Preheat the oven:
Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a baking dish by spraying it with non-stick spray.
Make the cheesecake mixture:
In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and egg. Mix on slow speed until smooth. If you’d like, you can sweeten the mixture by adding some powdered sugar (optional).
Tip: If your cream cheese mixture is chunky, it may be too cold. To fix this, place the bowl in a warm water bath by filling your sink with a few inches of hot water. This will help soften the cream cheese and make the mixture creamy.
Prepare the sugar cookie crust:
Cut the roll of sugar cookie dough in half. Press one half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form the crust.
Assemble the bars:
Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over the sugar cookie crust. With the remaining half of the sugar cookie dough, create small, flattened chunks and place them evenly over the top of the cheesecake mixture.
Bake:
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the sugar cookie top is golden brown. Keep an eye on the cookies, as sugar cookies can burn quickly.
Cool and decorate:
Let the bars cool for at least an hour. Once cooled, you can add sprinkles for a festive touch if desired. Cut into squares and serve!