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.

Decadent Cheesecake Squares With Cookie Dough

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. 

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

For the cookie dough:

• 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.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

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.

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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.

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.

To make the cookie dough:

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.

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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:

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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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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