Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

My kids help make these every holiday season! They love pressing the cookie dough into the pan and crumbling the rest on top and honestly it is one of our favorite things to do together in the kitchen before Christmas. At $8.95 for the whole batch these are one of the most impressive and affordable desserts on our holiday table every single year.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

• One pan — no scooping or batch baking individual cookies
• Two desserts in one — all the flavor of a chocolate chip cookie and cheesecake in every single bite
• Kids can help
• Make ahead friendly — needs refrigerator time which makes it perfect for holiday prep the day before

If you love easy holiday dessert bars like this one you will also love our Easy Pecan Pie Bars Recipe, Paula Deen Pumpkin Bars, Scotcheroos Bars and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars Recipe. You may even like this Crock Pot Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough:

• All purpose flour — unbleached all purpose flour gives the best texture. Measure correctly by spooning into the measuring cup and leveling off — too much flour makes the bars dry and crumbly
• Baking soda — helps the cookie layer rise and gives it that classic soft chewy texture
• Salt — a small amount that balances the sweetness and brings out all the other flavors
• Butter — fully softened to room temperature before mixing. Cold butter will not cream properly and makes the dough stiff and hard to press into the pan
• Granulated sugar and brown sugar — the combination gives the cookie layer both sweetness and that classic chewy depth. Do not substitute all white sugar
• Egg — binds the cookie dough together and adds richness
• Vanilla extract — adds warmth and sweetness to the cookie layer. Use pure vanilla for the best flavor
• Chocolate chips — semi-sweet is classic but milk chocolate, dark chocolate, mini chips, or white chocolate all work beautifully. This is also where you can add holiday sprinkles or festive M&Ms for a seasonal twist

For the Cheesecake Layer:

• Cream cheese — full fat cream cheese gives the richest creamiest result. Must be fully softened to room temperature
• Sugar — sweetens the cheesecake layer just enough without making it overly sweet
• Egg — sets the cheesecake layer during baking so it holds its shape when cut
• Vanilla extract — adds a classic cheesecake flavor to the filling

Carrie’s Tip: Make sure both the butter and cream cheese are fully softened to room temperature before starting. Cold butter makes the cookie dough stiff and hard to press into the pan and cold cream cheese creates a lumpy cheesecake layer instead of a smooth creamy one.

How to Make Cheesecake Cookie Bars

This is a really simple recipe and even the kids can help. The results are so tasty and one of our favorite recipes.

Step 1 – In a large bowl, combine the chocolate chip cookie crust ingredients with a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to combine all the ingredients.

Step 2 – Press 2/3 of it into the 9×9 pan. Save the remaining dough for after you pour in the cheesecake filling.

Step 3 – In a separate bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add in the egg and teaspoon vanilla extract for the Cheesecake batter. Then pour the filling on top of the crust.

Step 4 – Then with the remaining dough crumbs, crumble on top of the cheesecake layer and bake.

Step 5 – Bake at 350 degrees F for about 35-40 minutes and the top is golden brown.

Step 6 – Let the cheesecake bars cool on the counter on a wire rack for an hour and then place in fridge for 3-4 hours before serving.

Tips for Success

• Line the pan with parchment paper. Leave an overhang on two sides so you can lift the whole slab out of the pan cleanly before cutting — this gives you much neater bars
• Use a plastic knife to cut. This sounds unusual but a plastic knife glides through the cheesecake layer without dragging or tearing — it gives you perfectly clean squares every single time
• Do not skip the chill time. The bars need at least 3–4 hours in the refrigerator to set completely before cutting — overnight is even better and makes holiday prep easy
• Double the recipe for a crowd. Use a 9×13 pan and double all the ingredients — perfect for holiday parties, bake sales, and cookie trays where you need to feed a lot of people

Storage and Freezer Instructions

Refrigerator

• Store in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. Keep refrigerated at all times due to the cream cheese layer

Freezer

• Cut into bars, freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months — thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving