UPDATE – I originally published this post last fall over Halloween. Even though it isn’t Halloween right now, I am CRAVING these Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars!
If you know me, you know that I like to try to cook and bake healthily. I will very eagerly cook or bake with skim milk, extra virgin olive oil, extra veggies, lean meats, whole wheat flour, etc in an attempt to make a more figure friendly meal. When I made this recipe, ALL caution went into the wind. This is not a healthy recipe. This is a fall off the diet wagon recipe and it is OH SO GOOD. It reminds me a little of Adam’s Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory.
Every year hubby and I purchase a ton of Halloween candy to give to our neighborhood trick-or-treaters. And every year, we have leftover candy. Usually I try to give the candy away to neighbors or I put the candy in a place that is hidden from site in an attempt to refrain from eating all of it in 24 hours. This recipe is a great way to use some of your leftover candy or candy you steal from you kiddos. I made it with Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups. You can make it with a different candy or a mixture of chocolates. There are no rules as to what candy would go good in these bars.
Frugal Tips:
- I used Nestle Tollhouse Cookie Dough that I got free matching a coupon with a sale (see my Photo Show & Tell HERE). To find cookie dough and candy coupons, check out Addicted to Saving’s Coupon Database.
- Cream cheese often goes on sale over the holiday season since many people bake desserts with it. Stock up on cream cheese over the holidays and freeze it. It will bake fine and you won’t have to pay full price.
Healthy Tips:
Honestly, I have no tips for you on how to make this recipe healthy. This is a deadly, oooh it is so good recipe that entails calories, sweetness and candy. 
Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Cookie Layer
1 package Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (I used Nestle Tollhouse ULTIMATES Cookie Dough Chocolate Chip Lovers), softened at room temperature
Candy Layer
8 Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups (cut into halves) (I used regular size PB cups, not the minis. You could easily make this with minis – just use enough to cover the cookie dough layer!)
Cheesecake Layer
8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature
1/3 c Sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Instructions
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 8×8 baking dish with non-stick spray
2) With a rolling pin, gently roll cookie dough until it is slightly larger than 8×8. Trim excess dough (save for topping). Place dough in baking dish and spread until it covers the bottom.
3) Place 16 peanut butter cup halves side-by-side on top of the cookie dough. (Or substitute other candy bars for the PB cups. You make the rules and you can choose the flavors you like!)
4) Pour and spread cheesecake layer over the candy.
5) Sprinkle bars with remaining cookie dough
6) Bake 30 – 40 minutes until top turns slightly brown
Enjoy!
- To see additional recipes posted on Addicted to Saving, go HERE
I was inspired to make this recipe after reading Bakers Royale
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