Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake Cookie Bars
If you love the idea of stuffed cookies but want something cozy and comforting, these cinnamon roll cheesecake cookie bars are the perfect choice. They feature a soft, cinnamon cookie base filled with a rich, creamy cheesecaek layer, giving you all the flavors of a classic cinnamon roll in easy bar form. Making them as bars keeps everything simple, foolproof, and beginner-friendly, while still delivering that warm, sweet cinnamon flavor everyone loves. Whether enjoyed fresh from the oven or chilled in the fridge, these cinnamon roll cheesecake cookie bars are just as satisfying as biting into a freshly baked cinnamon roll.
Secret to a Crumbly Top
The secret to that perfectly rustic, crumbly-looking top on these cinnamon roll cheesecake cookie bars? Imperfection. When you spread the cookie dough over the cheesecake layer, don’t worry about making it smooth or perfectly even, those little peaks, cracks, and uneven patches are exactly what gives the bars their homemade charm. As the bars bake, the cookie dough spreads just enough on its own, creating a golden, textured top that looks beautiful and makes each bar unique!
If you are feeling adventurous, these are inspired by the Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake Cookies I made a couple years ago that quickly become a fan favorite. They both capture the same cozy, sweet cinnamon flavors that are perfect for any occasion, but the bar form is a bit simpler to put together!
Why I Measure in Grams (and You Might Want To, Too)
If you’ve ever made the same recipe twice and gotten two totally different results, the measuring method is often the reason.
Professional bakeries almost always measure by weight, not volume. Measuring cups leave room for inconsistency—especially with ingredients that pack differently depending on how you scoop or pour them. A scale removes all of that guesswork.
One of the biggest offenders is sugar. Different sugars (and even the same sugar measured by different people) can vary wildly in volume, but 100 grams is always 100 grams. Measuring by weight gives you repeatable, bakery-consistent results and cuts down on extra dishes at the same time.
A food scale is one of the best (and most affordable) investments you can make for your kitchen if you love baking and want your recipes to turn out exactly the same every time.
Ingredients To Prepare
Before baking, take a few minutes to gather the ingredients below and to ensure that they are soft, gooey, with the perfect cinnamon flavor!
Once you have all of the ingredients ready to go, you’re officially set up for cinnamon roll cheesecake cookie success. I always recommend measuring everything out ahead of time so the process is smoother, and you can focus on making the best bars possible!
Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 block cream cheese
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (convection). Line an 8×8-inch square pan with parchment paper (or butter the pan) and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the room-temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to the freezer to chill while you prepare the dough.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the whisk or paddle attachment, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar until light and off-white in color, about 1–2 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the dough until no dry spots remain.
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and room-temperature butter to create the brown sugar swirl. Lightly chill this mixture so it’s easy to sprinkle and swirl.
- Press half of the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar swirl mixture over the dough.
- Remove the cream cheese filling from the freezer and spread it evenly over the dough. Drop the remaining cookie dough over the top, then finish with the remaining brown sugar swirl mixture.
- Bake for 29–31 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden and the center is just set.
- Let the bars cool at room temperature for about 1 hour, or chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes, before removing from the pan and slicing into 3×3 bars.
- Enjoy fresh, or store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 8 days.
Nutrition
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
These TASTED AMAZING! They were crispy on the edges and so light and fluffy in the middle! Some of the instructions in the recipe were a bit vague, like, the chill times, I had to add some milk to my cream cheese mixture just because it wasn’t a pouring texture (That might be on my end since the weather was a bit cold so the room tempt might not have been warm enough). But, overall, 5/5!
No salt ?
I just made these and while I haven’t tasted them yet (literally just came out of the oven) I found the lack of salt interesting as well. Just use salted butter, or if using unsalted, I would add 1/4ish of a tsp of salt four cookie dough dry ingredients.
How many calories per square, would you guess?
I’m getting ready to make these now, and I’m so excited! Have you ever thought about adding a quick print button to make it easier for people to print the recipe in an easy format to read?
I am not sure what happened to mine, but the top of it completely burnt as soon as I put it in the oven! I had it at the correct temp but it still turned completely black I am assuming because of the sugar. Any tips for next time?