Thin Mint Cheesecake Bars

I’m a fan of pretty much all cookies, but by far one of my favorites is Thin Mints. I love how the thin, smooth dark chocolate layer mixes with the mintiness inside and I adore their perfect crunchiness.

These thin mint cheesecake bars channel those flavors and textures with a crunchy cookie crumb crust as well as actual fudge mint cookie pieces dotted throughout the creamy cheesecake filling.

Cheesecake Bars

One of the best parts of this recipe is how quickly it comes together for such a decadent dessert. While the crust is baking, you can mix together the filling. The only hard part is waiting for it to cool and set, but the end result is definitely worth the wait!

I like to keep a timer nearby to make sure I’m on top of when to take the crust or whole cheesecake out of the oven, or to turn the temperature down. It can be challenging to avoid having cheesecake crack, and sometimes as hard as you try, it still happens. The good news is that cracks or not, it still tastes AH-mazing!

Having cheesecake in bar form means that it travels well. I can easily grab them to go for a picnic or to pack in a lunch bag. They’re also easier to serve at gatherings than a traditional cheesecake would be.

Thin Mint Cheesecake Bars Ingredients

Like most of our easy dessert recipes, the ingredient list is fairly standard. I always have a few bricks of cream cheese hiding in the freezer for occasions when cheesecake comes calling.

• Oreo baking crumbs– these pre-packaged baking crumbs make preparing a cookie crust a cinch! If you don’t see them at your local grocery store, they can easily be bought online. But you can also make your own crumbs in a small food processor. The general rule is about 10 cookies per cup, so you’d need 20 for the full two cups.
• Butter – rather than trying to melt the butter while it’s still in stick form, try cutting it into pieces first, then microwave at 20 second increments until fully melted. I so use salted in this recipe, but unsalted is also fine.
• Cream cheese– bringing your cream cheese to room temperature will help it to mix more evenly and eliminate lumps. In the end, this makes your cheesecake super smooth.
• Granulated sugar– because granulated sugar crystals are small, they mix well when baking. In addition to sweetening the cheesecake, sugar also helps to retain moisture.
• Eggs- eggs help to add structure to these thing mint cheesecake bars in addition to flavor. While I prefer to use eggs from a farm or farmers’ market for freshness, any large eggs from the grocery store will do.
• Vanilla extract- this pantry staple does double duty by adding subtle flavor but also elevating the other ingredients in the recipe.
• Marshmallow fluff- this marshmallow spread concoction is particularly popular in New England, especially in Massachusetts where the state sandwich is the Fluffernutter (fluff and peanut butter on white bread). In this recipe, the fluff adds creaminess and lightness to the texture of the cheesecake.
• Fudge mint cookies – Thin Mints (Girl Scout Cookies) are only available for a short period of time, but luckily you can buy another cookie called Fudge Mint Cookies year-round. But honestly, use your favorite cookie. Peanut butter, more Oreo, literally anything.

How To Make Thin Mint Cheesecake Bars

1. Preheat the oven and prepare a 9×9 baking dish. Be sure to use plenty of cooking spray and even parchment paper to ensure easy removal of the cheesecake from the pan.
2. Add the Oreo crumbs and melted butter to a small bowl, tossing until equally wet. Transfer the crust mixture to the prepared pan.
3. Spread the thin mint cheesecake bars mixture out evenly. Using a spoon, press the buttery Oreo crumbs down in the pan to create a compact crust and then bake to set.
4. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside, but leave the oven on.
5. To begin preparing the filling, place the cream cheese and sugar into a mixing bowl and cream until smooth. If you’re in a hurry you can beat the mixture on high. However, if you have the time, beating on low for 5-7 minutes will result in a lighter, fluffier cheesecake because it has more time to incorporate in air.
6. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and continue to mix.
7. Once the eggs and vanilla extract are fully combined, add in the marshmallow fluff and mix again. If you find that the fluff is hard to remove from the jar, microwaving the jar for 30 seconds will help to make it easier to get out.
8. Next, use a spatula to fold in the chopped fudge mint cookies until evenly distributed. Pour the mixture over the crust and spread evenly across the pan.
9. This is the important part to avoid cracking without using a water bath. Bake the bars for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, reduce the heat without opening the oven door, bake again. Once the cheesecake has finished baking, turn the oven off. Leave the pan in the oven for 10 minutes without opening the door.
10. After 10 minutes, remove and allow the thin mint cheesecake bars to come to room temperature. It will take about 1-2 hours to cool on the counter.
11. Once the cheesecake cools to room temperature, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Allow the cheesecake to chill for 3 hours or more to ensure that it can properly set and achieve a smooth texture.
12. After cooling for at least 3 hours, remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator and cut into 12 squares.
13. When serving, garnish with whipped cream and either a packaged or homemade fudge mint cookie. If you’re feeling festive, you could alternatively use Peppermint Sugar Cookies for your garnish.

Storage and Freezing

Store these Thin Mint Cheesecake Bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cheesecake can also be frozen in individual slices. Thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes, it thaws pretty fast!

Other Dessert Bar Recipes

• Dulce de Leche Bars
• Coffee Cheesecake Bars
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Pecan Pie Bars

These EASY Pecan Pie Bars have all the flavor of a traditional pecan pie, but it a convenient take-on-the-go bar form!

Frosted Coconut Bars

Tender coconut sugar cookies topped with dreamy coconut frosting and toasted shredded coconut.

If you love mint and chocolate together, you’ll also like our Andes Mint Cookie Recipe.

Thin Mint Cheesecake Bars

Chocolate cookie crust with a creamy and minty cheesecake filling. Top them with whipped cream and a thin mint cookie.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheesecake bar recipe, coffee cheesecake bars,, thin mint desserts

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Cooling/Chilling Time:: 5 hours hours

Total Time: 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 383kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cup Oreo baking crumbs*
• ½ cup butter melted
• 16 ounces cream cheese softened
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup marshmallow fluff
• 13 fudge mint cookies roughly chopped

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×9 pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and then folding another piece to create a sling. This will make it much easier to remove and cut the bars.
• In a small bowl, toss together the Oreo crumbs and melted butter until uniformly wet.
• Place crust mixture into the prepared pan, spread the mixture out evenly and press down with a spoon to compact the crust. Bake for 8 minutes. Set aside, but leave the oven on.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.
• Add in the eggs and vanilla extract, blend. Add the marshmallow fluff and mix until combined. Fold in the chopped cookies.
• Pour over the crust and spread evenly using an offset spatula.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• At 20 minutes, without opening the oven door, reduce the heat to 200°F and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
• Turn the oven off leaving the cheesecake inside for 10 minutes without opening the door.
• Remove and allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature.
• Once at room temperature, cover, and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
• 19.Remove and cut into 12 squares.
• Garnish with whipped cream and a fudge mint cookie.
• If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!

Notes

*Make your own Oreo crumbs by using approximately 10 cookies for each cup of crumbs. 

Nutrition

Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 565IU | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 5mg