe

 

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars with a graham cracker base, creamy cheesecake filling and delicious chocolate chip cookie crunch. These cold cookie bars are a perfect make ahead dessert!

 

Ingredients

 

For the crust:

2 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs (about 18 full size grahams)

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake filling:

2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cookie dough:

¾ cup salted butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate morsels

 

Instructions

 

Line a 13x9 baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.

In a food processor, pulse graham crackers with sugar until fine crumbs. Drizzle in melted butter and pulse until combined.

Pour graham crumbs into bottom of baking dish. Using palm of your hand (or bottom of a cup) press crumbs firmly until they are combined (and slightly hardened) in bottom of pan.

For the cheesecake filling, beat cream cheese with sugar and vanilla using the whisk attachment of an electric mixer. Beat until fluffy and smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Pour over graham crust.

For the cookie dough, beat butter with sugars for 2 minutes, until combined. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until mixed.

Add in flour and baking soda and mix until fully combined.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by large scoop onto top of cheesecake layer. Try to use your fingertips to spread gently until cheesecake is covered completely (it's okay if it's peeking out a little bit)

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove and cool completely.

Once cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Cut into squares and enjoy!!

Notes

Use a food processor (or a ziploc bag and a meat pounder) to process your graham crackers into a fine crumb. DO NOT use the store bought graham crumbs. I personally think the flavor of those is “off” and I can tell the difference in the two!

Use parchment paper to line your 13×9 baking dish. Not only does it help with clean up…but once these are complete, you can lift the whole batch out of the pan to slice them. This helps keep them looking uniform and pretty (not smashed and uneven).

Chill overnight. I like to make these cheesecake bars the night before serving. Or first thing in the morning. They taste better the longer they chill!

Candy mix ins. I love to mix-in M&Ms or other chocolate candy pieces, but it is strictly optional.

Clean cuts. For easy clean cuts, make sure you have completely chilled these cookie bars. Use a sharp knife and wipe it between cuts too!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24

Serving Size: 1 bar

 

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 303Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 161mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 3g