Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

There is a new staple in my house… cheesecake bars.  I love cheesecake, but making and eating a full cheesecake can sometimes be a daunting task, especially for just the two of us.  So my new favorite thing is making cheesecake bars.  You don’t have to worry about water baths or the cake cracking, and it’s super easy.  Plus you get smaller servings that can be frozen and saved for later!

In my search for cheesecake bars I found this recipe on www.brandysbaking.com.  She has some fun cheesecake recipes that look amazing.  I needed something kid friendly because I was making them for one of my clients, although lets be real, I made these for a co-worker’s birthday last week and they are a hit with adults too.  I mean can you go wrong with cookie dough and cheesecake?!

The cookie top gives a little crunch to the creamy, rich cheesecake filling.  My favorite part is the cheesecake though… I love how it melts in your mouth.  That’s why cheesecake is oh so good.  So leave the cheesecake for super special occasions and add cheesecake bars to your rotating recipes.

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

(makes 16 bars)

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

5 Tbsps butter melted

Cookie Dough

5 Tbsps butter at room temperature

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 Tbsps white sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup flour

2/3 cup chocolate chips

Cheesecake:

10 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a square 8 or 9 inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until combined and then push into the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 8 minutes.

While the crust is baking, in a mixer mix the butter, sugar, slat and vanilla.  Once thoroughly combined add the flour.  Lastly stir in the chocolate chips.  Beware the dough will be dry, but that is ok.  You should be able to form it into small balls of dough.

Lastly mix the cream cheese and sugar.  Add the egg and vanilla to the cream cheese and mix until just incorporated.  Pour the cream cheese batter on top of the cooled crust.  Spread into an even layer.  Then take the cookie dough and form into small flattened clumps which you layer on top of the cream cheese.  Be warned there is just enough cookie dough to spread across the top of the cream cheese so be careful not to make the cookie dough chunks too big.  Bake for about 30min until the top looks dry and firm and the pan will give a slight jiggle when shaked.  Cool on a cooling rack and then put in the fridge overnight or for a few hours to harden.  Note: I had to freeze these for a week, and they tasted just as good after being frozen.