Cheesecake Cookie Bars

A cookie crust made from a box mix of cake layered with cream cheese and topped with a tender crumble mixture makes a super easy recipe for Cheesecake Cookie Bars!

This recipe can be mixed up in 15 minutes with ingredients you likely already have on hand.

Easy Cheesecake Cookie Bars

If you crave a simple plain cheesecake and a cookie this recipe is for you! This is the EASIEST way I’ve ever made a cheesecake-like dessert and everyone loves them! This is the kind of dessert that you can’t stop eating, these cookie bars are mildly addicting!

In these days where comfort food and simple baking recipes rule this recipe really hit the spot! It’s similar to our Gooey Butter Cake which mixes cream cheese into the box mix rather than having a separate cream cheese layer.

Our extremely popular Cinnamon Cream Cheese Bars and Chocolate Cream Cheese Crescent Bars have a layer of cream cheese sandwiched in between two layers of crescent dough.

Bar cookies like Peanut Butter Caramel Bars are favorite in our house because it’s so easy to adjust the size of your dessert. Cut into small squares, thin rectangles or large squares if you’ve really got something to celebrate.

When I think of a cheesecake dessert I think of our Buckeye Cheesecake which is delicious, but it takes a little more time to make. So we love that a friend shared this much easier cheesecake type dessert that has hands-on time of 15 minutes or less.

We also enjoy a Mini Cheesecakes in a Dessert Bar and a no-bake 10 Minute Berry Cheesecake with pie filling on top.

Cream cheese is actually one of our favorite ingredients to use in desserts, stuffed bell peppers, sausage dips, and fruit dips! The richness that dairy products add to a meal can be enchanting!

Ways to Customize

These cream cheese bars with cake mix are just a basic, easy to make yet reliable dessert. I think of our Chocolate Delight and Texas Brownies. These cheesecake bars are very similar in that they are a classic potluck or picnic food. When you take a classic, simple recipe it’s one of the first dishes to empty out because people love familiarity with their food.

If you want to make variations to this classic peanut butter could be mixed in the cream cheese and chocolate chips sprinkled on top.

Mini chocolate chips could be mixed in the cream cheese layer or just sprinkled on top after baking.

Raspberry preserves have been a recent favorite in our Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies and Raspberry Crumb Cake Bars, extra jam could be spread on top after baking.

Garnishing with fresh fruit like strawberries and blueberries is another great way to spruce up this light cheesecake dessert!

While we love how good this cheesecake cookie is plan, the options to add toppings or mix-ins to customize are endless, so be creative!

Another easy recipe that starts with a box of cake mix to make cheesecake and chocolate cake bars is our Marble Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars.

How to Make Cheesecake Cookie Bars

In a mixing bowl I typically use a wooden spoon to stir up the cake mix, vegetable oil and 1 egg. Stir until the mixture is nice and crumbly. The size of the crumbs should be roughly even. Measure out about 1/3 cup of the crumbly mixture and set aside to sprinkle on top later.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9 x 13″ baking pan. Press the remaining crumble mixture into an even layer in the pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

While the first layer is baking use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, remaining egg, sugar and lemon juice. Pour over crust and use a spatula to clean the mixing bowl and spread the mixture out in an even layer.

Sprinkle the crumbles evenly over the top and bake for 15 more minutes at the same temperature.

Other Easy All-American Dessert Recipes:

• Big Batch of Brownies
• Chocolate Syrup Brownies
• Strawberry Banana Split Cake
• Cream Puff Cake
• Pineapple Pretzel Salad

Printable Cheesecake Cookie Bars Recipe