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 @ The Painted Hinge
Oh my goodness, I think I must have died and went to heaven because these look absolutely Divine.
Jocelyn Brubaker
I don't want to toot my own horn, buuuut "toot, toot!" They were pretty delicious! 😉 Thanks Michelle!
marcie
Cookie dough, cheesecake, chocolate, and pumpkin -- what a delicious combo! Your friend got even more deliciousness than she bargained for!
Jenny+Flake
Oh my goodness these look fantastic! Want!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Jenny!! 🙂
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet
I can only imagine how crazy good these bars are! Love love the chocolate pumpkin combo! Pinned!
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen
Seriously- If I already din't wish we lived closer!! You are kind of an awesome friend 🙂
Jocelyn Brubaker
Awww, so are you, sweet friend!!! 🙂
Trish+-+Mom+On+Timeout
I see a bar, any bar, with chocolate ganache on top and it's got my vote! These look heavenly Jocelyn! Pinned!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks for the pin love, girl!! 🙂
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
You definitely nailed this one, Jocelyn! Cheesecake cookie bars, filled with pumpkin?! Umm yes please! Pinned!
Aimee+@+ShugarySweets
I'm going to be in the mood for cheesecake next week. I'll take whatever you deliver, ahhaha!!
Seriously though, these look amazing 🙂
Jocelyn Brubaker
Haha, I'm on it! 😉 Thanks Aimee!!
Chels+R.
You are such a nice friend! You can never go wrong with cheesecake.
Jocelyn Brubaker
That's always been my motto!! 😉 Thanks Chels!
Karly
Love love love these layered bars!
Zainab @Blahnik Baker
Pumpkin cheesecake rules the day!! But chocolate is the ultimate addition 🙂 Love love these bars!!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Zainab!! And yes, pumpkin cheesecake should always have chocolate by it's side! Or in this case, on the top and bottom! 😉
Jen @ Baked by an Inrtovert
I always love your crazy dessert combinations. These look amazing. So rich and fudgy. And that pumpkin cheesecake, YUM! Pinning.
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Jen! 🙂
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction
Love how rich and fudgy these bars looks! Pumpkin cheesecake is a favorite around here!
Sarah @ The Gold Lining Girl
These look amazing! Your desserts are some of my absolute favorites. I never knew a cheesecake I didn't like, and these look incredible. I'd have to be an alien to not be into the pumpkin + chocolate combo!! Haha! 🙂
Jocelyn Brubaker
That's so awesome to hear!! Thank you so much Sarah!! 😉
Melanie @ Carmel Moments
These look incredibly decadent! My kind of dessert.
Love that you are the go-to dessert girl. That's who I like to be too. 🙂
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Melanie!! 🙂
Amy @ A Healthy Life For Me
OH yes, I will take a stack of those, gorgeous!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness
We're brain twins today - we both posted pumpkin cheesecake creations! Clearly, we have good taste 😉 I am loving that creamy cheesecake with all that chocolate goodness girlfriend! Pinned!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Yay for being brain twinsies!! 😉 And thanks for pinning, sweet girl! 🙂
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel
You're seriously the queen of layered desserts and bars! Love these!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Rachel! There's something just so crazy good about layered desserts!! 😉
Lisa @ Garnish with Lemon
I like your friends 🙂 Cheesecake is always a winner in my book too! Love this!
Mir
You're a great friend, Jocelyn! When my friends sniff around me house for leftover baked goods, they have to take what I already made! Unless it's their birthdays.
This is such a great recipe! I love all that ganache, too. That plus cheesecake and chocolate equals a total winner!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Mir! 🙂