These recipes raise the bar for cookie baking.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Bar cookies give you more bang for your buck.
It certainly makes them easier to pack and store than round cookies!
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
So many beloved cookies can take the bar treatment, and we have all the best ones.
You’ll find oaty, chocolate-studded, fruity, and nutty ones below.
Take a look and soon you’ll be itching to bake a pan for yourself.
Cindy Rahe
Thank goodness they’re so dang shareable.
Caremelitas
So ooey-gooey, these finger-lickin' good bars are packed with chocolate chips, oats, and coconut.
There’s actually no caramel making involved; this is a simple stir-together affair.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Classic Lemon Bars
Are lemon bars technically bar cookies?
No one can resist their sunny yellow sweet-tart curd and crumbly, rich shortbread base.
Marble Blondies
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
The brownies-versus-blondies debate comes to a screeching halt here.
Alison Bickel
You make one batter, split it in the half, and fold chocolate into one half.
Then perform said marbling.
Proof enough for me!
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Oh Henry Bars
6.
Monster Cookie Bars
Monster cookies are loaded with peanut butter, chocolate chips, and M&Ms.
I rarely make these because they add up to major cookie frenzies in my house.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Blink and they’ll vanish.
The original recipe notes baking the bars for 15 to 20 minutes.
I found 18 minutes to be the sweet spot to avoid overbaking and producing the best texture."
Kalisa Marie Martin
Apple Pie Bars With Crumble Topping
Apple pie fit for a crowd with no plates or forks.
No pastry skills necessary; just make the pat-in-the-pan crust, which happens to double as a crumble topping.
7-Layer Magic Bars
Contributor Mark Beahm says, “Be sure to line the pan withparchment.
Simply Recipes / Molly Allen
However, they also freeze well, frosted or unfrosted.
Just wrap them individually in wax paper and then freeze in a container or zip-top bag.”
S’mores Cereal Bars
Classic campfire s’mores never pan out the way you’d like.
Irvin Lin
They crumble, collapse, and defy to deliver the perfect mouthful.
Not so these uber-chewy bars, which sub the graham crackers with Golden Grahams cereal.
Pecan Pie Bars
Reconfiguring pecan pie to a horizontal orientation means more pecans per bite.
Irvin Lin
The crust doesn’t get as soggy.
Are you sold yet?
Peanut Butter Pretzel Magic Bars
Seven-layermagic barscollide withkitchen sink cookies, and the fallout is incredible.
Alison Conklin
Homemade Granola Bars
Let’s face it: granola bars are bar cookies that we pretend are healthy.
And maybe they are.
You choose the dried fruits and nuts.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
These are guaranteed to best anything you’re able to get at the store.
They’re also sliiightly like acookie cake.
I make these when I want a cookie and can’t rally to make drop cookies.
Angie Mosier / Cheryl Dayâs Treasury of Southern Baking by Cheryl Day
Flapjacks
Clearly these not pancakes.
The deal with the name: These are a British treat made with oats and golden syrup.
Need to fill a care package?
Cindy Rahe
Flapjacks are the perfect choice.
These are solidly in cookie territory, though, not cake.
They are super chewy and nutty and fruity and completely worth baking and sharing.
Cindy Rahe
Kalisa Marie Martin
Marta Rivera
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Irvin Lin
Steve-Anna Stephens
Elise Bauer
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
