Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: The brownie layer has an intense chocolate/cocoa flavor, the cheesecake is tangy yet sweet, and the cookie dough layer tastes like brown sugar chocolate chip cookies!
Texture: Incredible. Rich, fudgy, thick, chewy, luscious, gooey, crunchy, everything you could ever want.
Ease: I will admit, this recipe requires a lot of steps and dirties a lot of dishes, though there are no difficult techniques. SO worth it, I promise!
Pros: Outrageously decadent dessert.
Cons: Not an everyday indulgence.
Would I make this again? Absolutely.
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!
Sprinkle of Science
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?
- For best results, use a light-colored metal 8-inch square baking pan.
- Darker metals can dry out the edges before the middle has a chance to bake through.
- Glass or ceramic pans will take much longer to bake, and can result in gummy middles.
- Learn more about Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans here.
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.
- Using a big sharp knife, run the blade under hot water and carefully wipe off in between cuts.
- Remove the bars from the pan and slice them on a cutting board.
Email This Recipe
Enter your email, and we’ll send it to your inbox.
Ingredients
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 sea 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 sea 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 sea salt
Instructions
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.
Notes
This recipe was originally posted in 2013 and updated with weight measurements and more baking tips. Photos by Jess Larson.
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.