These cheesecake stuffed chocolate chip cookie bars are amazingly, tremendously, awfully wonderful.

What do you get when you take a cold, Northern climate dotted with a small yellow house filled with sick, lethargic kids needing lots of cuddle time from a tired, feeling under-the-weather-herself mommy?

A cheesecake filled chocolate chip bar with a bite taken out on a white piece of parchment.

Let me tell you. You get a lot of warm, little bodies snuggling together on the blanket-laden couch drowning their sniffly worries in cheesecake stuffed chocolate chip cookie bars, PBS for Kids, and tissues. Lots of tissues.

It’s been a long week and it’s only Wednesday. I’m off to play nursemaid. But you? You should definitely make these bars. They are amazingly, tremendously, awfully wonderful.

Three chocolate chip bars with a cheesecake middle lined up on a sheet of parchment paper.

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Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

4.71 stars (24 ratings)

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer:

  • 12 tablespoons (168 g) butter, 1 1/2 sticks, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 cup (212 g) packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ⅛ cups (302 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups (340 g) chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:

  • 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup (57 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch pan with aluminum foil and lightly coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  • For the cookie layer whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour, salt and baking soda, folding into the dough with a rubber spatula; do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips until combined. Press half of the dough onto the bottom of the prepared pan. It will be a thin layer, so use lightly moistened hands to press the dough into a thin even layer, filling in any holes with a bit of cookie dough from the bowl.
  • For the cheesecake filling, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar together with an electric mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined. Spread the cheesecake filling over the layer of cookie dough in the pan.
  • Using the remaining cookie dough, flatten tablespoon sized amounts of cookie dough in your hands into flat disc shapes, about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Place these discs over the top of the cheesecake layer, pressing very lightly to adhere them to the cheesecake layer. It’s ok if there are small spaces; the entire top doesn’t need to be completely covered just make sure it is mostly covered with cookie dough.
  • Bake the bars for 35-40 minutes until very lightly browned on the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate until chilled, 1-2 hours. Cut into squares and serve. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Serving: 1 Bar, Calories: 242kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 51mg, Sodium: 164mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 21g

Recipe Source: inspired from a recipe at Heat Oven to 350, cookie dough layer from my favorite Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Bars