These cheesecake cookie bars are such a treat! With a layer of chewy chocolate chip cookies and a second layer of creamy peanut butter cheesecake, this dessert is a win-win.
I think we can all agree that cheesecake is everyone’s favorite dessert 🤤. What can make cheesecake even better, you ask? Everyone’s favorite cookie- chocolate chip cookies! Yes, you heard it right. These cheesecake cookie bars are a combination of two of my favorite desserts, and I’m sure you get what I’m saying.
These cookie cheesecake bars are made even better by the fact that they are dunked, drizzled, and dipped in smooth, rich chocolate. Also, this is a perfectly shareable dessert that you can take anywhere that there are people. They won’t be sad about it, I promise.
But you know the best thing about these chocolate chip cookie cheesecake bars? They look like something you would find in a fancy little pastry shop, but they’re definitely not as hard as you would think to make them. I’m all about faking expertise, and now I’m letting you in on my secrets 😉.
Also, these peanut butter cheesecake bars are extra fun to cook because you get to sample all the little pieces left behind as you’re cutting them to the perfect shape. I mean, you have to stay motivated, right? Just make sure to keep your family out of the kitchen while you’re doing it. They never have to know.
This post is all about how to make peanut butter cheesecake bars.
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars
For the Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer
- Flour- Flour. How can something that tastes so gross when it’s raw turn into something as delightful as a chocolate chip cookie? Just kidding, I’ve never eaten uncooked flour. That would be weird.
- Baking soda- This helps the cookie layer to rise, becoming airier on the inside and a bit chewier than if you would just use baking powder.
- Salt- I always love adding just a little bit of extra salt to my chocolate chip cookies because I’m a huge fan of sweet and salty combinations.
- Butter- Once you discover browned butter, you want to use it in pretty much everything. It makes pretty much everything that has butter in it even better. This cookie recipe is no exception. Browned butter always.
- Brown sugar- Brown sugar gives chocolate chip cookies their chewiness and richness. For my European friends, make sure to buy brown sugar that is a bit sticky when you try to move it around with your hands. You can’t find this in every store. If it is brown, but has the same texture as normal white sugar, it isn’t what you’re looking for. It makes a huge difference. (I’m very passionate about this subject 😂.)
- White sugar- The mixture of sugars gives chocolate chip cookies a good balance of flavor and texture.
- Eggs- For this recipe, I used 1 large egg and 1 egg yolk. I think this combination improves the texture and flavor of the chocolate chip cookie layer.
- Vanilla- Vanilla adds a pleasant, subtle flavor to the cookie dough.
- Chocolate chunks- I just used a chopped-up chocolate bar for this recipe. If you can buy chocolate chips where you live, feel free to use them.
For the Peanut Butter Cheesecake Layer
- Cream cheese- Make sure to use room-temperature cream cheese. It helps the batter to mix more smoothly and you have less of a chance of finding lumps. (I feel obligated to say this, but, honestly, I’ve made cheesecakes with cream cheese that hadn’t fully reached room temperature, and it was totally fine. Sometimes you just don’t have the time.)
- Sugar- Because cheesecake without sugar is just… cheese.
- Sour cream- Sour cream gives the cheesecake a little tang.
- Vanilla- Once again, the background ingredient that holds the world together.
- Peanut butter- You should use creamy, smooth peanut butter for this recipe. Avoid the natural stuff that has a layer of oil on top when you open it.
- Eggs- I used three large eggs in the cheesecake batter. The eggs help everything to hold together.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars
Step 1
We need to start by making the chocolate chip cookie layer. You will need two bowls. In one bowl, mix the dry ingredients- flour, baking soda, and salt. In the second bowl, beat the browned butter, brown sugar, and white sugar with a mixer, just until they’re combined. Next, beat in the egg and the egg yolk, along with the vanilla. Make sure not to overbeat this mixture. Mix everything just until it’s combined.
Step 2
Pour in the dry ingredients a bit at a time, stirring as you go until you can’t see any more white flour. Again, make sure not to mix it any more than this. We don’t want the gluten in the flour to develop through stirring too much here because it would definitely change the texture of the cookies. Next, fold in the chocolate chunks.
Step 3
Let the dough sit in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. As annoying as it is, you’ll thank me for this because it makes the dough much easier to spread in the pan. While you’re waiting, put a piece of baking paper in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish, so that it comes up the edges of the dish. This will make your work a lot easier later on because you’ll be able to get the cheesecake out with minimal difficulty and cleanup.
Step 4
After 20-30 minutes, take the dough out of the freezer and press it into a layer at the bottom of the baking dish so that it is evenly spread. Bake it in a preheated oven for 20 minutes at 350°F, or until done. Keep in mind that you don’t want it to be solid when it comes out of the oven. This would result in a very tough texture. Cookies continue to harden a bit after you take them out of the oven.
Step 5
While the cookie layer is cooling, put the cream cheese into a bowl. Beat it with a mixer until it’s fluffed up a bit. Beat in the sugar first, then the sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Once everything is combined, beat in the peanut butter. Lastly, beat in the eggs, one at a time, just until mixed. Once again, overmixing is a big no-no here with the eggs.
Step 6
Add the cheesecake mixture on top of the cooled cookie layer and bake it at 325°F for about an hour. To make sure it’s done, jiggle the dish. The center should still be a little bit jiggly, but by no means liquid. It will continue to harden as it cools. Also, if you gently touch the top, it shouldn’t stick to your finger if it’s done. Leave the cheesecake cookie bars in the oven with the door slightly cracked open for an hour.
After this, you can either leave the cheesecake in the fridge for a minimum of 5 hours or put it in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Step 7
Once the cheesecake has completely cooled, it’s time to cut them into rectangular pieces. I like to cut the edges off to make them prettier because the edges usually get a little more done than the rest of the cheesecake. Melt your baking chocolate over a double boiler. (Make sure not to get even a drop of water in there.)
Dip the rectangular pieces of cheesecake in the chocolate top side down, letting the extra chocolate drain off before putting them right side up again. You can also use the chocolate to drizzle them. I like to mix it up. Let the chocolate cool and harden, and you’re ready to enjoy!
Questions about Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars
How do you tell if cheesecake bars are done?
You can check this pretty much the same way you can tell that a normal cheesecake is done. You never want your cheesecake to be fully cooked when you turn off the oven. This would result in a cheesecake that’s actually overdone. It should still be a bit jiggly in the very center when you turn off the oven. However, make sure it’s not liquid. You definitely don’t want that either. A cheesecake that’s done won’t stick to your finger when you gently touch it.
Should you refrigerate cheesecake bars?
Yes! Because there are perishable ingredients used in cheesecake bars, you will want to refrigerate them. No one really wants to eat warm cheesecake anyway 😊.
How do you cleanly cut a cheesecake bar?
This can definitely take a little patience. The best way to do this is by wiping off your knife in between cuts. Some people do this with a cloth or a paper towel, but I like to do this by wiping the knife off on a small plate. Why waste all of that delicious cheesecake??
Can you freeze cheesecake cookie bars?
Yes! You can freeze cheesecake cookie bars in an airtight container. Just thaw them at room temperature when you’re ready to use them.
If you’re looking for other things to satisfy your sweet tooth, try these delicious recipes.
Cream Cheese Fruit Dip Recipe with Twix
Pumpkin Bread with Brown Butter Maple Icing
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer
- 1⅓ cups Flour
- ½ tsp. Baking soda
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 8 tbsp. Butter (browned)
- ¾ cup Brown sugar
- ⅓ cup White sugar
- 1 Egg (large)
- 1 Egg yolk
- 1½ tsp. Vanilla
- ¾ cup Chocolate chunks (or chocolate chips)
Cheesecake Layer
- 24 oz. Cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1 cup White sugar
- ⅓ cup Sour cream (room temperature)
- 1½ tsp. Vanilla
- ½ tsp. Salt
- ¾ cup Peanut butter
- 3 Eggs (room temperature)
- 10 oz. Melting chocolate
Instructions
Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer
- Mix the 1⅓ cup of flour, ½ tsp. of baking soda, and 1 tsp. of salt together in a bowl. Set aside. In a second bowl, beat the 8 tbsp. of browned butter, ¾ cup of brown sugar, and ⅓ cup of white sugar with a mixer, just until it's combined. Next, beat in the egg and the egg yolk, along with the 1½ tsp. of vanilla. Make sure not to overbeat this mixture. (You can see the browned butter.)
- Pour in the dry ingredients a bit at a time, stirring as you go until you can't see any more white flour. Again, make sure not to mix it more than this. Next, fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Let the dough sit in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. While you're waiting, put a piece of baking paper in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish, so that it comes up the edges of the dish. After the time is up, take the dough out of the freezer.
- Press the dough into a layer at the bottom of the baking dish so that it is evenly spread. Bake it in a preheated oven for 20 minutes at 350°F, or until done. Remember, like with all cookie recipes, you don't want it to be completely solid when it comes out of the oven.
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Layer
- While the cookie layer is cooling, put the 24 oz. of cream cheese into a bowl. Beat it with a mixer until it's a bit fluffy. Next, beat in the cup of sugar, followed by the ⅓ cup of sour cream, 1½ tsp. of vanilla, and ½ tsp. of salt. Once everything is combined, beat in the peanut butter. Lastly, beat in the 3 eggs, one at a time, just until mixed.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture evenly on top of the cooled cookie layer and bake it at 325°F for about an hour. To make sure it's done, jiggle the dish. The center should still be a little bit jiggly, but by no means liquid. Leave the cheesecake cookie bars in the oven with the door slightly cracked open for an hour. After this, you can either leave the cheesecake in the fridge for a minimum of 5 hours, or, alternatively, put it in the freezer for a couple hours.
- Once the cheesecake has completely cooled, it's time to cut it into rectangular pieces. I like to cut the edges off to make them prettier. I make four cuts longwise and three cuts through the shorter direction.
- Melt your baking chocolate over a double boiler. (Make sure not to get even a drop of water in there!!) Dip the rectangular pieces of cheesecake in the chocolate top side down, letting the extra chocolate drain off before putting them right side up again. You can also drizzle them with chocolate. I like to mix it up. Let the chocolate cool and harden, and you're ready to enjoy!
I hope you enjoy your peanut butter cheesecake cookie bars!