These Monster Cookie Cheesecake Bars have a monster cookie crust, a vanilla cheesecake center and more monster cookies on top! The cookie crust and topping is packed with peanut butter, oatmeal, m and m’s and chocolate chips.
Quick Tips
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper to allow for easy removal of your cheesecake bars
- Use Jif creamy peanut butter in the monster cookie dough for best results (runnier natural brands will work, but the consistency of the dough will change)
- Allow the cheesecake bars to chill in the fridge overnight for best taste and texture
Equipment
- 8×8 baking pan
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Medium-large mixing bowls
- Silicone spatulas
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Parchment paper (optional)
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter: salted butter is OK too (just reduce added salt to ¼ teaspoon)
- Creamy peanut butter: Jif or Skippy brand is recommended. Natural brands will produce a different texture of cookie
- Old fashioned oats (rolled oats): quick oats will work in a pinch, but old fashioned oats are recommended for best texture
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar: dark brown sugar is OK too
- Baking soda
- Salt: reduce to ¼ teaspoon if using salted butter
- Cream cheese
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour: for aid in thickening the cheesecake batter
- M&M’s
- Chocolate chips: semi-sweet chocolate chips are recommended, but dark or milk chocolate chips will work too!
Try some of these other cheesecake bars!
- Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars
- Brownie Bottom Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars
- Toffee Cheesecake Bars
- Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars
How to make Monster Cookie Cheesecake Bars
These monster cookie cheesecake bars are super simple to make and can be broken down into three simple steps.
- Make the monster cookie dough and bake the crust
- Make the cheesecake batter
- Assemble the monster cookie cheesecake bars
How to make the monster cookie dough
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer to cream the softened butter, peanut butter and sugar on high for 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl once complete.
Next, add the egg, vanilla extract, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl again.
Add the oats in 2-3 portions, mixing after each addition. Scrape down the bowl once complete.
Fold in the chocolate chips and m&m’s using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon.
Line your 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper (for easy removal later) and press half of the cookie dough evenly throughout the bottom of the pan. Set the rest of the cookie dough aside for later. Use an extra sheet of parchment paper to press the cookie dough down as much as possible to ensure that you get a thin and even layer of cookie dough for the crust.
Bake the crust for 8-12 minutes or until it has just begun to brown. You can make the cheesecake layer while the crust cooks.
How to make the cheesecake layer
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese in a separate bowl until smooth. Scrape down the bowl once complete.
Add the sugar, vanilla extract and flour. Beat on medium-high until smooth. Scrape down the bowl once complete.
Add in the egg and beat on low-medium until just combined. Do not over beat. Scrape down the bowl once complete and fold the batter a few times with a silicone spatula to ensure that it is mixed well.
How to assemble the monster cookie cheesecake bars
Pour the cheesecake batter over the cooked crust. Use a spatula to gently smooth it out. The crust can still be hot when you do this.
Grab handfuls of the remaining monster cookie dough and use your fingers or palms to press them into as thin of a layer as possible. Evenly place the cookie dough around the pan, topping the entire cheesecake layer with the remaining monster cookie dough. The dough will spread slightly as it bakes, so it’s okay if there are a few gaps.
Bake the cheesecake bars at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the topping (and the edges of the cheesecake) begins to brown. The cheesecake may still jiggle, and that’s okay.
Remove the cheesecake bars from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature before moving them to the fridge to set (for at least 4 hours, but preferably wait overnight before you enjoy them).
Try these other monster cookie recipes!
Monster Cookie Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- Hand or stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 8×8 baking pan
- Parchment paper (optional)
- silicone spatula
Ingredients
For the monster cookie crust and topping
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter 6 ounces
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 cups rolled oats (old fashioned oats)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup m&m's
- ½ cup chocolate chips
For the cheesecake layer
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions
To make the monster cookie dough
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugar on high for 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl once complete.
- Add in egg, vanilla extract, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl once complete.
- Add oats in 2-3 portions, mixing after each addition. Scrape down the bowl once complete.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and m&m's using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon.
- Line the 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper (for easy removal later) and press half of the cookie dough evenly throughout the bottom of the pan. Set the rest of the cookie dough aside for later.
- Bake the crust for 8-12 minutes or until it has just begun to brown. Make the cheesecake layer while the crust cooks.
To make the cheesecake layer
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese in a separate bowl until smooth. Scrape down the bowl once complete.
- Add the sugar, vanilla extract and flour. Beat on medium-high until smooth. Scrape down the bowl once complete.
- Add in the egg and beat on low-medium until just combined. Do not over beat. Scrape down the bowl once complete and fold the batter a few times to ensure that it is mixed well.
- Pour the cheesecake batter over the cooked crust. Use a spatula to gently smooth it out. The crust can still be hot when you do this.
- Grab handfuls of the remaining monster cookie dough and use your fingers or palms to press them into as thin of a layer as possible. Evenly place the cookie dough around the pan, topping the entire cheesecake layer with the remaining monster cookie dough.
- Bake the cheesecake bars at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the topping (and the edges of the cheesecake) begins to brown. The cheesecake may still jiggle, and that's okay.
- Remove the cheesecake bars from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature before moving them to the fridge to set (for at least 4 hours, but preferably wait overnight before you enjoy them).
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