Description
Delicious Berry Oatmeal Cheesecake Cookie Bars feature a buttery oatmeal cookie base layered with a creamy white chocolate cheesecake filling, fresh strawberries, and blueberries. These bars offer a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and chewy textures, making them an irresistible treat for dessert or snack time.
Ingredients
Scale
Oatmeal Cookie Base:
- 1 3/4 cups (228g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (168g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (104g) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (175g) uncooked quick cook oats
Berry Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 large egg, divided (yolk and white separated)
- 3/4 cup (127g) white chocolate chips
- 1 1/4 cups chopped strawberries
- 1 1/4 cups (163g) blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper that extends above the long sides of the pan for easy lifting later; spray the short sides with baking spray. Set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Set aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixer bowl, beat the room temperature unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure even mixing.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then stir in the vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the dough tender.
- Stir in Oats and Press Dough: Fold in the quick cook oats until evenly distributed. The dough will be thick and sticky. Press half of this dough evenly into the prepared pan’s bottom.
- Prepare Cheesecake Filling: In a clean large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the egg yolk and mix well, then add the egg white separately and mix again to prevent lumps.
- Melt White Chocolate: Place white chocolate chips in a medium bowl and microwave in 10-15 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
- Combine Cheesecake and Chocolate: Stir the melted white chocolate into the cream cheese mixture until fully combined and smooth.
- Assemble Layers: Spread the cheesecake mixture evenly over the oatmeal cookie base. Sprinkle chopped strawberries and blueberries evenly on top of the cheesecake layer.
- Add Remaining Dough and Bake: Crumble the remaining cookie dough over the fruit layer. Bake the bars for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the cheesecake layer is set but may still have a slight jiggle.
- Cool and Refrigerate: Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the bars until cold and firm, at least 1 hour.
- Serve and Store: Use the parchment paper edges to lift the bars out of the pan. Cut into 15–20 bars and serve. Store in an airtight container refrigerated and consume within 4-5 days for best freshness.
Notes
- For easier cutting, chill the bars thoroughly before slicing.
- Use parchment paper with overhang on the long sides to lift bars cleanly out of the pan.
- You can substitute frozen berries if fresh are unavailable; thaw and drain excess moisture before using.
- Be careful not to overmix the dough to ensure a tender cookie base.
- Microwave white chocolate in short bursts and stir often to avoid burning.
- Room temperature ingredients (butter, eggs, cream cheese) help create a smooth batter.
