Oreo cheesecake bars are simple cheesecake treats that take cookies & cream desserts to the next level. Easy to make but enough to feed a crowd, this is a simple, sharable party-pleaser.
Oreo Cheesecake Bars
Hello and welcome to another episode of my cheesecake addiction.
Cheesecake is by far one of my favorite desserts; I’ve shared a classic cheesecake recipe, a no-bake version, a chocolate version, a pumpkin version, a brownie version, and quite a few others.
This was actually the first cheesecake-type of recipe I ever made. My mom found its ancestor in a Kraft magazine years ago and it was a well-loved party favorite, falling just behind her Angel Food Cake in terms of requests. This recipe has since been tweaked to perfection to be the Oreo cheesecake bars you see here.
A smooth, creamy cheesecake layered over a crunchy Oreo crust, peppered with chocolate cookie pieces. It’s no surprise this recipe was always such a hit. It’s also so easy to make! Served in a 13×9 pan this recipe easily makes enough to feed a party. And did I mention that there’s no fussy water bath required?
What You Need:
We have a pretty standard cast of characters for these cheesecake bars.
- A homemade Oreo crust made from pulverized cookies, melted butter, and a dash of salt.
- Cream cheese. Set this out to soften at least an hour before beginning your Oreo cheesecake bars.
- Sour cream. I’ve mentioned this before in one of my thousand other cheesecake renditions, but sour cream adds an excellent and very necessary depth of flavor to cheesecake.
- Eggs. You’ll need 4 large. Ideally these should be at room temperature as well. To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl of warm (not hot!) water for 15 minutes.
- Sugar. You’ll use granulated for this recipe
- Vanilla extract.
Nothing too fancy here.
Tips for Perfect Cheesecake Bars
- For best results, use room temperature ingredients. Having all of your ingredients at the same temperature ensures a smooth, well-combined, lump-free cheesecake (without having to run your mixer on high-speed and risk over-beating and compromising the texture).
- Don’t over-beat the batter. This incorporates too much air into the batter and can yield a cheesecake with cracks (which aren’t a huge deal for cheesecake bars) and a sub-par final texture.
- Don’t over-bake the cheesecake bars. This can yield bars with a spongy texture and eggy taste.
Cheesecake doesn’t get much easier than this — there’s no water bath to worry about and no pressure, it’s just a matter of stirring your ingredients together and layering them over your cookie crust into a pan.
Sweet, simple, and so good.
Enjoy!
More Recipes You Might Like:
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Oreo Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
- 40 Oreo cookies divided
- 4 Tablespoons (55 g) butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 32 oz (910 g) cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (180 g) sour cream
- 4 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F (160C). Line a 13x9 baking pan with foil and set aside.
- To make the crust, place 25 of your Oreo cookies in a food processor and pulverize until they are fine crumbs. Add butter and salt and pulverize again, until completely combined.40 Oreo cookies, 4 Tablespoons (55 g) butter, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pour cookie crumb mixture into prepared baking pan and use the back of a spoon to press the crumbs firmly into an even layer. Set aside.
- Break your remaining 15 Oreo cookies into pieces -- do not completely pulverize them but break them into fragments (to do this, I place the cookies in a large Ziploc bag and whack them a few times with a rolling pin). Set aside.
Cheesecake Layer
- In a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a hand-mixer), cream together softened cream cheese and sugar, scraping down the sides with a spatula occasionally to ensure ingredients are mixed well.32 oz (910 g) cream cheese, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- Add sour cream and stir well, pausing once to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.¾ cup (180 g) sour cream
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just mixed after each addition (and scraping down the sides after each addition)4 large eggs
- Stir in vanilla extract and then use a spatula to stir in cookie pieces.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Spread cheesecake batter evenly over prepared cookie crust. If desired, sprinkle a few additional Oreo pieces over the top of the cheesecake.
- Bake on 325F (160C) for 40 minutes, or until center is set (center should bounce back if lightly touched).
- Allow to cool to room temperature, and then place in refrigerator for at least 6 hours before cutting and serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
I originally published this Oreo Cheesecake Bar recipe 05/04/2017. Recipe updated to include more notes, additional photos, and a how-to video 01/19/2019.
Joanne
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Can I substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream?
If so would 0% or 2% fat be ok?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
It should work, though we typically recommend full fat sour cream, so try to use something similar to that! 😊
Cheryl
These bars turned out absolutely amazing!!! Will definitely be making them again!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Cheryl! 🙂
Ashley B
I LOVE this Oreo cheesecake recipe! I use it to make mini cheesecakes in cupcake tins! Everyone always raves about them!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Those sound adorable, Ashley! Thanks for sharing 😋
sarah
My first time baking (not by the box) this was a really easy recipe and i’m so excited to bring these in for work!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Sarah! 🙂
Brock Eggers
What does the sour cream do I am really excited to make this for my family
Sam
Hi Brock! It’s an important flavor and texture ingredient in these bars. 🙂
Kristine
I made this for my coworkers Birthday and they loved it. It came out really good and sliced up very easily. I will make again.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it, Kristine! 🙂
Sarah Williams
I’ve already posted a comment on this recipe. It’s worth another shout out. 🙂 Whenever I make desserts for people, I exclusively use sugar spun run recipes. I’ve been dubbed the dessert queen by two completely separate groups of friends. This cheesecake recipe is always a huge hit. I’ve made it for a Super Bowl party, a gender reveal party, and then several times in between just because. It’s the best cheesecake I’ve come across. The Oreos pair so well with the rest of it, plus, it’s super duper easy to make.
Kaylen
What size of baking pan?
Susan Linz
Your recipe does not require pre baking the Oreo crust but most other recipes do. Why no pre-bake?
Sam
Hi Susan! It’s just not necessary so there’s no point in doing the extra work for no reason. The crust will hold together and be sturdy when baked as described. Enjoy! 🙂
Susan
Thank you for answering so quickly. I just love your recipes and the way you teach. You need your own show.
Sarah Mullican
This recipe was super easy. I made it for the first time for a Super Bowl party this weekend. The group I was with LOOOOVEES cheesecake. I’ve made several of Sam’s cheesecake recipes for my friends. It’s possible this was the biggest hit. They absolutely adored it. Almost all of it got eaten. I had a little bit, and it is to die for. I will definitely be making it over and over!! Possibly my favorite cheesecake recipe from Sam. And that is saying a lot!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re SO happy the bars were such a hit, Sarah! Thanks so much for making our recipe and leaving a review ❤️
Shauna
Also, what if we use less sugar? Has anyone tried?
Sam
Hi Shauna! I haven’t tried less sugar here, but it could potentially work.
Bella
I made this recipe in a 6 inch springform pan. Cut the recipe in half, and was left with enough batter to fill the pan within half an inch from the top. It took 55 minutes to bake fully, as measured by a thermometer. There was a lot of browning around the edges, and some cracking, but the ganache covered all that up, so it didn’t matter so much. I’d probably reduce the heat to 325 next time and see how that goes. The flavor was out of this world, the family loved it. Will definitely be making this again! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Bella! I actually do have an oreo cheesecake you can use to bake in a springform pan. 🙂
Rodrigo Banuelos
My daughter made me these a few months ago and she sent me the link to this recipe and it’s was not only delicious but it was easier than I expected. Love these so much!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! Thanks to you and your daughter for trying our recipe 😊
Bruce
I made these for my third birthday “cake” (I like to celebrate my birthday a lot!) Everyone loved them, and they’re so easy to make. I broke up the cookies with my hands (in a bag), but it’s also simple to break them into quarters.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Bruce! 🙂
Tim
Do you use the whole oreo cookie, cream center included for the crust or just the outer cookie rounds?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Tim! No need to remove the centers; you can use the whole cookie. 🙂
Sherlyn
Hi Sam,
Can i use this recipe to make mini cheesecakes?
I really love your mini cheesecakes, i made on my husband’s birthday my family loved it. I also use your strawberry sauce recipe and whipped cream recipe.
Sam
Hi Sherlyn! I’m so glad you have been enjoying the recipes! Yes, you could make mini cheesecakes with this recipe, just follow the instructions in the mini cheesecake recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
Shauna
How do you think it would turn out without the sour cream or using less?
Sam
Hi Shauna! I’m not sure how it would turnout if you altered the sour cream here. 🙁
Francine
Made this recipe. It’s was absolutely Delicious 🥰. My family wants me to make it again!!!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Francine! 🙂