Cookies and Cream Bars

I know I shouldn’t be tempting you guys more dessert posts after that last doozy. But since my blogging is falling by the wayside, it’s been a week since then…and if you’re living in my household, that cake is long gone!

Cookies and Cream Bars

I also know I shouldn’t be making these desserts when I have 6 weeks left to look lovely in my wedding dress. And now that I’ve had my first fitting I’d really not like to gain any weight!

But I’m sorry I just had to share these. I saw them online thinking they reminded me of “cookies ‘n cream” (even though they were called Oreo Cheesecake Bars), but figuring they wouldn’t really taste like it….but they did!

Cookies and Cream Bars

You can’t taste the cheesecake tang in these as much as just a creamy vanilla filling and they’re CHOCK FULL of oreos- like almost-two-entire-packages-full. And worth every little calorie.

Cookies and Cream Bars

I was afraid to figure out how many calories are actually in these, so I didn’t. Instead I cut myself off a half of a piece each night and savored it…and then sometimes went back for the other half. Oops.

This week i’m only eating salad…let’s hope I fit in my dress!

Luckily LC doesn’t have to fit in a dress for the wedding, because she’s one lazy cat…

Cookies and Cream Bars

From Blissfully Delicious (following her doubling directions) via Annie’s Eats

Print this recipe!

makes 24 bars

For the crust
46 Oreo cookies (almost 2 entire packages including the ones in the cheescake layer)
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:
24 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4  cup. sour cream, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large egg plus 2 egg yolk
24 Oreo cookies, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 325˚ F. Line a 9×13 pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Make the crust: place cookies in the bowl of a food processor. Process, pulsing, until the cookies are finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until the cookie crumbs are moistened. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan. Press the crumbs into an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside and prepare the filling while maintaining the oven temperature.

Make the filling: add the cream cheese to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in the sugar until well combined. Blend in the sour cream, vanilla and salt. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks on medium-high speed until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed. Stir in the chopped cookies with a rubber spatula.

Pour the cheesecake batter over the prepared crust, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the cheesecake is set around the edges but slightly wobbly in the center. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool about an hour to room temperature. Cover the pan and refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours or overnight.

To cut the bars, pull the cake from the pan by lifting the foil up out of the pan. Place on a cutting board, peel away the foil, and slice into bars. Clean the knife blade between each slice to keep the edges neat. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.