Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars (Recipe)

I would definitely not call myself a skilled baker, but these cookie dough cheesecake bars were fairly simple and turned out deliciously sweet.  They are a perfect sweet treat to bring to any summer BBQ party!

I made one batch with regular chocolate chips and then I decided to spice (well I guess sweeten) things up and substitute them for butterscotch chips. I would definitely recommend these, but they did make the bars even sweeter, so depends on your sweet tooth level.

Ingredients:

For the crust
- 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
- 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted

For the cookie dough:
- 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature (make sure the butter is at the right temperature, or else the consistency of the dough will be off)
- 1/3 cup of packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt (I never understood the point of adding salt in baking sweets, but apparently it brings out the flavor of the sweet ingredients, so don't miss this important step)
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cups of flour
- 1 cup of sweet chips of your choice (chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch)

For the cheesecake
- 10oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a 8inch square baking dish with parchment paper (make sure there is some overhang so you can pull out the bars when they are ready) and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, with a stand mixer or electric beater mix together the graham cracker crumbs and butter until combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish and bake for 6 minutes. Let cool.

In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, sugars, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Slowly add in the flour until combined and them mix in the chocolate chips. Form into a ball and set aside.

In another medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and sugar until combined. Slowly add in the egg and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth. Pour the mixture over the graham cracker crust.

Flatten out pieces of the cookie dough ball and place over the cheesecake mixture making sure to cover the whole surface area.

The recipe said to bake for 30 minutes, but I found it took much longer, about 45 minutes. Could have been my oven, but just make sure that the top feels dry and firm. Let cool for a couple of minutes and then pull the bars out with the parchment paper and place on a drying rack to cool completely. Slice into desired sizes and enjoy at your next party...Canada Day is coming soon! They'll be a hit for sure!!

I found the initial recipe on http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/cookie-dough-cheesecake-bars-recipe/.

Verdict: Deliciously sweet. I would recommend doubling the recipe if you are planning on bringing them to a party.

Prep Time: approximately 20-30 minutes
Bake Time: 30-45 minutes

Sweet Tooth Rating: 9/10