A thick cookie bar with a layer of chocolate neufchatel on top of a traditional chocolate chip cookie base.
Guys, I hardly know where to begin with this one. This may be one of the best concoctions to come out of 30 Days of Cookies yet. I baked these up on Friday after realizing I had accidentally bought neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese. It’s been sitting in my refrigerator for a few weeks, so after remembering that I hadn’t made my favorite chocolate chip cookie cake recipe in a while, I figured it would be the perfect time to see if these two things could marry. Plus, I wasn’t in the mood to scoop millions of cookies that day, so bars were in order.
The bottom layer of these bars is my favorite chocolate chip cookie cake recipe. It’s soft, yet sturdy, making for a great base layer for the neufchatel swirl. Whenever I make cookie cake, I prefer to use mini chocolate chips instead of the regular size, because you tend to get more cpi (chocolate per inch). Which in no way, shape or form, is ever a bad thing.
The chocolate chip cookie base is perfect on it’s own, but when paired with this chocolate neufchatel, it’s mind blowing. If you’re unfamiliar with neufchatel (which I was before accidentally buying it), it’s much like cream cheese. To me, it tastes the same, but it does have a slightly different texture than cream cheese. Nothing to be scared about, just maybe slightly more granulated than cream cheese.
After baking them, I covered & threw them in the fridge for a few hours to set. This allowed the flavors to come together and truly made these things pure perfection. I can hardly think of anything else to say, because all I want to type is MAKE THESE NOW.
Neufchatel Swirl Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Neufchatel Swirl
- 8 oz. Neufchatel cheese softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
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In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add in salt, vanilla, and eggs and continue to mix for 10 seconds.
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Add baking soda and mix on low speed for 10 seconds. Add flour and continue to mix until all flour is incorporated.
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Add chocolate chips and mix for 10 seconds on low speed. Set aside.
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In a separate bowl, cream together neufchatel cheese, sugar, cocoa, and vanilla by beating with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add in egg and mix for another 10 seconds.
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Grease an 9x13 pan and evenly spread the cookie dough mixture on the bottom of the pan.
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Next, pour chocolate neufchatel mixture on top of the cookie dough layer and evenly spread until covered. Once covered, lightly "swirl' the cookie dough & the neufchatel mixtures together with a knife.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
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Cool completely before cutting. I prefer to refrigerate these bars before serving.
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If not serving immediately, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serves 18-24.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Nutrition
I had to force myself to bring these home this weekend when I visited family because the temptation of having them in my fridge was just too much of a burden to bear. With most baked goods I make, I like to think I am pretty good at trying one (or two) and putting the rest in the freezer. Oh but not these. These my friends, are your worst (but best) enemy.
Chelsea {Whatcha Makin' Now?} says
These bars look amazing! I love the CPI reference: I’ve never heard that before, so funny. I’m really enjoying the 30 days of cookies and you deserve a pat on the back – that is a ton of work and there has not been one recipe I didn’t want to try immediately. Thanks for sharing!! Can’t wait for tomorrow!
Melissa says
Thanks, Chelsea! It’s definitely been a ton work & I’ll definitely be ready for a blog break afterwards, but it’s been fun! Glad to hear you’re enjoying it :)