Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars – Shugary Sweets

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These Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars are like three desserts in one! A creamy cheesecake filling is layered with cookie dough and Reese’s cups on a homemade graham cracker crust. The ultimate cheesecake bar for chocolate and peanut butter lovers!

If this cheesecake sounds like your idea of a perfect dessert, you’ll love this Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip too. Or blow everyone away with these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cake!

Peanut butter cup cheesecake bars sliced into squares.

Why this Recipe is Best

Cookies, peanut butter cups and cheesecake: three of life’s bet things in one dessert!
Packed with mini Reese’s cups.
Perfect graham cracker crust.
Cut into bars for easy serving.

Never made cheesecake before?

Cheesecake bar recipes like this one are the perfect place to start. The cheesecake layer is covered with cookie dough and filled with real peanut butter cups for a decadent sweet treat no one can resist.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients needed to make peanut butter cheesecake bars.

Graham cracker crumbs – Make your own by pulsing whole graham crackers in a food processor until they form fine crumbs.

Cream cheese – Use the blocks of cream cheese (not cream cheese “spread” that comes in a tub) for your cheesecake filling.

Peanut butter morsels – I like the Reese’s peanut butter chips best in these peanut butter cheesecake bars. They taste just like the center of a Reese’s cup.

Mini peanut butter cups – These are baked in with the cheesecake so you get the irresistible combo of chocolate and peanut butter plus smooth vanilla cheesecake all in one bite. You can make our homemade peanut butter cups and cut into pieces if you like.

Easy Instructions

Step by step photos showing how to make peanut butter cheesecake bars.

How to make the graham cracker crust:

Combine graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and sugar. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a rimmed baking dish. Evenly distribute few mini peanut butter cups on top of the unbaked crust.

For the cheesecake filling:

Beat together all the filling ingredients with an electric mixer. Pour over the crust.

For the peanut butter cookie layer:

Combine the butter and sugar first, then stir in the remaining dough ingredients until combined. Fold peanut butter chips into the dough. Drop the dough by large scoops on top of the cheesecake.

Press the rest of your peanut butter cups into the top of the dough. Bake the cheesecake bars until the cookie layer is golden brown.

Tips and Tricks

Chill for at least 3 hours. The bars need several hours to get nice and cold. I recommend making these the day before so they can chill in the fridge overnight.
More chocolate: You can make this crust with Oreo cookie crumbs or chocolate graham crackers for even more chocolatey flavor.
How to store: Keep them tightly covered in the fridge. These peanut butter cheesecake bars stay good for several days in the refrigerator. You can freeze them for longer storage too!
Use our favorite peanut butter cookie dough for the topping instead!

Peanut butter cheesecake bars stacked on a white plate.

Recipe FAQs

What kind of pan do I need to make cheesecake bars?

I make these cheesecake bars in a standard 13 x 9 inch baking dish with raised sides (like a sheet cake pan or brownie pan).

How do you freeze cheesecake bars?

To freeze peanut butter cheesecake bars, place the cut bars on a sheet pan in a single layer. Freeze for 1 -2 hours or until solid. Then transfer the frozen bars to freezer bags with a sheet of wax paper between layers. Let frozen bars thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

How can I tell when cookie dough cheesecake bars are done baking?

When the cookie layer looks lightly browned, the bars are ready to come out of the oven. The filling will continue firming up as the bars cool.

More Peanut Butter Desserts

Ingredients

For the crust:

2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 18 crackers)
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

2 packages (8 ounce each) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cookie dough:

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
2 Tablespoon milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 package (10 ounce) Reese’s peanut butter chips (morsels)
1 pouch (8 ounce) Reese’s minis peanut butter cups

Instructions

Line a 13×9 baking dish with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, place graham crackers and sugar in food processor. Pulse until fine crumbs. Add melted butter and process. Pour into bottom of baking dish. Using the bottom of a cup (or hands), press crumbs down firmly until they cover the bottom of the dish evenly.

Top with ½ the package of Reese’s minis pb cups.

For the cheesecake, beat cream cheese with sugar, eggs and vanilla for about 3-4 minutes until creamy and well blended. Pour over crust layer.

For the cookie dough, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg, milk and vanilla, beating until well combined. Beat in flour, salt and baking soda. Fold in Reese’s peanut butter chips. Drop by large scoops over cheesecake layer, using fingers to spread evenly. Top with remaining peanut butter cups.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until cookie layer is lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely. Once cooled, refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

Cut into bars and enjoy!

Notes

Chill for at least 3 hours. The bars need several hours to get nice and cold. I recommend making these the day before so they can chill in the fridge overnight.

More chocolate: You can make this crust with Oreo cookie crumbs or chocolate graham crackers for even more chocolatey flavor.

How to store: Keep them tightly covered in the fridge. These peanut butter cheesecake bars stay good for several days in the refrigerator. You can freeze them for longer storage too!

Use our favorite peanut butter cookie dough for the topping instead!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 bar

Amount Per Serving:

Calories: 256Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 152mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g

*Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.

Can’t decide between peanut butter cookies and cheesecake? Make them BOTH with this easy Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bar recipe.

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