For indecisive people, like myself, it can be a feat to decide what to bake. Or what to eat. Fear not, friends! I took a (very small) break from seasonal baking to combine three desserts into one! I made this Cookie Dough Cheesecake with Brownie Crust, and it was definitely a good decision.
The name "Cookie Dough Cheesecake with Brownie Crust" is pretty self-explanatory, but allow me to elaborate. That's a fudgy, dark chocolate brownie crust you see there on the bottom. The middle layer is a safe-to-eat chocolate chip cookie dough. Then, I topped that with a vanilla bean no-bake cheesecake layer. Oh, and vanilla bean whipped cream and *more* cookie dough. There are those who would say this is too much, but I can't hear them from my kitchen. 😀
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Making the Brownie Crust
The brownie layer is simple and straightforward to bake. I do add chocolate extract, which lends amazing depth of flavor to chocolate baked goods! If you can't find it in your local grocery store, you can find some here. Even better, make yourself some Homemade Chocolate Extract for next time!
Making the Edible Cookie Dough
The cookie dough is eggless, and the recipe also includes a step to heat/toast your flour. Taking these steps ensures that the cookie dough is safe to eat raw! The resulting dough will be soft, so it can be easily spread on top of the brownie layer. Reserved cookie dough will be mixed with additional flour so that it is firm enough to roll into balls for garnish.
For the Best Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
Both the no-bake cheesecake layer and the whipped cream have vanilla bean paste as their primary flavoring. Delicious and more economical than whole vanilla beans, this ingredient is my go-to for an extra punch of flavor. You can find it online here. If you prefer to substitute, you can use an equal measure of vanilla extract.
So there you have it. Why choose when you can have three desserts in one? I wonder what else I can meld together into a single recipe...
Other Posts You May Like:
Brownie recipe adapted from Cooking with Mamma C (link here). Cookie dough recipe adapted from Chelsea's Messy Apron (link here).
Cookie Dough Cheesecake with Brownie Crust
Ingredients
Brownie Crust:
- 4 oz chocolate, chopped (I used 60% cacao)
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter (½ stick)
- ¾ cup sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon chocolate extract (see note)
- ½ cup flour
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
- 1½ cups flour
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (nearly melted)
- 6 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon milk (I used whole milk)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup mini chocolate chips
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake:
- 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
- 2 tablespoon water
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste (see note)
- ⅓ cup heavy (whipping) cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted
Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream:
- ¾ cup heavy (whipping) cream
- 2 tablespoon powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste (see note)
Cookie Dough Garnish:
- ⅓ cup reserved cookie dough
- 1 tablespoon flour
Instructions
For Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9" springform pan. Set aside.
- In a large heatproof bowl, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave on 30-seconds burst, stirring after each burst.
- Add sugar and salt. Stir to combine.
- Add eggs, vanilla extract, and chocolate extract (see note). Stir to combine. Add flour, and mix until just incorporated.
- Scrape the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Bake about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow brownie to cool completely.
For Cookie Dough:
- Preheat oven to 350° F if not already preheated from the brownie layer.
- Spread flour out on a baking sheet in an even layer. Toast 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely (see note).
- In a medium bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Mix to combine.
- Add vanilla and milk. Mix to combine. Add flour and salt, and mix just until combined. Add chocolate chips and mix to incorporate. Cookie dough will be soft and spreadable.
- Reserve ⅓ cup of the cookie dough for garnish.
For Cheesecake:
- In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin in an even layer over the top of the water. Allow to set 5 minutes to soften.
- Once softened, place the juice/gelatin mixture in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to warm, and stir until the gelatin is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cream cheese and sugar. Beat until combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add gelatin mixture and mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Once fully incorporated, set aside.
- In another mixer bowl, use the whisk attachment to beat the cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in three additions, being careful not to deflate the mixture.
- Spread the cheesecake onto the cookie dough layer. Chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
For Whipped Cream:
- Place cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean paste (see note) in the bowl of a stand mixer. Start the mixer on low speed, and gradually increase the speed to high. Whip until the cream thickens and forms peaks.
- Spread or pipe the whipped cream on top of the cheesecake as desired.
For Garnish:
- In a small bowl, combine the reserved cookie dough with the flour, mixing to combine. The cookie dough just needs to be firm enough to form balls.
- Form the dough into balls to garnish the top of the cheesecake as desired.Enjoy!
Anonymous
This is delicous.
Lindsey G
This recipe was a fun one, and super easy to follow. My 6 year old said it was the best chocolate chip cookie dough she had ever tasted! Each layer of this cookie dough brownie cheesecake was packed with a ton of flavor too. I love that I discovered a new ingredient too...Vanilla Bean Paste! Where have you been all my life? Highly recommend!
Amee
Oooh if cookie dough passes muster for a 6yo, it has to be good! <3 Thank you so much for your kind review! So, so happy that you and your family enjoyed it, and that you're part of the vanilla bean paste fan club now! It's one of my favorite ingredients!