Bake or Break
New to BAKE or BREAK? Start Here!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

These Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars are over-the-top delicious! A buttery graham cracker crust is topped with cheesecake, cookie dough, and drizzled with chocolate for good measure.

Overhead view of cookie dough cheesecake bars on cutting board

Cheesecake on its own is pretty rich and decadent, but somehow we baking bloggers manage to up the ante and add even more deliciousness to the mix—on Bake or Break alone, I have recipes for Cookie Butter Cheesecake Brownies, Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Bars, and Chocolate Kahlua Cheesecake! But I think when it comes to next-level cheesecake recipes, these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars are hard to beat.

This recipe begins with a graham cracker crust. While that usually means graham cracker crumbs and butter, this crust also contains miniature chocolate chips. Then, there is a cheesecake layer, which is topped with dollops of chocolate chip cookie dough. If that weren’t enough, the whole thing is drizzled with even more chocolate. YES!

These bars come from The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook, which also brought us Chocolate Chip-Filled Melting Moments. And needless to say, they are incredible

Overhead view of chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake bar ingredients

What You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to pick up to make these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars.

For the crust:

  • Graham cracker crumbs – You can buy crumbs, or pulse whole graham crackers in your food processor to make them.
  • Unsalted butter
  • Miniature semisweet chocolate chips
  • Unsalted butter – Let this soften before mixing.
  • Light brown sugar
  • Granulated sugar
  • Salt
  • Vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour – Learn How to Measure Flour.
  • Semisweet chocolate chips

For the filling:

  • Cream cheese – This should be brought to room temperature for best results.
  • Granulated sugar
  • Egg – Let the egg come to room temperature also.
  • Vanilla extract

For the chocolate topping:

  • Semisweet chocolate chips
  • Unsalted butter – Use this only if needed to make the melted chocolate smooth.
Side view of cookie dough cheesecake bars on plate

This recipe has a few different components to it, but each step is fairly simple. Here’s what you’ll need to do.

To make the crust:

Prepare. Preheat the oven to 325°F and butter a 9-inch square baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving enough to extend over the sides, then butter the parchment.

Make the crust mixture. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs and butter in a medium bowl until the crumbs are moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Overhead view of cheesecake bar crust in pan

Form the crust. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Bake the crust for 6 minutes, then set the pan on a wire rack to cool.

Start the dough. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract until they’re smooth.

Finish. Decrease the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour. Mix just until incorporated, then fold in the chocolate chips.

To make the filling:

Make the cheesecake. In another mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract just until blended.

Assemble. Pour the cheesecake batter into the baked crust, then drop the cookie dough over the top of the filling by the teaspoonful.

Overhead view of cookie dough cheesecake bars in pan

Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

To make the chocolate topping and finish:

Make the topping. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler. If the chocolate isn’t smooth and pourable, add butter.

Overhead view of chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake bars before cutting

Top the bars. Drizzle the chocolate mixture over the tops of the bars. Cool the bars completely in the pan, and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake bars before cutting

Cut and serve. Use the edges of the parchment paper to remove the bars from the pan; cut and serve.

Chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake bars on cutting board

How Do You Cut a Perfect Bar?

Baking these with parchment paper is the first step to getting perfect, clean bars. This allows you to lift the bars out of the pan and transfer them to a cutting board.

If you have a cutting board with measurements on it, this will help you get even slices. If not, you might want to get out a ruler and make small scores on the bars where you want to cut.

Use a large chef’s knife and make firm, confident cuts across the bars, pulling the knife back towards you (rather than pushing the knife forward). Clean the knife between cuts.

Three cookie dough cheesecake bars stacked on wood board

Tips for Success

Here are a few tips to help you get perfect cheesecake bars!

  • Use full-fat blocks of cream cheese. Not the lightened up cream cheese and not the cream cheese in tubs!
  • Mini chocolate chips are key. Mini chocolate chips are essential for the crust; using regular ones will result in a crust that falls apart when cut. If you need a substitute for the mini chips, use chopped chocolate instead.
  • Use a light-colored pan. Dark metal pans have a tendency to over-bake crusts, so I don’t recommend them. 

How to Store

Store these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; you can keep them in the baking dish and cover it, wrap the bars individually, or transfer them to an airtight container.

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

Yes, you can freeze these bars for up to 3 months and let them thaw in the refrigerator before serving. It’s best to wrap them individually and then place them in an airtight container or freezer bag.

Closeup of chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake bars

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Yield 16 2-inch bars
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 36 minutes
Additional Time 5 hours
Total Time 6 hours 6 minutes

These Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars are a decadent treat that's always a crowd-pleaser!

Chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake bars on wooden cutting board

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 & 1/2 cups (150g) graham cracker crumbs
  • 5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup (118g) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

For the cookie dough:

  • 5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup (67g) packed light brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (37g) granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (90g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips

For the filling:

  • 10 ounces (283g) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the chocolate topping:

  • 1/3 cup (56g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, if necessary

Instructions

To make the crust:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving enough to extend over the sides. Butter the parchment paper.
  2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter until the crumbs are moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  3. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan and 1 inch up the sides. Bake for 6 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool.

To make the cookie dough:

  1. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  2. Decrease mixer speed to low and add flour. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

To make the filling:

  1. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar just until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating just until blended.
  2. Pour the batter into the partially baked crust. Drop the cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the top of the filling.
  3. Bake 30 minutes, or until set. Transfer to wire rack.

To make the chocolate topping:

  1. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler. Add butter if necessary to make the chocolate smooth.
  2. Drizzle over the top of the bars. Cool the bars completely in the pan (about an hour). Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  3. Using the edges of the parchment paper, remove the bars from the pan. Cut into bars and serve.

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook.

Recommended Products

Bake or Break is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Show off your baking masterpiece!

Snap a pic, tag @bakeorbreak, and use #bakeorbreak on Instagram. Can't wait to see your creation!

Share this:

    101 Comments on “Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars”

  1. Holy geez these look and sound amazingly amazing! I must make them asap. And get this cookbook! I missed the contest. 🙁

  2. Oh my…these bars look so yummy!! I’d love to be able to do something like this! You are so good!
    Silvia

  3. these look sinfully delicious! now where i can i get that book? 🙂

  4. That’s some of the tastiest looking food I’ve seen in a long while. I need some.

  5. Oh my goodness, those look fantastic! I think my hips expanded 3 inches just looking at the pictures.

  6. good heavens. each component is delicious on its own, but together? are you kidding me? i bow to your greatness. 🙂

  7. Hmmm… I want to bake these right.now.

  8. Wow, yummy!

  9. Thanks, Ashley. Sorry you missed the giveaway!

    Silvia, these are really not that hard. There are three separate components to make, but each of them is pretty simple.

    Andreea, I highly recommend this book. Many recipes I’d love to try.

    Thanks, Lisa!

    Jenn, I know what you mean. I ate one, purely for testing purposes. Then, I started thinking who I could give these to so I could remove the temptation to eat all of them.

    LOL, grace. Thanks!

    Thanks, Patricia! That title just kills me.

    RecipeGirl, they really are good. Plus I think they look impressive, too!

    Katherine, Aria & RobynE, sorry about the bad link. It’s fixed now. Thanks for letting me know!

    Hillary, you can put the melted chocolate in a plastic bag and cut the corner off to squeeze it out.

  10. I was drooling only by reading the name, Jen! 🙂
    This is so luscious.

  11. Jen- are you kidding me??? These are just about the most amazing baked good I’ve seen in a long time. Totally something that I crave for sure!! Bookmarking 🙂

  12. What did you use to make the drizzled chocolate look so pretty? These look amazing.

  13. These bars are to die for! I found the same recipe in my cooking pleasures magazine a couple of years ago and have made them many times since. Can’t go wrong with cheesecake anything!

  14. Ohhhh…do those look sooo good! Are you trying to kill us with all the chocolate chippy goodness lately?! Job done!

  15. Wow – I was way off! But I can tell by looking at these bars that they are right on! Can’t wait to make them!

  16. oh my goodness. that looks incredible. you’re right, if there’s a person out there who doesn’t love these, they’re just… wrong.

  17. You had me at chocolate chip cookie dough…. oh yeah!

  18. Umm yummy! I’m so in!

  19. Richelle, I agree. Cheesecake gets me every time.

    Cheryl, I certainly mean no harm. I have been overdoing it with the chocolate chips, though, huh? 😉

    deborah, I hope you like them!

    Thanks, katy! What’s not to like?

    patsyk, that’s about where they had me, too!

    Thanks, Jerry!

  20. wow…..wow…..they look amazingly…..GOOD!!!!!

  21. They look insane! Not one to have before you go to the dentists, I’m sure…the title alone had me drooling 🙂

  22. That looks so good!! Great job with the drizzle.

  23. after baking 60 batches of cookies in a month, i’m fairly cookied out…at least I was until I saw these :D. The concept of a cookie dough bar is definitely a cool one :).

  24. What else can I add to these comments. The photos say it all! Gooey!

  25. JKSAFNJKSNSK <333

    I saw these on Tastespotting and knew instinctively it was you before I’d even read the user name ^__^. I don’t have enough caps locks to show how much I love these…

  26. I’m drooling all over my shirt. You are amazing.

  27. Ohhh my goodness. This is right up my alley. These look so awesome.

  28. Thanks, Hendria!

    Laura, I’m sure dentists would frown at most of BoB’s content. 😉

    Kevin, that drizzle was all Quinn. He has quite the knack (and patience) for it.

    Sophie, 60 batches of cookies would do anyone in!

    Aran, “gooey” is a great description.

    Thanks, Indigo! How very sweet!

    e, thank you so much!

    Nicole, I think these would be right up most anyone’s alley. Thanks!

  29. Those turned out beautiful! Nice work on the drizzle. They look so rich and sweet! Definitely one to take to a get together to share.

  30. Holy Cookie Dough, Batman! Those look amazing! You did a beautiful job with the decorating too. A stellar dessert!

  31. Thanks, Rachelle & Susan!

  32. Ok I have to make these. They look amazing.

  33. I need to stop coming here. It is way, way too dangerous.

  34. Seriously…Yum! I have to make these tonight. You are an inspiration to the mouth!

  35. Oh wow. I am so craving those. But I must not.

  36. Cindy, that about sums it up!

    Katie, I hope you like them as much as we did.

    Jill! Don’t stop visiting BoB! We love visitors! 😉

    Thanks, Christie! Hope you like them.

    Tracy, if you cave and make them, let me know what you think.

  37. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen anything before that looks this delicious! I definitely need to bookmark these (just like about everything you post)!

  38. Can I come over for dessert? haha They look AMAZING and I’m tempted to buy that book right now.

  39. This will be the next thing I bake. Oh my word. Fabulous presentation too! Kudos to you.

  40. Sarah, I highly recommend these. Thanks for your very kind comments!

    Carla, come on over! This book has so many recipes I want to try. A must have for chocolate lovers.

    My dear Nuwanda, I know you will love these. I wish I could have shared them with you!

  41. Oh my, these look heavenly! I need to make these asap!

  42. Tanya, I hope you like them!

  43. I was intrigued and apparently hungry when I saw that I didn’t win the cook book with my guess of how many chocolate chips, so I bought it and it arrived today. YUM! Can’t wait to try many of the recipes. But I will probably start with this one. I love cookie dough, cheesecake and lots of chocolate. Yours looks divine (and better than the one in the cookbook, I might add.) Thanks!

  44. Okay, so I lied, I didn’t make these bars yet, but I did make some killer chocolate chip cookies from this book just now. Oh my goodness–so yummy. The recipe is Chock Full of Chocolate Chip Cookies. There is so much chocolate and it’s the perfect buttery, crispy, still soft in the middle cookie. I’ll try to get pictures posted soon. While I’ve recently been talking about and have tasted the “famous” Levain cookie, the one in this book is amazing as well, completely different from the Levain, but SO good! Thanks for the heads up on this cookbook!

  45. P. S. I used a bunch of different chips I had on hand, some Guillitard Milk Choc.–big ones, some Hershey’s Semi Sweet chips, some Hershey’s Dark Choc Chips, some mini chips and some chopped dark choc. Dove chocolate. To die for!

  46. Katrina, I came very close to making those cookies. They sounded wonderful. As for Levain, I’m hopefully headed back there next week. Those cookies are amazing!

  47. Ohhh.. I made these today for a get together and everyone really loved them. Kids and adults raved. Yumm!

  48. Glad they were a hit, Julia!

  49. Sorry for the info, but this is PMS heaven for me tonight! Brilliant!

  50. Tartelette, don’t worry – you’re among friends. 😉

  51. oh man! these look SO DELICIOUS… i am going to have to buy the book now just for these 🙂

  52. kim, there are lots of great recipes in this book. Definitely worth it as far as I’m concerned.

  53. This looks amazing and completely yummy, cute pics!

  54. Thanks, emilee!

  55. oooo yum! how well do you think these would hold up in the mail (well packaged, of course)?

  56. I already feel like I am in a diabetic coma! yummmy!

  57. Anna, these need to be kept refrigerated so that makes mailing them tough. I have shipped a cheesecake before, but I froze it first then shipped it overnight. Not cheap, but it worked.

    LOL, erica. Thanks!

  58. Cheesecake and cookie dough! The best of both worlds for sure.

  59. Absolutely, Foodaholic!

  60. Oh. My. Gawd. These are sensational! Every bite is an org…er…very, very good. I made these this past weekend, and I am now considered a genius by my sons’ friends (the ones who hang around our house waiting for me to bake something from scratch, a novel idea to them since their mothers don’t do it).

    Thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe!!

  61. MuzzyBlue, I’m so glad they were a hit! Definitely one of my favorite sweet treats.

  62. OH YUM!! I am so glad that I discovered this blog! Your recipes and photos look so delicious. Can you say addiction? It’s my new craving!! I LOVE YOUR BLOG!!

  63. Thanks so much, RavingRecipes. I’m glad you’re here!

  64. Help! My husband is on a low colesterol diet so I’ll have to eat these all myself. Well done you.

  65. Thanks, Margaret! Maybe you can share with someone else. Enjoy!

  66. I made these last night for a party I had today. They are delicious, though mine turned out rather crumbly, possibly because I didn’t bother with the drizzle on top.

    As it was, next time I will make more “cheesecake” and put in less chocolate chips, but that’s mostly a personal preference.

    Great recipe! They certainly didn’t last long!

  67. Andrea, everyone’s tastes and preferences are different. I am a big believer in adjusting recipes to fit them. I’m glad you liked them!

  68. Awesome…………. i m dying to try yr marvelous looking cookies. Good job!

  69. Thanks, Busby and Rosie!

  70. You had me at Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough..and then you throw in the cheesecake bar part! My goodness.. These were amazing!
    I am absolutely in love with your site and have just started a blog of my own.. I am not sure of all of the proper blogging etiquette but I hope it is okay that I linked to your blog from mine..

  71. Thanks, Cara! I’ll be sure to check out your blog.

  72. What a great recipe! This was delicious! Love your blog!

  73. Cristine, I’m glad you enjoyed them!

  74. hhmm Yummy. I like it.

  75. I think I’m must tested. thanks

  76. yeah I think I’m must tested too. thanks

  77. Can you alter this recipe for other size pans? Has anyone tried any other size pan? I just have so many pans, right now, I don’t want to end up with yet another one. The closes thing I have is a 10 inch square pan.

  78. wow, so delicious..really nice recipe! I think I will baked some of this too. Yummy!

  79. This Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars look to die for!!!!

  80. it looks like so delicious. Ehm Yummy

  81. your oatmeal chocolate chip cookies came up about half an hour ago when I googled marbled chocolate and I havne’t been able to leave your webstie since. You are an amazing baker, I think you passed “ametur” status a long time ago, and your pictures are gorgeous. I’m a college student who enjoys baking for my friends’ get togethers. This recipie in particular looks dangerous, with some of this there is very little the wielder couldn’t get someone, especially a college type someone, to do. 😀

  82. these look amazing…one question, however. does the cookie dough part cook up to cookie like texture (as in regular old choc chip cookies), or remain more like raw cookie dough (as in choc chip cookie dough ice cream)?

  83. Well there goes the diet. I am drooling as i type. I think you are amazing!

  84. kayla, it is more the consistency of cookie dough than cookies.

  85. I made these today. Didn’t turn out like pictured. The cookie dough part was not doughy, more crumb-like. It only became crumbly after i put the flour. I’ll make it again, but ill modify it so it’ll be pieces of dough and ill make more cheesecake filling (it was too subtle for my taste). Nonetheless, it still came out tasting good. Also it was very rich and sweet even without the chocolate drizzle on top.
    Even with the setbacks, you still can’t go wrong with chocolate. Thanks for the recipe!

  86. I made these and they were great! I did a shortcut and used store bought cookie dough, and it was pretty good. I am sure the homemade dough would have been better, but it saved me some time. My family gobbled them up in 2 days. I will definitely make this again.

  87. love cooki dough cheesecake bars

  88. I made these for my coworkers and they absolutely loved them! It was rich, yet refreshing, and the perfect dessert! Thank you for all of the time and energy you put into this amazing blog… You do a fantastic job!

  89. WOW.
    These look so ooey and chewy
    straight right out of the oven!

    i want.

  90. I made these and they were great! I did a shortcut and used store bought cookie dough, and it was pretty good. I am sure the homemade dough would have been better, but it saved me some time. My family gobbled them up in 2 days. I will definitely make this again.

  91. As soon as I saw the recipe, I could not wait too long until I tested it. I made it today and when my guy came home for lunch, he asked me “Hon, is there any cake?” which I denied but he knew right away I was lying because he bursted out “But the whole kitchen smells of chocolate!” so he proceeded to the balcony and found the cake. I barely had time to cool it befor we dug in. Fantastic! Easy to make, yet delicious. One of my favourite recipes lately! Thanks!!!!

  92. That looks amazing.
    im inlovee

  93. it looks like very dilicious, i can’t wait to taste it right now.

  94. I just came across your blog and am so impressed. There hasn’t been one recipe I have seen that I haven’t wanted to make right away! These BY FAR rank #1. I will be making them VERY soon…thanks for sharing!

  95. i made the cookie dough but used it in a diffrecipe. i was making cookie dough cheesecake and couldnt find any ready made cookie dough at the supermarket so i thought id use this recipe. mine turned out good but nothing like the picture. in the picture it looks soft but mine turned out too chewy and hard. is it possibly from too much sugar? or maybe cuz i baked it for 1 whole hour?? i baked it for 1 hour because it was runny and watery after half and hour and so i let it for another 30. someone plzzz help me bcuz now i wanna bake these bars but i want them to turn out good. thnxx!

    • Fay, my guess is the bars were over baked. As for them being runny after 30 minutes, have you checked your oven temperature? You can get an inexpensive oven thermometer to put inside your oven to verify the temperature. I highly recommend that everyone do that. Then, you can adjust your oven’s temperature settings.

  96. I may have started drooling just at the sight of this. Naturally I had to make it in order to satisfy the taste buds and it was a success! Definitely making it again in the future.

  97. My friend loves chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, i wanted to get her a cccd cheese cake…super pricey. i found this recipe and they were a huge HIT! my kids don’t ‘like’ cheese cake, haha…but i didn’t tell them they were cheese cake bars, i just said they were cookie dough bars…these are BLISSFULLY SINFUL! Thanks.

  98. Hi there, I just wanted to tell you that I love your blog! I love this recipe as well. I posted it on my blog, linked straight to yours, your site, and the cookbook it came from. I hope this is alright! Although I’m a relatively seasoned blogger, I’m new to the food blogging world! All the best,

    Jennifer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *