Name: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 0.5 cup Unsalted Butter (softened); 0.5 cup Shortening; 0.5 cup Granulated Sugar; 1 cup Packed Brown Sugar; 2 Large Eggs; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 0.5 tsp Table Salt; 0.5 tsp Baking Soda; 2.5 cups All-Purpose Flour; 0.5 cup Dark Cocoa Powder; 1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips; 8 oz (1 package) Cream Cheese (softened); 0.5 cup Granulated Sugar (for filling); 1 Large Egg (for filling); 0.5 cup Creamy Peanut Butter; 12 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (frozen and chopped); 0.75 cup Dark Chocolate Chips (for drizzle); 1 teaspoon Shortening (for drizzle)

Jump to Recipe

If you are a die-hard fan of the classic chocolate and peanut butter combination, get ready to meet your new favorite dessert. These chocolate peanut butter cheesecake cookie bars combine three incredible treats into one spectacular sheet pan dessert: a rich, chewy dark chocolate cookie base, a silky peanut butter cheesecake core, and a loaded topping of frozen chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups.

With their striking contrasting layers and bakery-style chocolate drizzle finish, these bars look incredibly fancy but are surprisingly easy to press out and bake. They are the absolute perfect treat for feeding a crowd at potlucks, game-day parties, or casual family dinners.

chocolate peanut butter cheesecake cookie bars

Why You’ll Love These Stuffed Bars

The Ultimate Trio Texture: You get a dense chew from the dark cocoa cookie dough, a velvety tang from the cheesecake filling, and an intense chocolate crunch from the candy toppings.
Effortless Crowd Pleaser: Baking these as a solid 9×13 sheet pan means you get 24 premium dessert bars out of a single baking session—no rolling individual cookie balls required.

Gourmet Drizzle Finish: A quick, glossy melted chocolate finish makes these squares look like they stepped straight out of a professional bakery display case.

Master Ingredients List

1. The Fudgy Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough

0.5 cup Unsalted Butter (softened): Brings that classic rich, buttery foundation.
0.5 cup Shortening: Helps the cookie bars stay incredibly soft and tender.

0.5 cup Granulated Sugar & 1 cup Packed Brown Sugar: Provides the perfect balance of crisp edges and chewy centers.
2 Large Eggs & 1 tsp Vanilla Extract: For structure and flavor depth.
0.5 tsp Table Salt & 0.5 tsp Baking Soda: The necessary lifting and balancing agents.

2.5 cups All-Purpose Flour: The bulk structure for our heavy dough.
0.5 cup Dark Cocoa Powder: Gives the cookie dough its signature, deep midnight-chocolate color.
1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips: Folded by hand for pure chocolate pockets.

2. The Loaded Reese’s Cheesecake Filling

8 oz (1 package) Cream Cheese (softened): Full-fat brick variety works best.
0.5 cup Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cream cheese base.

1 Large Egg: Binds the cheesecake layer together seamlessly during baking.
0.5 cup Creamy Peanut Butter: For that deep, authentic salty-sweet nut flavor.
12 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: Frozen first, then coarsely chopped into chunky bits.

3. The Professional Bakery Drizzle

0.75 cup Dark Chocolate Chips: The glossy foundation for our glaze.
1 teaspoon Shortening: Thin out the chocolate to make it beautifully pourable and shiny.

Step-by-Step Baking and Layering Guide

Quick Recipe Overview

Metric	Details
Prep Time	40 minutes
Bake Time	30 minutes
Total Time	1 hour 10 minutes (plus cooling)
Yield	24 Indulgent Bakery Slices

1.Whip Up the Dark Cocoa Dough :10 mins.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a standard 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, shortening, granulated sugar, and packed brown sugar together until light and creamy. Beat in the 2 eggs and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk the salt, baking soda, flour, and dark cocoa powder together, then slowly mix into the wet base. Stir in 1 cup of dark chocolate chips by hand.

2.Press the Foundation Layer :5 mins.

Take exactly half of your prepared dark chocolate cookie dough and press it firmly and evenly across the bottom surface of your prepared 9×13 pan to form a solid crust. Set the pan aside.

3.Mix the Peanut Butter Cheesecake Core :10 mins.

In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar together until completely smooth and lump-free. Add the egg and creamy peanut butter, beating again until uniform. Fold in your frozen, chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups by hand, then pour this luscious filling directly over your bottom cookie dough layer.

4.Top and Bake Until Set :35 mins.

Take spoonfuls of your remaining chocolate cookie dough, flatten them out gently between your hands, and place them across the top of the cheesecake layer like jigsaw puzzle pieces (some cheesecake peeking through is totally fine!). Bake for 30 minutes. Let the bars cool at room temperature for 1-2 hours, then refrigerate until cold.

5.Drizzle with Glossy Chocolate :10 mins.

Melt your 0.75 cup of dark chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon of shortening in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts, stirring until smooth. Spoon the chocolate into a plastic baggie, snip off a tiny corner, and drizzle beautiful zigzag patterns across the chilled bars. Return to the fridge to set before slicing into 24 squares.

Pro Tips for the Cleanest, Perfect Squares 💡

Why Freeze the Reese’s Cups? Trying to chop room-temperature peanut butter cups will result in a sticky, smashed chocolate mess. Freezing them for 20 minutes beforehand hardens the inner peanut butter filling, allowing your knife to slice through them cleanly into neat, distinct chunks.
The Flattened Dough Sandwich Hack: Do not try to drop heavy lumps of cookie dough directly over raw, wet cheesecake filling, or it will sink right to the bottom. Flattening small spoonfuls of dough between your palms first creates thin, lightweight “shingles” that float effortlessly on top of the cream.
The Refrigeration Requirement: Cutting into these bars while they are still warm from the oven will cause the cream cheese filling to ooze out messily. For neat, sharp, clean bakery-style squares, let the pan chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Storage and Freezing Guidelines

Because of the fresh cream cheese layer, these stuffed bars must live in the refrigerator. Wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap or transfer individual squares to an airtight container and store for up to 5 days.

Freezer Instructions: These bars freeze exceptionally well! Wrap the cut squares individually in plastic wrap, stack them inside a heavy-duty freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Simply thaw a square in the refrigerator for an hour before indulging.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

Calories: 374
Total Fat: 22g (Saturated Fat: 10g, Unsaturated Fat: 10g)
Cholesterol: 47mg
Sodium: 171mg
Carbohydrates: 41g (Sugar: 26g, Fiber: 2g)
Protein: 6g