Cheesecake Stuffed Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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One of my top favorite dessert combinations: brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars paired with a delicious cheesecake filling. These cookie bars are next-level and so easy to make.

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I think we all know by now how much I LOVE chocolate chip cookies and cheesecake paired together. These two desserts were made for each other. I’ve made a lot of varieties of this dessert combination over the years, but wanted to develop a classic, go-to recipe for all of you.

In my opinion, brown butter is a game changer. It takes every recipe up a notch by adding a delicious, nutty flavor. In this particular recipe, it pairs so well with both the chocolate chip cookie and the cheesecake. So for all of those who will ask if it’s necessary to brown the butter, I will say yes. It’s a simple, 3 to 5-minute step that will significantly elevate the taste of these cookie bars. Once you start browning your butter, you just never go back.

Now, I will stop rambling about my love for brown butter and cheesecake filled desserts — let’s get into this recipe!

Read on for the full recipe for these delicious Cheesecake Stuffed Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.

I’m aware that I’m a broken record about brown butter. And, it may be annoying to those who don’t like brown butter or don’t know how to brown butter. I will respect the opinion of those who don’t like it, but for those who don’t know how, I’m here to help walk you through it and show you just how easy it is to do. I have a feeling that once you successfully brown butter and bake something with it, that you will love it!

Before I walk through the process of browning butter, I do want to make a note that you cannot make a 1:1 swap for brown butter with melted butter. When butter is browned, it removes nearly all of the moisture from the butter. If you were to brown 1 stick/8 tbsp of butter and measure it next to 1 stick/8 tbsp of melted butter, you would see that you have significantly more melted butter than you do brown butter. With brown butter, some people choose to add that moisture back in when baking either with milk or water. However, I do not which is why it is not a 1:1 swap. Instead, I adjust my dry ingredients accordingly. So, if you choose to make these cookie bars and do not want to brown your butter, you will need to increase the amount of all-purpose flour that the recipe calls for. I recommend adding 1 tbsp of flour at a time until you reach the desired consistency for the cookie bar dough. Remember, this dough can’t be tacky as you will need to use half of it to layer over the cheesecake filling.

Now, let’s briefly walk through how to brown butter. Place the butter in a light-colored saucepan or pot over low to medium heat on the stove. You’re going to melt the butter as usual, stirring frequently so that nothing sticks to the pan or burns. After the butter has fully melted, it will begin bubbling. Continue to stir frequently. Within a few minutes, the butter will continue bubbling and may appear a bit foamy on top. The butter will begin changing in color from yellow to a golden, amber color. You will also see darker flecks at the bottom of the pan — these are toasted milk solids and are what gives the brown butter that delicious, nutty flavor.

Once the butter has reached that golden, amber color, remove it from the heat. Transfer the butter to a glass bowl or measuring cup and let it cool for 10 minutes before you begin assembling the cookie bar dough. It is extremely important that you let the brown butter cool as hot butter will impact how the butter combines with the other ingredients, which could alter the texture.

And, with that, you have successfully browned butter! It’s really not as difficult as it sounds. As with anything else, the more you do it, the better and more confident you will feel about it. Just a warning: you may want to add brown butter to all of your desserts after this.

Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this recipe for some additional tips for success and FAQs. Happy baking, friends!

Other recipes you may like:

• Chocolate Dipped Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Brown Butter Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Mini Chocolate Dipped M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Cheesecake Stuffed M&M Oreo Cookies
• The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Cream cheese
• Unsalted butter
• Granulated sugar
• Brown sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Semisweet chocolate chips
• Mini chocolate chips
• Flaky sea salt

Kitchen tools you’ll need (linking my favorites below!)

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups
• Spatula
• Whisk
• 9 inch square baking pan
• Parchment paper

How to make these dreamy Cheesecake Stuffed Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Prepare the cheesecake filling first. In a large bowl, mix together 12 oz. cream cheese, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, and 1½ tsp vanilla extract until it’s smooth. I like to use a spoon (not a whisk) to mix everything together. Chill in the refrigerator while you assemble the cookie dough.

Brown 14 tbsp unsalted butter on the stove over low to medium heat. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, combine 2¼ cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, 1½ tsp baking soda, and ¾ tsp salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1½ cups brown sugar, and the brown butter. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

Add 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk & 3 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk again until smooth.

Fold in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until a few flour streaks remain. Gently add in 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and ½ cup mini chocolate chips — do not overmix!

Spread half of the cookie dough in the prepared baking pan. Add the cheesecake mixture on top and spread into an even layer. Roll the remaining cookie dough into small balls and place on top of the cheesecake layer so that the cheesecake is fully covered.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes until the bars are set and golden on top. Start checking your cookie bars at the 25-minute mark. Note: everyone’s oven is different, so bake time will vary. Use the bake time listed as a guide and instead go by how the cookie bars look to determine when they’re done baking.

Take the cookie bars out of the oven and let them cool. Top with flaky sea salt. Once the pan has cooled, cover with tinfoil and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours (at least) or overnight before slicing. The recipe makes 12 larger or 16 smaller cookie bars.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Tips for success

• Measure your dry ingredients correctly! Before measuring out your flour, use a spoon and run through the flour, fluffing it up and removing any clumps. Then, spoon the ingredient into the measuring cup and use a flat top tool to level off the top and remove any excess. When measuring dry ingredients, you should always be using measuring cups like these as these are made to measure dry ingredients only. If you prefer to bake using grams and weighing your dry ingredients with a kitchen scale, this recipe can easily be converted using an online conversion calculator like this one from Inch Calculator. I bake using volume measurements (cups) which is why I do not include metric conversions.
• I say this in all of my posts: use the bake time listed as a guide ONLY. Oven temperatures vary, so while my cookie bars may be done baking in 30 minutes, yours may take an extra 5 minutes. This is totally normal. For this reason, always go by how the cookie bars look to determine if they should be removed from the oven. The cookie bars are done baking when they are golden on top (note: these will bake up darker because of the brown butter) and set. While they may have a slight/very minor jiggle, they should not jiggle a lot.
• Let the cookie bars set before slicing. This is a must. It may be the most important step of them all. If you slice your cookie bars too soon, they will be very messy. With a traditional cookie bar recipe you may not care if they fall apart a little bit, but you must let these set because of the cheesecake layer. Let the pan cool completely, then place the cookie bars in the refrigerator to set for a least 2-3 hours. I know it’s hard to be patient, but the longer you let them set, the better they will be and the easier they will be to slice. I let mine set in the refrigerator overnight and they’re perfect every single time.
• A few more routine tips: 1) use room temperature ingredients, 2) do not overmix your cookie dough, and 3) let your butter cool before assembling the cookie dough. I know these all seem like such minor things, but trust me, they make a difference. I often get comments about why something didn’t bake up properly or why it doesn’t look like mine and it usually is due to one of these tips that I have listed in this section. When I first started baking, I didn’t do all of these things. But, after spending so many hours in the kitchen and trying hundreds of different recipes, I’ve learned that they absolutely make a difference which is why I list them out in every single recipe.

FAQs

Can I freeze these cookie bars?

Yes! Whenever I bake a batch of these cookie bars, I always make sure to stock my freezer! Place them in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat them, set them out on the counter for about 20-30 minutes so that they soften and come to room temperature prior to consuming.

Do I have to brown the butter?

I encourage you to scroll back up to the top of my post and give me one more chance to convince you to brown the butter — it makes SUCH A DIFFERENCE! Plus, it’s so easy to do. However, if you have chosen not to, please note that melted butter is not a 1:1 swap for the brown butter as melted butter contains more moisture. For this reason, you will need to add more all-purpose flour to your cookie dough. Add 1 tbsp of flour at a time until you reach the desired consistency. The cookie dough should not be tacky as you will need to use half of it to carefully layer over the cheesecake filling.

Can I double this recipe?

I haven’t tried it, but you should be able to easily. Simply double the ingredients and use a 9×13-inch pan. Baking temperature will remain the same, but the bake time may vary. I recommend checking your cookie bars at the 20-minute mark — from that point, check on the cookie bars every 1-2 minutes until they are done baking.

How to store

Store the cookie bars in an airtight container (these are my favorite!) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. If freezing, store the cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag. Set the cookie bars out on the counter for 20-30 minutes prior to eating so that they soften up a bit.

The perfect brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars that are paired with a delicious cheesecake filling. I think you already know this by now, but I’m OBSESSED. These are a constant repeat recipe for me for a good reason. Try them out and let me know what you think!

If you try this recipe, share and tag me on socials using @itsbrunchoklock or #itsbrunchoklock.