Cookies ‘n Cream Cheesecake Bars

You’ll find Oreo cookies stuffed inside this rich, chocolate cheesecake.  There’s a Pillsbury cookie dough crust on the bottom and a sweet chocolate ganache on the top.

Cookies ‘n Cream Cheesecake Bars

National Cheesecake Day. Simply the best food holiday there is.  Normally I don’t need an excuse to put down a slice or two of cheesecake.  Any kind…I’m not picky. I love cheesecake.

Unfortunately for me, this year I cannot indulge myself.

Matt and I are on day 10 of a Whole30 30-day clean eating plan.  After our summer traveling, we needed to push the reset button on our food choices. I like to control what I eat, and not have my cravings control me. Have you ever been there? The Whole30 is our favorite way to feel healthier quickly.

So that means no cheesecake for us this national holiday, possibly the best national food holiday ever.  Don’t feel too badly for us. We’re eating pretty well. Steaks, bacon burgers, homemade spaghetti sauce. We’ve truly come to love these sugar free, grain free, dairy free recipes.

But seriously, I really wish I could sit down with a plate of these Cookies ‘n Cream Cheesecake Bars.  Just today. Solely for the purpose of being festive for National Cheesecake Day.

Here’s what’s going on in these chocolate lover’s dream bars.

1.  Cookie Crust.  Pillsbury Cookies ‘n Creme Ready to Bake cookies to be exact. You’re going to press these into a square springform pan, round springform pan, or a square baking pan that has been lined with aluminum foil.

2. Chocolate Cheesecake Filling.  Seriously friends…chocolate cheesecake? With Oreos baked inside?  It doesn’t get much better than that.

3. Chocolate Ganache. Heat ½ a cup of heavy cream and pour it over 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Stir gently and watch those chips turn into a smooth, silky pool of chocolate.

4.  Chocolate Buttercream.  You could really stop at Step 3 if you’d like. We wanted to dress these bars up just a bit and put a pretty swirl of chocolate buttercream on top.  Because, you know, you can never have too much chocolate.

So celebrate. I need all of you to go out and enjoy a piece of cheesecake for me.  Please. Let me live through you.

Do you love cheesecake as much as I do? What’s your favorite kind?

Other Cheesecake Bars Recipes

• Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Bars
• Praline Cheesecake Bars
• Reese’s Butterfinger Cheesecake Bars
• Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
• Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
• Chocolate Chip Eggnog Cheesecake Bars

Cookies 'n Cream Cheesecake Bars

5 from 1 vote

Cookies 'n Cream Cheesecake Bars. Chocolate cheesecake with a Hershey's Cookies 'n Cream cookie crust and Oreos inside.

Servings 16

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

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Ingredients

 

• 1 package Pillsbury Ready To Bake!® Big Deluxe Cookies 'n Creme 16 ounces)
• 16 ounces cream cheese softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream warmed slightly to room temperature
• 1 cup chocolate chips melted
• 14 Oreo cookies quartered

Ganache:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chocolate frosting
• 2 Hershey's Cookies 'n Creme candy bars optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• To make these bars, use a square or round springform pan, or line an 8x8 baking pan with alumnium foil or parchment paper. Press the cookie dough into the bottom of the pan to form a crust.
• In a stand mixer, blend the softened cream cheese, sugar, and salt until the mixture is smooth. With the mixer still running, add the eggs, one at a time. Then add the sour cream and lastly the melted chocolate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl while the mixture is mixing and blend until it is smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Pour half of the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the quartered Oreo cookies on top. Then add the remaining cheesecake batter.
• Bake the cheesecake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until the cheesecake has set. Ours took 45 minutes exactly.
• While the cheesecake is cooling, prepare the ganache. In a small saucepan, warm the heavy cream until it is hot, but not boiling. Place the chocolate chips in a bowl and pour the warmed heavy cream over the chocolate chips, stirring until the chocolate is completely melted into the cream. Pour this ganache overtop the cheesecake bars and spread it out evenly. Allow the ganache to set. Once the cheesecake is at room temperature, store the cheesecake in the refrigerator. Allow the cheesecake to be in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.
• To prepare the optional buttercream, cream the butter in a stand mixer for about 3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanill and heavy cream and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Once the cheesecake has cooled, pipe the buttercream (with a 1M tip) in a pretty swirl on each bar, or simply use a spoon to put a dollop of buttercream on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 219mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 610IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2.8mg

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Calories 565

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Cheesecake recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.