Print

Cookie Dough Bars Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

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.

Ingredients

Scale

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

Find it online: https://bitesizedbenny.com/cookie-dough-bars-recipe/