Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

These delicious chocolate chip cheesecake bars combine three of the best desserts (chocolate chips, cheesecake, and cookies) in one easy-to-make package. How good is that?

The best part is, these delicious dessert bars take less than an hour to make from start to finish. Just place the pan in the fridge to set and they’re ready to eat in a couple of hours. We think there’s nothing better than enjoying one of these cheesecake bars with a cold glass of milk too. If you somehow manage to have leftovers (trust us, one bar is never enough), you can go ahead and store them in the fridge or in the freezer.

Recipe Ingredients

For this chocolate chip cheesecake bars recipe, you’ll need:

• Cream cheese – room temperature. Check out our recipe for homemade cream cheese here.
• Granulated sugar
• 1 Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Semi-sweet bakers squares – melted
• Chocolate chip cookie dough
• Chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. For easier removal, line the pan with foil and spray the foil with a non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl, using a stand or hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla, and melted baking chocolate. Set aside.

Cut the tube of chocolate chip cookie dough in half, break up one of the halves into pieces and press the dough evenly on the bottom of the pan to form the bottom layer. Tip: flour your hand to prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers.

Pour the chocolate cream cheese mixture onto the cookie layer and spread to the edges.

Take the remaining cookie dough half, break it into pieces and arrange them on top of the cheesecake layer.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips in the gaps of the cookie dough pieces.

Bake for 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. A little jiggling is okay, the cheesecake filling will firm after cooling. Cool for 30 minutes at room temperature and then chill for a minimum of 2 hours. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Recipe Tips

• Make sure the chocolate chip cookie bars are completely cool before cutting. I know it’s hard to resist, but trust us, they tend to crumble if you cut them too early. 
• If you don’t have time or forgot to leave your cream cheese out for it to soften at room temperature, remember you can microwave the cream cheese 10 seconds at a time until it’s soft. It’s so important to soften the cream cheese, as the mixture will be too lumpy if it’s cold.
• Carefully watch your cheesecake mixture so it doesn’t over-mix.

Recipe FAQs

Do chocolate chip cheesecake bars need to be refrigerated?

Once the bars have cooled for 30 minutes at room temperature, they must be refrigerated for at least 2 hours. Afterward, you can store them covered in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.

How do I store my chocolate chip cheesecake bars?

Simply store the sliced bars in an airtight container in your fridge.

Can you freeze chocolate chip cheesecake bars?

Yes. Once cooled and refrigerated, these bars will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing the bars individually in separate plastic bags, so the slices don’t freeze together.

What are some alternatives for chocolate chips in this recipe?

For something different, you can opt to use white chocolate chips (a delectable combo) or peanut butter cookie dough and chips instead of chocolate chips. Check out these enticing Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars. Otherwise, why not change it up and sprinkle nuts, candies, or themed sprinkles on top? 

If you like this, we think you’ll love these cookie bar recipes too:

Easy Festive Fall Cookie Bars

Cranberry Cheesecake Bar