Cookie Dough Bars Recipe

Introduction

Cookie Dough Bars are a delicious treat that captures the nostalgic flavor of raw cookie dough with a rich chocolate topping. These no-bake bars are easy to make and perfect for satisfying sweet cravings without turning on the oven for too long.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (heat treated)
• ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• ¾ cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• ¾ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup mini M&M’s
• 6 ounces semi-sweet baking bar (finely chopped)
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• ½ cup mini M&M’s (for topping)

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a medium rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Step 2: Spread the flour evenly on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 8–10 minutes. Avoid browning the flour. Remove and cool for 10–15 minutes until no longer warm.
3. Step 3: Line an 8×8-inch straight-sided baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides for easy removal.
4. Step 4: In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
5. Step 5: With the mixer on low, gradually add the cooled flour. The mixture will look like coarse sand with some lumps.
6. Step 6: Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix on low until fully combined with no dry flour pockets.
7. Step 7: Gently fold in mini chocolate chips and mini M&M’s, trying to keep the M&M’s intact.
8. Step 8: Spread the cookie dough evenly in the prepared pan and set aside.
9. Step 9: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chopped semi-sweet baking bar and heavy cream. Heat on high for 1 minute, let rest for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth.
10. Step 10: Stir in light corn syrup until fully combined.
11. Step 11: Cool the chocolate mixture for 4–5 minutes, then pour over the cookie dough, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with remaining mini M&M’s.
12. Step 12: Refrigerate for 3–4 hours until the bars are firm and the chocolate topping is set.
13. Step 13: Lift the bars out using the parchment overhang and slice into 16 squares. Serve and enjoy.

Tips & Variations

• Heat treating the flour is important to make the cookie dough safe to eat raw; simply baking it briefly as instructed works well.
• For a nutty twist, add chopped toasted pecans or walnuts to the dough before chilling.
• Use different candy pieces or mix in peanut butter chips for added flavor variations.
• If mini M&M’s are not available, regular M&M’s chopped into smaller pieces work too.

Storage

Store cookie dough bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving. To soften chilled bars, let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Is it safe to eat raw flour in these cookie dough bars?

Yes, the flour is heat treated by baking it briefly before adding it to the dough, which eliminates harmful bacteria and makes it safe to eat raw.

Can I make these bars dairy-free?

You can substitute the butter and heavy cream with plant-based alternatives and use a dairy-free chocolate bar to make these bars dairy-free. Keep in mind that texture and flavor might slightly vary.

Cookie Dough Bars Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 102 reviews

These Cookie Dough Bars are a decadent no-bake treat featuring a rich, buttery raw cookie dough base studded with mini chocolate chips and mini M&M’s, topped with a smooth, glossy semi-sweet chocolate ganache and a sprinkle of colorful mini M&M’s. Perfectly chilled until firm, these bars offer a delightful combination of creamy, chewy, and crunchy textures with every bite.

• Author: Bella
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes (flour heat treatment only)
• Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes (includes chilling time)
• Yield: 16 bars (2×2 inch squares) 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: No-Cook
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cookie Dough Base

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, heat treated
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• ¾ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup mini M&M’s

Chocolate Topping

• 6 ounces semi-sweet baking bar, finely chopped
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• ½ cup mini M&M’s for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat and prepare flour: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a medium rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the all-purpose flour evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, making sure it does not brown. Remove and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes until no longer warm to the touch.
2. Prepare the baking pan: Line an 8×8 straight-sided baking pan with parchment paper, leaving excess hanging over the edges for easy lifting of the bars later.
3. Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer on medium speed to beat the unsalted butter and packed brown sugar for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and beat just until combined.
4. Add flour: With the mixer on low speed, slowly incorporate the heat-treated flour. The mixture will resemble coarse sand with some small lumps, which is normal.
5. Mix in sweetened condensed milk: Add the sweetened condensed milk while mixing on low until the dough is combined and no dry flour pockets remain. The texture should now resemble raw cookie dough.
6. Fold in mix-ins: Gently fold in the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and half the mini M&M’s, careful not to break the M&M’s too much. Evenly distribute through the dough.
7. Transfer dough to pan: Spread the cookie dough mixture evenly into the prepared 8×8 pan.
8. Prepare chocolate topping: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the finely chopped semi-sweet baking bar and heavy cream. Heat on high for 1 minute, then let it rest for 30 seconds before stirring to a smooth ganache.
9. Add corn syrup: Stir in the light corn syrup into the ganache until fully incorporated and glossy.
10. Top dough with chocolate: Let the ganache cool for 4-5 minutes, then pour over the cookie dough in the pan. Spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining mini M&M’s evenly over the top.
11. Chill bars: Place the pan in the refrigerator and chill for 3-4 hours until the cookie dough is firm and the chocolate topping has set.
12. Serve: Remove the bars from the pan using the overhanging parchment paper and slice into 16 squares measuring about 2×2 inches each. Serve chilled and enjoy.

Notes

• Heat treating the flour ensures it is safe to eat raw by eliminating potential bacteria without affecting texture.
• Using parchment paper with overhang makes it easy to lift the bars out for slicing and serving.
• Be careful when folding in mini M&M’s to keep them intact and retain their crunchy texture.
• The chocolate ganache topping can be gently reheated if it thickens too much before pouring.
• Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days for best freshness.

Keywords: cookie dough bars, no bake dessert, chocolate ganache bars, raw cookie dough, mini M&M’s, easy dessert bars