Cheesecake Cookie Bars (Easy No-Fuss Recipe)
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Cheesecake Cookie Bars combine the best of two desserts. A smooth and creamy layer of cheesecake sits between a soft cookie crust and a delicious cookie crumble.
This recipe was originally posted in 2017 and has been updated to improve reader experience.
When you look at a layered dessert, do you think of all of the time, dirty dishes and consuming steps? This Cheesecake cookie bar recipe is quick and easy to make.
These cheesecake bars taste like a fancy cheesecake without all of the fuss.
We’ve found a few of our recipes in the recipe box my 94-year-old mother-in-law gave us a few years ago including this simply delicious Cheesecake Cookie Bar recipe.
The thing that intrigued us about this recipe is that a lot of cheesecake bars look more like a cookie bar.
This Cheesecake Cookie Bar looks like actual an actual square of cheesecake in my humble opinion. That makes them a little fancier than a cookie bar right?
Why we like these Cheesecake Cookie Bars
- Unlike making an actual cheesecake, these cheesecake bars don’t require a water bath!
- There’s no peering into the oven waiting for them to take on the perfect jiggle to indicate they’re done…and,
- There’s no dreading the infamous crack in the surface!
- This recipe makes a full 9×13 pan!
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Ingredients you will need
- Brown Sugar
- Butter
- Flour
- Walnuts
- Cream Cheese
- White Sugar
- Eggs
- Milk
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla Extract
How to make this recipe for Cheesecake Cookie Bars
There are literally two steps for making this recipe. You’ve got the cookie ingredients and you have the cheesecake filling. Let us tell you how we did it.
- Make the cookie layer by beating the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the walnuts and flour to the butter mixture and blend together until crumbly.
- Reserve two cups and press the remaining cookie layer in the bottom of a 9×13 pan and bake. Remove the cookie crust from the oven and allow it to cool while you mix up the cheesecake filling layer.
- To make the cheesecake filling, combine the cream cheese and sugar together and mix until smooth. Add the egg, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
- Assemble the cookie bars by smoothing the cheesecake filling over the top of the baked and cooled crust with the filling. Sprinkle the reserved cookie crumble over the filling and bake.
- Chill. This dessert is meant to be eaten cold The filling will set making slicing easier. It’s great to make it ahead of time and cut it right before serving.
Helpful tips and variations
- Using room temperature ingredients is key. If your butter or cream cheese is cold, it will not beat smoothly with the other ingredients.
- We used walnuts in our cookie layer. You could substitute with pecans for a delicious variation.
- Make sure the cookie layer is cool before topping it with the filling. If it’s too warm, it can liquify the filling. You can even make the cookie layer earlier in the day and finish it later.
- Allow the bars to cool on a cooling rack and then refrigerate. These bars cut so much easier if they’re chilled.
- To cut these bars, use a sharp-pointed knife. Dip the knife in very hot water, dry it off and make your cut. Clean the knife and repeat.
Most of the time we want something that tastes like a fussy dessert that isn’t time-consuming like these No-Fuss Cheesecake Cookie Bars.
We don’t mind making time-consuming recipes when we have the time or in the mood but most of the time we want to make something that only tastes like it was fussy and time-consuming.
This recipe makes a full 9×13 pan. That’s a great size for us to take to family gatherings and the holidays.
Some say this size of the pan makes 24 servings.
If you have the knife, you can pick the size of your cookie bar!
If you like this Cheesecake Cookie bar recipe, here are a few more you may enjoy
- Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars
- Derby Pie Brownies
- No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
- White Chocolate Cheesecake
- Cappuccino Cheesecake Bars
Kitchen Gadgets
Hostess At Heart participates in affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my disclosure page for more information.
This recipe doesn’t require a lot of fancy equipment to put it together.
We still use this simple baking dish for our bar desserts and the workhorse in my kitchen is my mixer. Smoothing out the creamy cheesecake layer is a breeze with my favorite spatulas too.
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
So Good Cheesecake Cookie Bars Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup butter salted
- 2/3 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 16 oz cream cheese 2-8oz pkgs
- 2 eggs
- 4 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Cream butter with brown sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add walnuts and flour; mix to make a crumb mixture. Reserve 2 cups for topping. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned. Let the crust cool while you prepare the filling.
- Blend sugar with cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add egg, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat well. Spread over baked and cooled crust.
- Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over cream cheese layer. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Chill in the refrigerator before cutting. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
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My family liked this recipe a lot. I did add cinnamon to the crust/crumble. I also bought a can of apple pie filling. Cut the apples thinner and layered on top of the cheesecake before baking. Will definitely be making again.
That sounds amazing, Michelle and so glad your family enjoyed it! Your apple pie filling would be delicious especially with the touch of cinnamon.
I made these last week and they were okay but could use a little something to make them more favorable. The crust could have more sugar added to it since it didn’t have much flavor like a graham cracker crust. The cheesecake part was just okay. I don’t think I would make these again though.
Thank you, Christine for your imput.
Regular non stick spray in the pan?
Since the crust has butter in it you don’t have to spray the pan.
Have you tried drizzling caramel or strawberry on top?
That would be amazing!
@Julie Menghini, I’m going to try it. We have a “baking competition” at work and hopefully this will bring home the trophy!
I missed the “bake bottom crust” part 🙁 I hope they still turn out okay
Let me know, Ashlie!
Can I make this in a springform pan? If so, what size do you recommend?
You can, Rose. This easy recipe works perfectly in a 9×13 but a springform will work too. I’d use either 2 8-inch or you can make a thicker 9-inch springform pan. Here’s a cheat sheet that you can print off that can help you with this. https://hostessatheart.com/baking-pan-conversion-cheat-sheet/.
@Julie Menghini, Fabulous Julie!
Thank you! What pan did you end up using?
Question, do I need to cool the bottom crust before adding the cream filling?
Yes, you do. I usually make the crust first and by the time the filling is done the crust has cooled. If it’s too hot, it will liquify the filling.
@Julie Menghini, that should be mentioned! I just put it all back in the oven to finish but I didn’t know to cool the crust.please add to recipe.
Thanks, Jamie. It’s actually explained in the post and have clarified it in the recipe card. Thank you for your comment!
Wow! We ALL loved these! Made them to take to a friend’s house for dinner this week and everyone fell in love! Thank you for a recipe that will likely remain in our family for years to come! My husband is already asking when the next batch will be made…
Thank you for sharing, Kylie! I love feeding my family and friends especially when the enjoy what I’ve made and glad that you enjoyed this recipe as well.
Can these bars be made without the walnuts?
You can switch the walnuts for another nut such as pecans. I’ve never tried eliminating the nuts all together but I wouldn’t be afraid too. I believe that it would work fine.
What do you recommend to make this chocolate cheesecake?
Not sure what you’re asking Natalie? Do you have a question on the ingredients?
@Julie Menghini,
I am wanting to make this a chocolate cheesecake. Should I add cocoa powder?
Does anyone know if I could make these 3 days in advance? (Or even farther in advance would be great if I could freeze them)
Yes you can, Molly. They’ll keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll freeze well too.
5 stars here, we love these bars!! I made a batch and tucked some in the freezer for Thanksgiving – one dessert done!!
For anyone who wonders if these are as tasty as they look – I am here to tell you YES!! These are my go-to whenever I need to take dessert somewhere, and I always get asked for the recipe!
We love them too! Thank you!
I’m in love with the combination of textures in these base every bit as much as the flavor! They are so easy and good! I’m going to have to freeze some so I don’t eat them all right away!
Julie, these look fantastic (as do the other bars you link to in this post). If I get a chance to bake something before Christmas, I know where I’ll be looking for inspiration.
Hi James so happy that you’ve stopped by! Hope all is going well in your world. Did you ever manage to make it across the vast lands of Nebraska? I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
Julie,
I am so sorry I never got back to you about that. The original plan was to drive across the country, but then we ended up flying instead. Things are going pretty well – it’s been a crazy few months, but things are getting back to normal. I’ll have a post up in the next month or so on my blog, and you’ll see how insane things have been for me. Really want to get back in the kitchen more soon, though. Anyways, Merry Christmas to you, too!
I’ll be looking for that post and catching up James! Thank you!
I’m with you – I like making fancy stuff but so rarely have the time or motivation to actually do it. So quick, delicious desserts are right up my alley! These look fantastic!
Thank you so much, Melissa!
These look soul-rousing and absolutely delightful. Bookmarked!
Thank you! They really are good and easy to make!
Such a great idea! That topping looks superb!!
Thank you so much, Betty! We really enjoyed this one and it was easy to make too!
Could go for a half a sheet cake of this right now. Love the short ingredient list and looks like it could easily be converted to a low carb sugar dessert as well. Recipes handed down from family are the best!
Thank you so much! They are so easy and I had to put them on my danger list!
Finally get to this delicious looking treat Julie. Love all the layers, I can only imagine what this must taste like. It wouldnt last at my house for more than a day.
Thank you, Loretta! I really enjoyed these bars. They were so easy to make and ship off to Johns office so I didn’t devour the entire pan all by myself!
Me too! I rarely “pull out all the stops” with my desserts, but I do want them to taste like I did. These Cheesecake Cookie Bars Look like they’re worth the calories!
Thank you so much, Tamara ❤️
oooh! These look delicious!!
Thank you, Kristin!
I love that you have these delicious family recipes to share with all of us. These look delicious!
Thank you, Debbie! I love these easy peesy recipes too!
Absolutely loved it
Thank you, Sonal ❤️
We’re so on the same page. I’ve had cheesecake bars on the brain lately and I haven’t found a recipe that calls to me. These are calling my name though! YUM!
Thank you, Kelsie! I love having a quick and easy cheesecake recipe!