Cookies & Cream Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Easiest Valentine's Day Dessert ever. 

I know everyone's probably watching the Superbowl. Me? Not so much. But I do love how people can gather in the name of sports and eat delicious food together. I'm all for that. Go crazy, people. Get your queso and guacamole on like it's 1999, man. 

The month of February is already upon us - felt like it snuck right in, didn't it? I don't mind. I love the creamy & decadent desserts that come along with it's star holiday. Mostly because, just like the Superbowl this fine Sunday, people come together to enjoy it with their loved ones. 

These darling little cheesecake bars are super easy to throw together for any Valentine's event you have scheduled this month. The oreo lovers will fawn all over them, and the cheesecake lovers will get just enough of that cheesecake flavor to satisfy. I say that because they didn't really taste like cheesecake to me. My taste buds went straight to the strawberry Jello cream. It's not bad - I'm just not used to it. For this dessert, though, it works. I snuck WAAAYYY too many of these little babies when I was shooting them the next day. Well worth it. 

xo, 

blondie

Cookies & Cream Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Makes one 8x8 pan

ingredients:

crust:
16 oreo cookies
6 T butter, melted
1/3 C sugar

cheesecake:
1 egg
12oz cream cheese, softened
oreo filling (from 16 oreos used in the crust)
1 t vanilla
1 small box strawberry creme Jello pudding mix
8 oreos, broken into pieces

method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8 pan with aluminum foil. Spray lightly with nonstick spray.
2. prepare crust layer: Separate crust layer from filling on oreos. Set aside reserved filling. Place all cookie layers in a food processor with sugar and pulse until a fine powder forms. Add melted butter. Pulse again until a crust forms. Press crust in the bottom of prepared 8x8 pan. Bake 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare cheesecake layer: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitter fitted with whisk attachment, whisk egg until light and foamy. Add softened cream cheese, reserved oreo filling, sugar, vanilla, and strawberry pudding and mix on high speed until mixture is uniform throughout and has zero lumps. Spread mixture over Oreo crust (can be tricky - spray your spatula with a little non-stick cooking spray and it should help the spreading).
4. Press oreo pieces into cheesecake layer. Bake 15-20 minutes until cheesecake layer is set. Place in the fridge on a heating pad, and cool for about an hour (or let cool on counter for a couple hours). Cut into bars, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

recipe source: creme de la crumb