Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookie Bars: homemade chocolate cookie bars filled with a creamy pumpkin cheesecake layer. These are the perfect fall dessert for the chocolate lover in your life.
The other day I got a text from a friend wanting to know what goodies I would have a week from then. I really never know from day to day what I am going to be baking, so I asked what she would be craving the following week. Her response was cheesecake. She is definitely my kind of girl! Love me some cheesecake! And I love that I was her go to for dessert!
She also said that pumpkin cheesecake would be nice. Now I thought about making these Pumpkin Oreo Cheesecakes again, but this is me we are talking about. Any chance I get to make some new crazy dessert, I take it!
I decided that the pumpkin cheesecake needed to be wrapped inside some chocolate cookie dough. And topped with more chocolate. Can you tell I was in a chocolate kind of a mood?
Let me tell you...these bars were incredible. Rich chocolate and creamy pumpkin cheesecake in every bite.
My friend loved them. Our kids loved them. Our friends that we shared them with at dinner loved them. There was definitely a whole lot of love going on for these bars. I mean it is chocolate and pumpkin, so you can understand the love that was flowing, right?
If you can't see why there was so much love for these bars, then I'm guessing you are an alien. Or just someone who needs more chocolate and pumpkin in your life like yesterday.
Let's make some bars. Start by making the cookie dough first. Press half of it into a greased baking dish. Go ahead and spray some non stick spray on your hands to keep the dough from sticking as you press it in the pan. Then set the dish and the extra dough aside, while you mix up the cheesecake. Beat those ingredients together until it is creamy, then pour over the cookie dough in the pan.
Crumble the remaining cookie dough all over the top. It's ok if it isn't pretty. We are going to hide that with a creamy chocolate ganache. Like I said, these bars are full of chocolate goodness.
Now what are you waiting for? Get in your kitchen and make your own pan of goodness! I promise you are going to love these!!!
Recipe
Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookie Bars
Homemade chocolate cookie bars with a creamy pumpkin cheesecake baked in the center makes these a rich and delicious dessert for fall.
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cookie Bars
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup shortening
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ½ cup dark cocoa powder
For the Pumpkin Cheesecake
- 1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
For the Topping
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick baking spray.
- Beat the butter, shortening, and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again.
- Sift together the salt, baking soda, flour, and cocoa powder. Slowly beat into the butter mixture.
- Press half the dough into a greased 9x13 baking dish. You can spray your hands with non stick spray to keep it from sticking. Set aside the other half.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add the egg, pumpkin, and spice until thoroughly mixed. Spread over the cookie dough in the pan.
- Crumble the remaining cookie dough over the top of the cheesecake. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove and cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate until completely cooled and set.
- Bring the whipping cream to a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips until melted and creamy.
- Spread over the top of the cooled cookie bars and let it set. Cut into 24 squares. Keep refrigerated in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 284Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 144mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 4g
More delicious recipes that combine chocolate and pumpkin:
Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownie Pie
Caramel Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread
Michelle
These look SO, SO, GOOD!! My birthday is on Thanksgiving. My son who is a chef is going to make this for me.. Thank you for sharing. I can't wait!!!
Amanda
These bars look amazing!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Amanda! 🙂
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain
These cheesecake cookie bars are dynamite, Jocelyn! They would be awesome on a Halloween dessert table for sure. 😀 Pinning!
Cathy@LemonTreeDwelling
These bars look incredible....I'm sure your friends want to show up with empty containers for you to fill any chance they can! 🙂
Jocelyn Brubaker
Haha, that might be pretty accurate! 😉 Thanks Cathy!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes)
Oh I seriously need these right now! They look amazing!
Jen @ Yummy Healthy Easy
You are my kind of gal! These are like heaven in bar form, pinned!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Hehe! Thanks Jen! 😉
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter
Oh my gosh, these bars are gorgeous, Jocelyn! Your friend are so lucky to have you make them goodies 🙂 Love all the pretty layers - and that ganache is totally calling out to me! Yum!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Kelly!! The ganache was to die for! 😉
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting
I could just smash this right in my face!
Des+@+Life's+Ambrosia
These look absolutely perfect. Chocolate pumpkin perfection!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Des! 🙂
Julie @ This Gal Cooks
I seriously have a chocolate problem. These are making me want to eat fudgy brownie batter, which I may or may not have made brownies the other day, just so I could do that.
These look so darn good, Jocelyn!
Jaren+(Diary+of+a+Recipe+Collector)
I could devour one of these right about now! Loving that ganache topping!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Jaren! 🙂
Dorothy+@+Crazy+for+Crust
Oh my gosh Jocelyn!! This is off the chain amazing.