15 Cookie Bar Recipes You'll Love

7-Layer Cookie Bars Recipe

We can only think of one word to accurately describe these decadent Hello Dolly-inspired bars: Wow. The coconut on top crisps up beautifully, while the espresso chips add something extra indulgent. Serve these with ice cream or on their own. You'll be tempted to dig in as soon ASAP, but try to restrain yourself—the bars need to cool completely before you cut them. They should set up after an hour in the fridge but, for even better results, you could let them chill overnight. 

Gingerbread Cookie Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Our Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars are the perfect union of gingerbread and cheesecake. They're perfect for the holidays and easy to whip together, and the bar form helps cut down on some of cheesecake's richness. The crust gets a special touch from crushed gingersnaps, while the cheesecake itself is full of warm spices and a deep molasses flavor.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bugle Bars Recipe

Creamy, crunchy, rich, salty, and sweet all at the same time—these no-bake, chocolate-peanut butter bars are everything. Crisp crushed Bugles (one of our staffs' junk food favorites) make for an fun and amazingly delicious twist on a typical crumb crust. 

Magic Cookie Bars Recipe

These are also known as seven-layer or Hello Dolly bars. They take 30 minutes of hands-on prep and call for just eight ingredients, making them the perfect dessert for taking, well, just about anywhere!

Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe

Take your favorite cookie and turn it into a big slice bar. This dough is perfect for baking in an 8-inch pan. These bars are still perfect for bake sales or cookie swaps. We topped these chocolate sugar cookie bars with a creamy frosting and a few sprinkles for a festive touch.

Carrot Cake "Brownies" Recipe

Inspired by the classic springtime confection, these Carrot Cake "Brownies" are the perfect treat to whip up for Easter. And, unlike a traditional multi-layered carrot cake, this recipe doesn't require multiple bowls and mixing machinery; in fact, the batter comes together fairly effortlessly in a single saucepan. 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Bars Recipe

They're everything you love about a classic PB&J sandwich, but in cookie form (i.e. way better). These peanut butter and jelly bars feature a chewy peanut butter cookie layer, topped with a sweet-tart jammy layer, and finished off with a crunchy peanut butter streusel.

Sheet Pan Cookie Cake Recipe

This homemade cookie cake is so easy to make and way cheaper than buying one already made. The perfect solution for anyone who doesn't like actual cake, this sheet pan dessert tastes like a big, perfectly chewy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside chocolate chip cookie.

Sheet Pan Scottish Shortbread Recipe

There is shortbread, and then there's this shortbread, ultra-buttery with a light crunch. The secrets are rice flour for the sandy texture and a slow-and-low baking process to develop the flavor. It's a recipe that lends itself to easy, festive riffing (sprinkles! snowflakes!)--and one you'll be happy to have in your back pocket for years.

Butterscotch Bars Recipe

A small square of these rich bars is enough to satisfy a dessert craving. The flour and oats mixture is somewhat dry after combining, but it serves as both a solid base for the soft butterscotch chip layer and a crumbly, streusel-like topping.

Apple Pie Bars Recipe

Crispy, crunchy streusel meets apple pie in these simple autumnal dessert bars. To top things off, these bars get a salted caramel drizzle resulting in a show-stopping fall dessert that's bursting with flavor. Serve with ice cream and the whole pan is sure to disappear quickly.

Hazelnut Shortbread Bars Recipe

With their buttery cookie base and caramelized pecan pie-type filling, these bars are nothing short of addictive. (In fact, looking for more excuses to enjoy them, we created the variations below.) Chopping some of the nuts and leaving others whole creates a pretty mosaic effect.

Cherry Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Sweet cherries and tangy cheesecake collide in these easy-to-make treats. Always a crowd-pleaser, simply set out a platter of these bars at your next get-together and watch them disappear!

Cranberry-Oatmeal Bars Recipe

These cranberry-oatmeal bar cookies strike a nice flavor balance: not too sweet and not too tart. Be sure to zest the orange before you squeeze the juice.

Maple-Date Bars Recipe

With warm maple flavor and the caramel-like texture of dates, this easy cookie bar recipe is perfect for your autumn table or holiday dessert menu.