This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
These Brownie Bottom Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars take indulgence to a whole new level!
I have had the idea for these Brownie Bottom Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars on my mind for a few weeks now.
Chewy, fudgy brownie. Tangy, rich cheesecake. Gooey chocolate chip cookies. They’re three of the most wonderful things in life by themselves … but together? WOW.
These babies are absolutely perfect for any party or potluck, or just a chilly Fall afternoon when you want something to truly treat yourself.
Fair warning, these bars have three layers and each layer dirties at least one bowl, if not more. So yes, there are some dishes involved – but one bite and I would gladly do three times as many dishes, that’s how incredible these are!
Brownie Bottom Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars Recipe Tips
Read the Whole Recipe Through First!
This is a good idea for any recipe, but especially for these Brownie Bottom Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars, with their three layers. This will give you a better idea of the steps involved.
Yield
This Brownie Bottom Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars recipe yields 12 bars instead of my usual 9 for an 8-by-8-inch square recipe. That’s because these are so rich! You could cut them into even smaller bite-sized pieces, more like fudge, if preferred.
Cooling the Layers
- The recipe assumes that once you remove the brownies from the oven, you won’t immediately have the cookie dough layer and the cheesecake layer ready to put on top of the brownies.
- While you prepare those two layers, you can keep the oven on (so you won’t have to preheat it again) WHILE the brownies sit and cool.
- When I created this recipe, I found that timeframe worked perfectly.
- OR, if you don’t have time to finish the recipe, you can turn off the oven, pop the brownies in the fridge, and come back to the kitchen at a later point to finish the cookie dough and cheesecake layers.
This Cheesecake Recipe
This recipe differs slightly from my Classic Cheesecake Bars. I made these adjustments for textural purposes, so the cheesecake doesn’t sink into the brownie, and the cookie dough doesn’t sink into the cheesecake! This way, you get beautifully distinct, perfectly-set layers.
What Pan Should I Bake Brownie Bottom Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars in?
How to Store Brownie Bottom Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
Whole pans or slices of Brownie Bottom Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
We have not tried freezing these bars. If you need to make these ahead, I recommend making the brownie layer, allowing it to cool entirely, wrapping the whole pan well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and freezing for up to a month. When you’re ready to proceed, thaw the brownie layer in the fridge overnight, and allow to come to room temperature, before adding and baking the final layers.
Serving Brownie Bottom Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
- These Brownie Bottom Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars are easiest to slice when they’re chilled.
- The cheesecake layer requires that these be stored in the fridge anyway.
- Remove the bars from the pan and slice them on a cutting board.
- Using a big sharp knife, run the blade under hot water and carefully wipe off in between cuts.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
For the brownies:
-
1
stick (113 grams) unsalted butter,
melted
-
1
cup
(200 grams) granulated sugar
-
1
cup
(85 grams) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
-
1/4
teaspoon
fine salt
-
1/2
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
2
large eggs,
at room temperature
-
1/2
cup
(62 grams) all-purpose flour
For the cookie dough:
-
4
tablespoons
(57 grams) unsalted butter,
at cool room temperature
-
1/3
cup
(67 grams) packed light brown sugar
-
1/4
cup
(50 grams) granulated sugar
-
1/4
teaspoon
fine salt
-
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
2
tablespoons
milk
-
3/4
cup
(95 grams) all purpose flour
-
1/2
cup
(80 grams) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
For the cheesecake filling:
-
2
(8 ounce, 227 gram) packages cream cheese,
at room temperature
-
1/2
cup
(100 grams) granulated sugar
-
2
large eggs,
at room temperature
-
1
tablespoons
all-purpose flour
-
1/4
teaspoon
fine salt
For the brownies:
-
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8×8-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang.
-
In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir until well combined. Mixture will be thick. Allow to cool if the butter is still hot. Stir in the vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time, stirring very well after each addition. Stir until the batter is very well blended. Add the flour and stir to combine. Spread into prepared pan.
-
Bake for 15 minutes, or until just starting to set but not fully cooked. Allow to cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge to chill until ready to use while you make the other layers. Maintain 325°F oven temperature if baking next layers immediately.
For the cookie dough:
-
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk until smooth, about 2 minutes. On low speed, gradually add the flour and beat until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment and roll into an 8-inch square. Refrigerate while you prepare the cheesecake batter.
For the cheesecake:
-
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and sugar until well combined and smooth. Beat in the eggs, flour, and salt just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter over the cooled brownie layer. Place the cookie dough sheet over the cheesecake batter.
-
Bake at 325°F for about 50 minutes, or until the cheesecake is set and the cookie dough is barely golden brown but dry. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cut into 12 bars before serving.
-
For clean cuts, use a big sharp knife and run it under hot water and carefully wipe it off between slices. Bars can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
This recipe was originally posted in 2013 and updated with weight measurements and more baking tips. Photos by Jess Larson.
Something went wrong with mine. I reread the instructions at least 6 times to make sure prepared and baked this dessert correctly. I didn’t miss anything and right about the 52 min mark my cookie layer looked like it was getting a little too golden brown, almost burnt. So i pulled it out and let sit for the 2 hours but when i went to cut it into bars, the cheesecake and the brownie layer were not cooked nearly enough to be eatable. the cookie later came out perfect though. Any ideas on what what wrong?
Canni double this for a 13×9 pan?
Hi! I will do it tomorrow!! Just one question: is it 2x 227g of cream cheese or 227g total? Thanks!
This recipe is insanely decadent and delicious. I’ve given a few bars away to friends and neighbours who can’t believe how good these are. It’s a show stopper for sure. If you’re going to make this, I would say freeze the cookie dough layer as I found it very floppy and messy when trying to place it over top the cheesecake later. You could also mark out an 8×8 square on the parchment paper and get it correctly shaped. You’ve only got one shot at getting that cookie layer on.
Hi what if my pan is 9×13? What will be the exact measurement?
What if my pan is 9×13? What would be the measurement
so good! i wish the cheescake filling was a little sweeter and the cookie dough layer was thicker, but it was so rich and delicious! took about 2 hours and then we waited another 2 for it to cool. thank you!
They are awesome! I made 36 bite sized slices (3cm each slice), I think. At first I thought they are too rich, but after a few minutes I’m craving for more, hehe. I gave some to my friends, and they love it! They are asking for more, haha!
Made this for my sons Birthday and he loved it! I used a 10 inch springform pan and it turned out beautifully. Husband said to definitely put it in the “keeper” folder! If you are a dark chocolate lover, this is for you. Slightly reminiscent of a cannoli too!
DELICIOUS, but I followed the cooking times and found it a little undercooked. I made the brownie layer the day before, so that probably didn’t help, but it was like a firm ganache and the cheesecake layer was still pretty liquid, while the cookie layer was perfectly firm. I’m definitely going to make again; I plan on adding the cheesecake layer & cooking without the cookie dough for 15 mins, then I’ll add it.
This happened to me too. Did letting the cheesecake layer bake before adding cookie dough later work?
Question! I’m going to try these for a party but need more than 12, can I double the recipe and make it in a 9 x 13 pan??
Turned out perfect! This dessert is such a hit for any kind of dessert lover since you have brownie, chocolate chips and cookie dough! I could eat these all day long
Made these yesterday for a friend’s birthday. They turned out perfect. As pretty as they are delicious. Thank you for the recipe! I’ll definitely be making them again.
Would it be possible to make the “crust” a chocolate chip cookie instead of brownie? If so, would I par bake??
I haven’t tried that! I would par bake 🙂
Hi there! Hopefully I didn’t miss this question in the thread but I don’t think I saw it… If I am running low on time, would box brownies work alright? Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! 🙂
Hi!
Can these be frozen?
Wondering the same! Did you freeze them with good results? 😀
I would also like to know if they can be frozen
I did the recipe, and we all found it gorgeous, what is different is the cheesecake layer, that was thinner than the one I see in the picture. The cream cheese quantity is 227 grams or 227 x 2 = 454 grams? ThanksI have felt in live with your site, Tessa! I write from Italy. Patrizia
I baked your recipe today. It was a hit. Everybody likes it so much. Super delicious the 3 blend together with crunchy cookie on top. Thank you so much for the superb recipe
Just want to make sure…. 2x 227g of cream cheese or 227g total?
Yuuuummmmm!!! This recipe took longer than most, but it is super yummy. I got lots of raves after taking it to the office. Thanks, Tessa, for sharing all your amazing recipes.
Unfortunately, I only have a glass 8×8 pan. How much longer does it need to bake for? Does it help baking it at 350 vs 325? Also, how do you know when it’s done? It doesn’t jiggle anymore?
This is somewhat similar to questions you’ve gotten before, but I don’t see this mentioned elsewhere. I’ve made this recipe twice now, anad both times I’ve made the cookie and cheesecake layers after the brownies are out of the oven. But when I’m done mixing the two upper layers, the brownie layer is still warm. Should I wait for the brownies to come all the way to room temperature? Or is it okay to make the brownies, mix the upper layers while they cool, and add the two upper layers with the brownies still somewhat warm?
Just a quick question — the brownie recipe calls for 1 cup cocoa or 85 grams. It doesn’t look like they’re equivalents. 85 grams is showing up more like 2/3 cup. Which seems like the right measurement to follow? Thanks!
These are one of the best things that I’ve ever baked! I ended up doubling the cookie dough layer, and they were amazing.
Yay!! Thanks for sharing, Hayden 🙂
For the cookie dough use 2tbs milk (the liquid one or the condensed milk?). Thank you.
Would it be possible to bake this as a regular cheesecake as opposed to bars?
What do you mean by “vanilla”? Vanilla extract? Vanilla paste? Pure vanilla straight from the pods?
Can’t wait to try this delicious looking recipe. I see there are no eggs in the cookie dough layer. Is this correct?
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! My family and friends loved it!!!! I doubled it and used a roasting pan. I love cooking from scratch and this is the only recipe I found. You definitely have to try it!
I made these yesterday and they were perfect. I cut them to big, though. I accidently left out one of the cream cheese blocks (oopsie) but they turned out and they didn’t have to set as long before eating (because they still had the eggs and flour for two blocks). Also, I made them in the stand mixer each part right after the other and I didn’t wash the bowl between. Totally fine. I’m not into doing dishes.
May i know how much butter used in gram unit since i am from malaysia. The amount per stick might be different
I just made them, I added a can of raspberry pie filling, chilled over night they were to die for .I put the pie filling on top of the cheesecake, there goes the scales lol
Where can I buy the mould/case for the square brownie recipe
Just made these last night. It was pretty easy. I didn’t wanna wait for the brownies to cool, so I maintained the oven temperature and finished the process. I did let it cool the full two hours in the fridge, and they turned out beautiful and very very good!
Hi there, just wondering if these can be frozen??
I made these for a get together, I was attending. They went over very well. Just a couple of comments. First, the amount of coco powder, made the brownies over powering. All you could taste is chocolate. The second comment is a tip. When placing the cookie top, role it between two layers of wax paper, approximately the same size that you need. Then place in freezer for ten minuets to stiffen. Then place the cookies on top.
I made these for a party and they were gone almost instantly! Everyone loved them and raved about them. I accidentally added double the butter to the cookie dough, so I ended up just doubling all the other ingredients to correct the ratio, and then I divided it in half, and baked it into cookies, which were great! Thanks for the recipe
Wonderful, Lizzy! Glad you made it work.
After a lot of search for a perfect brownie bottom cheesecake I finally found your blog. Loved the recepie. gonna make it soon. Im planning to do a caramel cheesecake though with cheesecake later then caramel layer topped with another cheesecake layer n then bake. do you think I’ll need more batter and would it still bake in time without making brownies dry. Also there is no water bath in this cheesecake should I use one or it doesn’t need. Thanks.
Hi Hana! That sounds delicious 🙂 I’m really not sure about your ideas and how they might work. I think you’ll need to experiment. You can always get enough ingredients to make more cheesecake batter in case you ned it. Also cheesecake bars don’t require a water bath.
Just made these and though I had to bake them for an extra 10 minutes, they got rave reviews! Thanks for sharing, this is a keeper 🙂
Wonderful, Claire!!
Do you have a recipe to do this the lazy way with boxed brownie mix and cookie dough? I’m not a great baker.
Hi! These look amazing! I want to make them in cupcake form.. any suggestions for the cooking times?
OMG these look amazing!! trying to experiment with a variety of different brownie recipes over the summer to find the ‘perfect’ brownie recipe, definatey gonna give these a go!
Just tryed this recipe and it was so yummy!!
Thank you!!
yum! yum! don’t know what to say. this just look so perfect!
by a stick of butter, how many cups are we talking?
Can you use a 9×13 pan instead of an 8×8?
Made these yesterday for my hubby’s birthday. He loves The Cheesecake Factory’s Kahlua Cocoa Cheesecake so I used this recipe and some ideas I had read from other websites to recreate it. He absolutely loved it! The consistency of both the brownie and the cheesecake were great, despite needing some tweeking after adding more ingredients to both the brownie and the cheesecake! Will definitely use again!!
Awesome! So glad you were able to make the recipe work for your hubby’s birthday.
Um, your directions were NOT clear about letting the brownies cool to room temp. Yes, you said, “Let cool to room temp…”; however, in the recipe you also said to maintain the oven temp if making the cheesecake immediately. So, which is it, or are both acceptable?
The recipe assumes that once you remove the brownies from the oven you won’t immediately have the cookie dough layer and the cheesecake layer ready to put on top of the brownies. So, while you prepare those two layers, you can keep the oven on (so you won’t have to preheat it again) WHILE the brownies sit and cool. When I made this recipe I found that timeframe worked perfectly. OR, if you don’t have time to finish the recipe, you can turn off the oven, pop the brownies in the fridge, and come back to the kitchen at some later point to finish the cookie dough cheesecake layers. Does that answer your question?
Do I have to let the brownies cool to room temp before adding the cream cheese batter?
The directions are clear on that: ” Let cool to room temperature then place in the fridge to chill until ready to use.”
Hi Tessa, these look so lovely I’m going to make them tomorrow. Could you tell me, is the oven temperature for a fan oven or electric? Mine is fan assisted so am not sure what temp to bake at. Thanks x
The oven temperature is for electric. I’m not sure what that would convert to for a fan assisted oven though.
Making these for Sunday……..any reason I couldn’t use regular morsels? I have them here already………and, I like Christina’s addition to the cheesecake layer, but I’ll be adding an orange liqueur since again, that’s what’s in the house 🙂
No reason! Regular morsels should work just fine. Orange liqueur sounds absolutely delish. Happy baking 🙂
Oh my! Thank you for this recipe! I made it today to serve on Sunday for the Superbowl. It is so impressive looking and the taste is to die for! Super rich, definitely something you can cut into tiny squares and make it go a long way. I did tweak it a little and added baileys to the cheesecake layer for a little extra indulgence hehe.
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe! Baileys sounds scrumptious – love that addition!
I saw these on Food Gawker and I cannot wait to try them. Browsed your blog, I’ll definitely be following on Pinterest. You’re making me hungry.
These are so genius!!!! Love!
I want to repeat this! I’ll try:)
I could definitely eat an entire pan.
These bars look like they would definitely be worth the dirty dishes involved! Love that cookie dough layer!
Totally irresistible! A pan of these would be purely dangerous for me!
Um …. yeah, I’d definitely eat these every day. Definitely.
Is it wrong that I WOULD eat these every day? I may have indulgence issues.