Finals is a time where overeating sugary, fattening, and entirely over-processed foods is totally acceptable. But if you’re sick of eating Pringles or icing straight from the can, the recipe below is definitely for you (adapted from this recipe). Hint: make these a day before you want to eat them and serve cold. They will be delicious.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
What you’ll need:
Crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Cookie Dough:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used miniature)
Filling:
- 10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
What you’ll do:
- Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a 9″-square baking pan. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving enough to extend over the sides. Butter the parchment paper.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter until crumbs are moistened. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Press crust mixture into bottom of pan and 1 inch up sides. Bake for 6 minutes. Set pan on wire rack to cool.
- Using an electric mixer , mix butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth. Decrease mixer speed to low and add flour. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Shape into teaspoon size balls. Chill while making cheesecake filling.
- Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar just until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract, beating just until blended.
- Pour batter into baked crust. Drop cookie dough balls over the top of the filling.
- Bake about 30 minutes, or until set but still wobbly in center. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
- For chocolate topping, melt 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave (I melted them in a ziplock bag in the microwave). Add about ½ tablespoon of butter if necessary to make chocolate smooth. Drizzle over top of bars. Once the pan feels cool to the touch, chill the bars completely in the fridge overnight before cutting.
- Using the edges of the parchment paper, remove bars from pan. Cut into bars and serve!
