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Two caramel cheesecake stuffed chocolate chip cookie bars stacked.

Caramel Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Yield: 24 Bars (9X13-inch pan)
Prep Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:

  • 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 ⅓ cups (283 g) lightly packed brown sugar
  • ⅔ cup (141 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ¾ cups (391 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (340 g) chocolate chips

Caramel:

  • 11 to 14 ounces (312 to 397 g) soft caramels, unwrapped
  • 1 tablespoon cream

Cheesecake:

  • 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup (57 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper (helps with cleanup), and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  • For the cookie dough, in a large bowl, add the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir together until well-combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
  • Stir in the flour and chocolate chips and mix until combined and no dry streaks remain. Press half of the dough evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan.
  • For the caramel, combine the soft caramels and cream in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1-minute intervals at 50% power, stirring in between until melted and smooth. Drizzle the warm caramel over the cookie dough and spread into an even layer.
  • For the cheesecake filling, in a medium bowl, add the cream cheese and powdered sugar and mix with an electric mixer (stand mixer or handheld) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until evenly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Spread the cheesecake filling evenly over the caramel layer.
  • Take the remaining cookie dough and flatten into disc shapes, about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Place the flattened cookie dough over the top of the cheesecake layer. It's ok if there are small spaces; the entire top doesn't need to be completely covered just make sure it is mostly covered with cookie dough.
  • Bake the bars for 35-40 minutes until lightly browned on the edges and mostly set throughout. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate bars until well chilled, 2-3 hours (these bars taste even better the next day after chilling). Cut into squares and serve. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for several months.

Notes

Browning the Butter: before making the cookie dough will amp up the caramel flavor notes in these cookie bars. Not necessary but totally delicious.
Caramel: my favorite brand of soft caramels are the fleur de sel ones from Trader Joe's, but any soft caramel you've used in the past with good results will work (if using homemade caramel, you'll want about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups).