Category: Bar Cookies


Sep
2024

Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

categories: Bar Cookies, Breakfast, Desserts
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Make 16 delicious, chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars for family and friends! These granola bars are easy to make and they taste fabulous!
Make 16 delicious, chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars for family and friends! These granola bars are easy to make and they taste fabulous!

Today I want to share a fantastic recipe for chocolate chip granola bars that we LOVE! These granola bars taste amazing AND they freeze well, so you can keep them around, even if you have a very small family!

Since the recipe as written yields 16 granola bars, it makes it convenient to have them around for lunch boxes, or a quick snack. Making them from scratch (with common ingredients) is actually quite simple!

I’m sure you are going to love these yummy granola bars! Here’s how to make 16 delicious Chocolate Chip Granola Bars from scratch!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Granola Bar Dough

Place soft butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl. Use electric beaters to cream and fully mix these ingredients together.

Add an egg, corn syrup (or honey), and vanilla extract to the mixture, and continue to beat, until they’re fully combined.

Butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar are beaten with a mixer.Egg, vanilla and corn syrup (or honey) are mixed into the dough.

Add the “Dry Ingredients”

In a separate bowl, combine all purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add these “dry” ingredients, A LITTLE AT A TIME to the butter/egg mixture, beating well after each addition. The dough will be very thick.

Flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt are combined, then added to the dough.

Add chocolate chips, old fashioned oats, and finely crushed graham crackers to the dough. STIR these ingredients into the dough, until they have been completely incorporated.

NOTE: I use a combination of ½ cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips and ½ cup regular sized milk chocolate chips, but you can use whatever variety you have (for a total of 1 cup chocolate chips).

Graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips and oats are stirred into the dough.The dough for chocolate chip granola bars is ready for the baking pan.Prepare The Dough For Baking

Prepare a 13″ x 9″ baking pan. Spray a small amount of non-stick spray on the bottom of the pan (to help hold the paper in place), then place a (larger than the pan) piece of parchment paper on top.

TIP: You want the side edges of the paper long enough so you can hold onto them to lift the granola bars easily out of the pan after baking!

Spray the parchment paper lightly on the bottom and sides with non-stick spray. If you have them, I suggest using “chip clips” to hold the parchment paper in place while adding the thick dough (it helps!)

Baking pan is covered with lightly sprayed parchment paper.Add The Dough

Spoon all the dough into the prepared baking pan. Spray or grease your fingers lightly, then firmly press down on the dough and begin distributing it throughout the entire pan.

Keep packing the dough firmly down until it is FULLY covering the bottom of the pan into all four corners. If using, remove the “chip clips” now. 

Dough for the granola bars is added to the parchment paper-lined pan.Dough is pressed down into the pan until bottom of pan is covered.

Time To Bake

Bake the chocolate chip granola bars in a preheated oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. When done, the edges of the bars should be crisp, and the entire pan of bars should be nicely browned on top.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack, and let the bars cool (still in the pan) for 10 minutes (they will firm up as they “cool”).

Using the overhanging edges of parchment paper, carefully lift the entire pan of granola bars up and out of the baking pan. Place the granola bars (still on the paper) back on the wire rack, and let them cool to room temperature before slicing.

Baked granola bar dough cools on parchment paper on a wire rack.

Slice The Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

When the bars are at room temperature, they can be sliced into their familiar rectangular shape. First cut the bars in half (top to bottom) using a very sharp knife OR a pizza cutter (my favorite!) You will have 2 halves.

Now slice the bars in half going the opposite direction (side to side). You should now have 4 sections at this point! Slice each section in half (from top to bottom, as shown below in 2nd photo). You should now have 8 rectangles.

The final step is to slice each cut all 8 pieces in half (top to bottom), which will leave you with 16 rectangular chocolate chip granola bars (in 3rd photo below). HOORAY… YOU DID IT!

Baked granola bars are cut in half using a pizza cutter.The dough is then sliced into 8 pieces.Chocolate chip granola bars are cut into 16 rectangles before serving.

Serve The Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Now you can enjoy these absolutely scrumptious chocolate chip granola bars! They are slightly crisp on the outside edge, but chewy on the inside.

Wrap all the remaining granola bars individually in plastic wrap, to preserve their freshness. We set them out on a plate once wrapped, and they stay fresh for days. They’re also perfect to add to a lunch box for the kids or take in the car (to munch on while driving to work)!

These chocolate chip granola bars also freeze VERY WELL. After wrapping them individually, place them in a large re-sealable freezer bag or container and freeze. When ready to use them later, simply thaw, unwrap and enjoy!

A hand holding a chocolate chip granola bar, with 3 in the background.A white plate holding plastic-wrapped chocolate chip granola bars.

I really hope you have the chance to make these chocolate chip granola bars! We absolutely LOVE them, and trust you and those you love will, too!

Thanks for stopping by my website today, and I invite you to come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you… and have a wonderful day!

Looking For More “Bar Cookie” Style Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of yummy bar cookie recipes to choose from, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

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Author's signature

Recipe adapted from: “Dining On A Dime Cookbook”, by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper, page 290, published by T & L Group in 2004

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
22 mins
Total Time
37 mins
 

Make 16 delicious, chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars for family and friends! These granola bars are easy to make and they taste fabulous!

Category: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: All Cuisines
Keyword: chocolate chip granola bars
Servings: 16 bars
Calories Per Serving: 285 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup brown sugar dark or light
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup butter , soft
  • 2 Tablespoons honey or light corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ cups old fashioned oats uncooked
  • 1¼ cups finely crushed graham crackers approx. 4-5 rectangular graham crackers
  • ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup milk chocolate chips
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly spray a 13" x 9" baking pan, then place parchment paper on top. TIP: Paper should be long enough to hang over the sides of the pan, so you can lift granola bars easily out, after baking! Spray the parchment paper on bottom/sides with non-stick spray. *If you have them, use "chip clips" to hold parchment paper in place while adding dough.

  2. Cream butter, granulated and brown sugars in a large bowl, using electric mixer. Add egg, corn syrup (or honey), and vanilla. Beat well, until fully combined.

  3. In separate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add them (a little at a time) to butter/egg mixture, beating well after each addition. STIR chocolate chips, oats, and graham cracker crumbs into the dough, until combined.

  4. Add dough to prepared pan. Spray/grease fingers lightly, then firmly press down on the dough. Keep packing dough down firmly until bottom of the pan and all corners are covered. *Remove "chip clips", if using.*

  5. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. When done, edges should be crisp, and bars nicely browned on top. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let bars cool (in pan) for 10 minutes. Using parchment paper edges, carefully lift granola bars out of the pan. Place granola bars (still on the paper) on wire rack; cool to room temperature (they'll firm up more as they "cool").

  6. Cut bars in half (top to bottom) using sharp knife OR pizza cutter. You should have 2 halves. Now slice the bars in half going the opposite direction (side to side). You should now have 4 sections. Slice each section in half (top to bottom). You should now have 8 rectangles. Slice all 8 pieces in half (top to bottom). You should have 16 granola bars. Serve and enjoy.

  7. *Wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap to keep fresh and chewy. If freezing, place wrapped bars in airtight freezer bag or container.

Recipe Notes

NOTE: If you only have one type of chocolate chips, use that! Make sure you use 1 cup total. The caloric calculation was made using the ingredients listed.

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Amount Per Serving (1 granola bar)
Calories 285 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Trans Fat 0.3g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 28mg9%
Sodium 175mg8%
Potassium 112mg3%
Carbohydrates 43g14%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 26g29%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 211IU4%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 35mg4%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make 16 delicious, chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars for family and friends! These granola bars are easy to make and they taste fabulous!

 


Apr
2023

Mocha Cinnamon Brownies

categories: Bar Cookies, Desserts
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Whip up a pan of Mocha Cinnamon Brownies for a quick dessert! These brownies are fudgy and delicious, with hints of cinnamon and coffee.
Whip up a pan of Mocha Cinnamon Brownies for a quick dessert! These brownies are fudgy and delicious, with hints of cinnamon and coffee.

Do you like delicious, fudgy brownies? You know… the kind that by eating them seem to cure all the world’s problems? If you do, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy these Mocha Cinnamon brownies!

The recipe originated on a TV show called “Chopped”, and found it in a cookbook I had that was published quite a few years ago. These brownies are really good and I hope you’ll try them!

I slightly tweaked the original recipe to add a bit more coffee and cinnamon, and we loved the result! These are dense, fudgy brownies that are deeply chocolate-flavored, but with a subtle back taste of cinnamon and mocha.

Mocha Cinnamon Brownies are simple to make in a short amount of time, so be warned! Before you know it, you’ll be serving them or stuffing your face with this decadent dessert. Here’s how to make them.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Brownie Batter

This recipe is a bit unique to me because the technique used to make the batter is quite different than the way I “normally” do it for my other brownie recipes!

It’s actually quite easy, though. Place butter, sugar, cocoa powder, instant coffee, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt into a medium-sized saucepan.

Turn the heat to MEDIUM, then cook, stirring often, until the butter melts. As the butter melts and you stir, the ingredients will all become combined.

Butter, sugar, coffee powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt and vanilla are cooked in saucepan.

Let It COOL

Once the mixture has been fully combined, remove the pan from the heat source. Set the pan aside and let the batter cool until it has become WARM, but not hot.

This will usually take about 10 minutes (or a little less if you keep stirring). You want the batter only slightly warm when you add the eggs.

Why? If the batter is too hot, the eggs will “scramble” as they are added, and you absolutely do NOT want that!

Once ingredients are combined, pan of batter is removed from the heat to cool.

Finish The Brownie Batter

Stir or beat in the eggs, ONE AT A TIME. Continue mixing after each addition, until the batter is smooth with a bit of a glossy shine to it.

Eggs are stirred, on at a time, into cooled batter, and stirred to combine.

Add the flour to the batter and stir until it has been combined with the rest of the batter. Now the brownie batter is ready for baking!

Flour is added and then stirred into the batter for the mocha cinnamon brownies.

Ready, Set… Bake!

Pour the brownie batter into the previously buttered baking pan. Place the pan of mocha cinnamon brownies on a middle rack in a preheated oven.

Bake at 325°F. for about 20-25 minutes, or until the brownies are set. Oven temps can vary widely, so keep an eye on them.

To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the middle of the brownies. If it comes out clean, the brownies are ready.

Batter is spread into a buttered 9" x 9" baking dish then cooked in oven.The mocha cinnamon brownies are baked for 20-25 minutes until set.

Time For Some Mocha Cinnamon Brownies!

Remove the pan of brownies from the oven and transfer the pan to a wire rack. Let the mocha cinnamon brownies cool to room temperature in the baking pan before cutting and serving.

When cooled, cut the brownies into 12 bars, and then serve these delicious treats! Cover any leftovers well with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

The mocha cinnamon brownies can be stored (covered) on the countertop for up to 2-3 days (if they’re not all gobbled up by then). They’re delicious, dense, and filled with chocolate flavor!

A beige platter with four mocha cinnamon brownies on it, ready to be eaten.A close up of mocha cinnamon brownies, dense and fudgy, and ready to be enjoyed.

I hope you have the opportunity to make these mocha cinnamon brownies for yourself or for those you love. You’re going to like them, I’m sure!

Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day!

Looking For More Recipes For BAR COOKIES?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some delicious bar cookie recipes for you to enjoy, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

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Author's signature

Recipe adapted from: “The Chopped Cookbook”, page 229, published by Clarkson Potter in 2014 for Television Food Network, G. P.

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Mocha Cinnamon Brownies
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Whip up a pan of Mocha Cinnamon Brownies for a quick dessert! These brownies are fudgy and delicious, with hints of cinnamon and coffee.

Category: Dessert, Snacks
Cuisine: All Cuisines
Keyword: mocha cinnamon brownies
Servings: 12 brownies
Calories Per Serving: 203 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 12 Tablespoons butter =1½ sticks + more for greasing pan
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2½ teaspoons instant coffee
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup all purpose flour
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325℉. Use additional butter (about 1 T.) to butter bottom and sides of 9"x9" square baking pan.

  2. Place butter, sugar, cocoa powder, instant coffee, vanilla, cinnamon and salt into a medium saucepan. Turn heat to MEDIUM. Cook, stirring often, until butter melts and ingredients are combined.

  3. Remove pan from heat source. Set aside. Let batter cool until WARM, but not hot (about 10 minutes). You want batter only slightly warm before you add eggs.

  4. Stir or beat in eggs, one at a time. Continue mixing until batter is smooth with a slight glossy shine. Add flour; stir until combined

  5. Spread batter in buttered pan. Place pan on middle rack in preheated oven. Bake at 325°F. for 20-25 minutes, or until brownies are set. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into middle of the brownies. If it comes out clean, they're done.

  6. Remove brownies from oven; transfer pan to a wire rack. Let brownies cool to room temp. (in pan) before cutting into 12 bars and serving. ENJOY! *Store leftovers in airtight container on countertop.

Nutrition Facts
Mocha Cinnamon Brownies
Amount Per Serving (1 brownie)
Calories 203 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Trans Fat 0.5g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 61mg20%
Sodium 152mg7%
Potassium 109mg3%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 17g19%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 395IU8%
Vitamin C 0.01mg0%
Calcium 17mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Whip up a pan of Mocha Cinnamon Brownies for a quick dessert! These brownies are fudgy and delicious, with hints of cinnamon and coffee.


Sep
2022

Chocolate Chip Swirl Bars

categories: Bar Cookies, Desserts
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Make a dozen Chocolate Chip Swirl Bars in about 30 minutes! Be warned! These delicious, simple bar cookies are so good, they’re dangerous!
Make a dozen Chocolate Chip Swirl Bars in about 30 minutes! Be warned! These delicious, simple bar cookies are so good, they're dangerous!

Do you enjoy warm chocolate chip cookies? Well, I sure do! If you enjoy them as much as I do, I’m positive you’re going to love these chocolate chip swirl bars! The bar cookies are filled with chopped pecans (or walnuts), and a layer of chocolate chips are swirled through the batter after a minute or two of baking. They are so good!

I originally found this recipe in one of my old cookbooks that was published way back in 2005. The recipe is super simple to prepare, and the results are outstanding! Chocolate Chip Swirl Bars are a decadent treat, that take only about 10 minutes prep to get into the oven. The rest is about 20 minutes of baking time, and then you get to enjoy one (or seven!) of these yummy dessert bars! Here’s how to make them.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Bar Cookie Dough

First thing you’ll need to do is preheat your oven to 375°F. and spray an 8″x8″ square baking pan with non-stick spray. The dough doesn’t take long to prepare, so you will want your oven hot and ready to go, once it is made. Now you’re ready to mix up the dough for these chocolate chip dessert bars!

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt into a Medium sized bowl, then set the bowl aside. In a separate Large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat softened butter, granulated and brown sugars, vanilla extract and water together until fully combined.

Once combined, use the electric mixer to beat an egg and the flour mixture into the dough, a little at a time, until incorporated. Remove the mixer, and STIR chopped pecans (or walnuts) into the dough until they’re incorporated.

Chopped pecans (or walnuts) are stirred into the prepared dessert bars dough.

Getting Ready To Bake

Evenly spread the dough into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the entire surface of the dough. Now you’re ready to bake the chocolate chip swirl bars! See how easy it was to get them ready to bake?

Dough for the chocolate chip swirl bars is spread in a greased baking dish.Chocolate chips are sprinkled over the surface of the dough.

Bake The Chocolate Chip Swirl Bars

Place the baking pan into a preheated 375°F. oven and let them bake for ONLY 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and quickly take a butter knife and run it through the dough, creating marbleized “swirls” throughout the dough in the pan.

After creating swirls of softened chocolate chips, put the pan back into the hot oven, and continue baking for 16-18 minutes longer. When done, the top of the chocolate chip swirl bars will be nicely browned, and a toothpick inserted into the top middle should come out free of dough batter (clean).

After baking for 2 minutes, a knife is used to swirl the softened chocolate chips through the dough.Chocolate chips are swirled through the dough, then pan is put back in oven to finish baking.

Remove the pan from the oven once done, and transfer it to a wire rack to cool. The chocolate chip swirl bars will slice easier once they have had several minutes to cool, so make sure to let them “rest” a bit.

Golden brown and firm on top, the chocolate chip swirl bars are removed from oven.Chocolate chip swirl bars, in baking dish, cooling down before slicing.

Serve The Chocolate Chip Swirl Bars

We enjoy these cookie bars best when served slightly warm, but if you prefer them hot OR at room temperature, that is your choice. Either way, when you’re ready to serve, slice the bars into 12 pieces. However, when served warm, the chocolate chips will still be ooey gooey and delicious (just sayin’)!

Serve and enjoy these decadent treats. IF you have any leftovers (notice I said “IF”?), they can be wrapped tightly or placed in a freezer bag or airtight container and frozen for use at a later date. YUM!

The chocolate chip dessert bars are cut into 12 pieces before serving.Four of the chocolate chip swirl bars are served on a white plate.

I hope you have the chance to make these yummy dessert bars for those you love. They’re REALLY delicious! Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you can come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, have a GREAT day, and may God bless you in all you do.

Looking For More BAR COOKIE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of amazing bar cookie recipes for you to enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Author's signature

Original recipe source: Betty Green, in “Church Suppers”, page 351, published by Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers in 2005

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Chocolate Chip Swirl Bars
Prep Time
12 mins
Cook Time
18 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Make a dozen Chocolate Chip Swirl Bars in about 30 minutes! Be warned! These delicious, simple bar cookies are so good, they're dangerous!

Category: Bar Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate chip swirl bars
Servings: 12 bars
Calories Per Serving: 272 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup + 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 8 Tablespoons butter, softened = 1 stick or ½ cup
  • 6 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon water
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. and spray an 8"x8" square baking pan with non-stick spray.

  2. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl; set bowl aside. In a separate large bowl, use electric mixer to beat butter, granulated and brown sugars, vanilla and water together until combined. Add egg and reserved flour mixture to the dough, a little at a time, beating until incorporated. STIR chopped pecans (or walnuts) into the dough until incorporated. Evenly spread dough into baking pan. Evenly sprinkle surface of dough with chocolate chips.

  3. Place pan with dough into 375°F. oven and bake dough for ONLY 2 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Take a butter knife and run it through the dough, creating marbleized "swirls" throughout the dough. Put the pan back into oven; continue baking 16-18 minutes longer. Bars should be nicely browned, and a toothpick inserted into the top should come out free of dough (clean). Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool before attempting to slice.

  4. When you're ready to serve (warm or room temperature), slice into 12 bars. Serve and enjoy! NOTE: If you have leftovers, they can be wrapped or placed in a freezer bag or airtight container and frozen for later use.

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Chip Swirl Bars
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/12 of total))
Calories 272 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Trans Fat 0.3g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 36mg12%
Sodium 212mg9%
Potassium 130mg4%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 17g19%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 264IU5%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 25mg3%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make a dozen Chocolate Chip Swirl Bars in about 30 minutes! Be warned! These delicious, simple bar cookies are so good, they're dangerous!


Jul
2022

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

categories: Bar Cookies, Desserts
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies are filled with chopped peanuts, chocolate chips and peanut butter, and are absolutely delicious!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies are filled with chopped peanuts, chocolate chips and peanut butter, and are absolutely delicious!

If you love the flavor combo of chocolate and peanut butter, I think you’ll enjoy these delicious chocolate peanut butter BROWNIES!

The peanut butter taste is not too strong, and it perfectly blends with the fudgy chocolate flavor in these yummy dessert bars!

With only 10 minutes of hands-on prep, you can have a big ol’ pan of yummy tasting brownies in the oven before you know it. Chocolate peanut butter brownies can be eaten unfrosted OR frosted

I’ve included a recipe for a delicious chocolate frosting (in the printable recipe card) for your convenience. Here’s how easy these brownies are to make:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Brownie Batter

Measure peanut butter, softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar into a large mixing bowl. Cream ingredients together using an electric mixer on High speed until fully blended.

Turn the mixer down to Medium speed, and add vanilla extract and 4 eggs, ADDING EGGS ONE AT A TIME. Beat the ingredients very well after each egg is added.

Once done, the chocolate peanut butter brownie batter will be fairly thick.

Peanut butter, brown & granulated sugar, and butter are combined using a mixer.Four eggs are added to the batter, one at a time, then mixed in.

Stir cocoa powder, flour, salt, chocolate chips and chopped peanuts into the brownie batter until well combined. Now the brownies are ready to be baked!

Cocoa powder, chocolate chips, flour, salt and peanuts are stirred into the brownie batter.

Ready To Bake!

Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ baking pan and then spread the batter evenly in the pan. Place the pan of chocolate peanut butter brownies on the center rack of a preheated 350°F. oven.

Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted deep into the center of the brownies comes out clean. The top of the brownies should also feel firm once done.

The batter for chocolate peanut butter brownies is spread into a greased cake pan.

If You Like “Unfrosted” Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

Remove the pan from the oven, and cut the brownies into 24 portions while still hot. Let them cool  to room temp (still in the pan) after slicing, before serving.

If you enjoy the chocolate peanut butter brownies UNFROSTED, simply let them cool completely. Transfer them from the pan to a serving plate, and serve.

After baking, the chocolate peanut butter brownies are cut while still hot into 24 portions.A white plate with several unfrosted brownies ready to enjoy.

If You Like “Frosted” Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

If you prefer chocolate frosting on brownies, you can make it while the brownies cool. It’s EASY! I’ve included the printable recipe below, but here are the basics. 

Melt butter in a saucepan on low heat. Add cocoa powder, and stir it in, until blended with the melted butter. Stir in salt, vanilla, and ¼ cup of milk, stirring by hand until combined.

Add powdered sugar, and stir well. If necessary add a bit more milk until the frosting becomes smooth and slightly pourable.

Poke holes in the tops of the brownies, then immediately pour the chocolate frosting evenly over the surface. The frosting will cover the top and sink into the holes in each brownie. 

Chocolate frosting can be made to frost the brownies, if desired.Holes are poked in the brownies, then they're covered with chocolate frosting.

Let the frosting become firm before slicing and transferring the brownies out of the baking pan to a serving plate. Serve, and enjoy these decadent dessert bars.

A pan of frosted chocolate peanut butter brownies showing the inside after removing brownies..A white plate with several frosted chocolate peanut butter brownies on it.

I really hope you enjoy these delicious brownies! They taste wonderful, and I hope you (and those you love) like them as much as we do.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today, and I invite you to come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a great day!

Looking For More BAR COOKIE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some wonderfully delicious bar cookie recipes to enjoy, which include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source for brownies: “Mollie Katzen’s Vegetable Heaven”, page 204, published in 1997 by Tante Malka, Inc.
Original recipe source for frosting: my Mom’s frosting recipe for chocolate cake

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Resting Time (inactive cooling time)
30 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies are filled with chopped peanuts, chocolate chips and peanut butter, and are absolutely delicious!

Category: Desssert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate peanut butter brownies
Servings: 24
Calories Per Serving: 260 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Brownie Batter:
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)
  • 1 stick butter (½ cup), softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup cocktail peanuts finely chopped
For Chocolate Frosting (if using):
  • 6 Tablespoons butter (3/4 stick)
  • 4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 12 ounces powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup low-fat milk (1%) more if necessary to thin frosting
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan.

  2. Measure peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar into large mixing bowl. Cream ingredients using electric mixer on High until fully blended. Turn mixer to Medium; add vanilla and eggs, ADDING EGGS ONE AT A TIME. Beat well after each egg is added.

  3. Remove beaters. Add cocoa, flour, chocolate chips and peanuts to batter; stir by hand until fully incorporated into thick batter.

  4. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Place pan on center rack of oven. Bake at 350°F. for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted deep into the center of the brownies comes out clean. The surface of the brownies should feel firm.

For UNFROSTED Brownies:

  1. Remove pan from oven. Cut brownies into 24 servings while still hot. Let cool (still in pan) to room temp. after slicing, before removing from pan and serving.

For FROSTED Brownies:

  1. Slice brownies while still hot. To make frosting: Melt butter on low heat in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add cocoa powder; stir well, then add salt, vanilla, and ¼ cup of milk, stirring by hand until combined. Add powdered sugar, and stir well. If necessary add a bit more milk until the frosting becomes slightly pourable. When fully combined, poke holes in the top of the brownies, then pour frosting over the surface to cover. Let frosting become firm, before removing brownies from pan and serving.

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Caloric calculation is for UNFROSTED brownies (260 per serving). If using frosting included in recipe card, the caloric content of each brownie will be approx. 344 calories per serving.

ALSO... if you are using non-salted peanut butter in the brownies, add ¼ tsp. to the brownie batter.

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Amount Per Serving (1 brownie (1/24 of total))
Calories 260 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 42mg14%
Sodium 106mg5%
Potassium 223mg6%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 18g20%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 167IU3%
Calcium 33mg3%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies are filled with chopped peanuts, chocolate chips and peanut butter, and are absolutely delicious!


Mar
2022

Irish Cream Layered Brownies

categories: Bar Cookies, Chocolate, Desserts, Holidays!
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Irish Cream Layered Brownies are a decadent treat! Fudgy brownies with 2 layers of Irish cream-infused chocolate ganache and buttercream! YUM!Irish Cream Layered Brownies are a decadent treat! Fudgy brownies with 2 layers of Irish cream-infused chocolate ganache and buttercream! YUM!

Top o’ the morning to ya! Isn’t that we’re “supposed” to say as it nears St. Patrick’s Day? Today I want to share an absolutely scrumptious recipe for Irish Cream Layered Brownies. Thee brownies are made of three distinct layers: a mocha brownie, topped with an Irish Cream frosting, which is topped with Irish cream chocolate ganache.

Yes… you might detect an “Irish” theme here. One of our sons gave me a cookbook for Christmas to add to my collection. I found this recipe for these sweet treats in it, and we were thrilled with the results! Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any time you want a yummy dessert to serve, I’m confident you’re gonna enjoy them. These brownies are chewy and full of flavor, and I can guarantee you no leprechauns were harmed in the making of this recipe.

Irish cream liqueur is used (sparingly, but it’s in there) to flavor the frosting and the chocolate ganache, giving it a distinctive flavor.  The recipe, as written below will yield 16 delicious Irish Cream Layered Brownies. Here’s how to make them:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Brownie Batter

Before mixing the batter, preheat your oven to 350°F and grease the bottom and sides of an 8″ x 8″ square baking pan. Set the pan aside while you make the brownie batter. To make the batter, first sift flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl, then set the bowl aside. 

Flour, baking powder and salt are sifted together for the brownie batter.

Melt butter in a small saucepan on low heat, then remove the pan from the heat source. Immediately stir in cocoa, oil, and instant coffee powder. Stir well, to combine, then let the mixture cool a bit (4-5 minutes).

After it’s cooled, stir in granulated sugar, then beaten eggs, stirring well as the eggs are added. Add the flour mixture and vanilla extract, adding the flour mixture a little at a time. Stir well, between additions, to incorporate the dry ingredients into the batter. 

A four photo collage showing the steps for making the brownie batter in a saucepan.

Layer #1- Bake The Brownies

Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake at 350°F. for 23-25 minutes, or until the center is set, being careful to NOT overcook the brownies. Test by inserting a toothpick into the top center of the brownies. It should come out free of batter. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool until the brownies are just barely warm.

Brownies are baked in a greased 8"x8" pan until set on top.

Layer #2- Make The Irish Cream Frosting

While the brownies cool, mix together the Irish cream frosting. Beat powdered sugar and softened butter together with an electric mixer on Low setting. Add Irish cream liqueur, and beat the frosting until it becomes smooth.

Spread the frosting over the entire surface of the slightly warm brownies (if they’re too hot, it will melt frosting). Place the pan in a refrigerator and let the chill for 1 hour. This allows the frosting to firm up before adding the top layer of ganache.

Irish cream flavored frosting is mixed together, then spread on cooled brownies.

Layer #3- Make The Chocolate Ganache Topping

About 15 minutes before the brownies finish chilling, make the chocolate ganache topping. Place chocolate chips, Irish cream liqueur, heavy whipping cream and instant coffee powder in a microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave on High temperature for 1 minute, then stir. Place bowl back into the microwave, and heat it on High another 30-45 seconds. Remove and stir the ganache until smooth. Let the ganache cool slightly (3-4 minutes), or until it is warm and spreadable.

Three photo collage showing chocolate ganache made by microwaving ingredients & stirring until smooth.

Spread the ganache evenly over the entire frosting layer. By the way… the photo below is the same ganache. Different lighting, perhaps? Weird! Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the Irish Cream Layered Brownies until the chocolate is firmly set. This usually takes about an hour or less.

Irish cream chocolate ganache is spread on top of the frosting layer on the brownies.

The Irish Cream Layered Brownies Are Ready To Eat!

After the Irish Cream Layered Brownies have been fully chilled, they’re ready to cut, serve, and enjoy! Cut the brownies into 16 pieces, and dig in. They taste wonderful! Store any leftovers covered in the fridge, or give some to friends and family. We gave extra Irish Cream Layered Brownies to both of our sons so they could enjoy them, too!

The brownies have a light mocha taste, and are chewy and yummy. Those two layers of frosting and ganache will taste awesome, thanks to the Irish cream liqueur infused flavor. Put all three layers together and you’ve got terrific dessert treats for St. Patrick’s Day OR any other day, for that matter! They are dense, rich tasting and oh so good!

Photo showing all three layers: brownie layer, frosting layer, and chocolate ganache layer on top.A stack of Irish cream layered brownies, ready to eat on a white plate.One of the Irish cream layered brownies on a white plate, ready to be eaten.

I really hope you will give these delicious fudgy brownies a try. Remember to plan ahead, to allow for chilling two of the three layers, okay? Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you’ll come back soon for more yummy recipes. Take care, and have a wonderful day.

Looking For More BAR COOKIE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some really wonderful bar cookie recipes you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original Recipe Source: recipe submitted by Sue Gronholz in “The Taste Of Home Cookbook”, page 486,  published by RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC, 2019

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Irish Cream Layered Brownies
Prep Time
35 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Additional refrigeration time
2 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs
 

Irish Cream Layered Brownies are a decadent treat! Fudgy brownies with 2 layers of Irish cream-infused chocolate ganache and buttercream!

Category: Bar Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Irish cream layered brownies
Servings: 16 brownies
Calories Per Serving: 296 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Batter (Layer #1):
  • ⅔ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup butter
  • 6 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 Tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
  • ¾ teaspoon instant coffee powder
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs slightly beaten, at room temp.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting (Layer #2)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
  • ¼ cup butter softened
  • 3 Tablespoons Irish Cream Liqueur
Chocolate Ganache (Layer #3)
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3 Tablespoons Irish Cream Liqueur
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • ½ teaspoon instant coffee powder
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom/sides of 8" x 8" square baking pan. Set pan aside.

  2. MAKE BROWNIE BATTER (Layer #1): Sift flour, baking powder and salt into mixing bowl; set aside.

  3. Melt butter in a saucepan on low heat. Remove pan from heat. Stir in cocoa, oil, and instant coffee powder. Stir well; let cool 4-5 minutes. Add sugar and eggs, stirring constantly as they're added. Gradually add flour mixture and vanilla, a little at a time. Stir well, to fully mix into batter. 

  4. Spread brownie batter evenly in greased pan. Bake at 350°F. about 23-25 minutes, or until center is set. Don't overcook brownies. Test by inserting toothpick into top of brownies. Toothpick should come out free of batter. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool.

  5. MAKE FROSTING (Layer #2): While brownies cool, mix frosting. Beat powdered sugar and soft butter with electric mixer on low setting. Add Irish cream liqueur; beat until frosting becomes smooth. Spread over brownies that are only barely warm. Put pan in refrigerator; chill brownies 1 hour.

  6. MAKE CHOCOLATE GANACHE (Layer #3): Approx. 15 minutes before brownies finish chilling, make ganache. Place chocolate chips, Irish cream liqueur, whipping cream and coffee powder in microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on High for 1 minute, then stir. Put back in microwave; heat another 30-45 seconds. Remove; stir ganache until smooth. Let cool 3-4 minutes until warm and spreadable.

  7. Spread ganache over frosting layer. Cover pan; refrigerate until ganache is set (45-60 minutes). Cut into 16 pieces; serve. Store (covered) in fridge.

Nutrition Facts
Irish Cream Layered Brownies
Amount Per Serving (1 brownie)
Calories 296 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 44mg15%
Sodium 107mg5%
Potassium 126mg4%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 32g36%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 274IU5%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 23mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Irish Cream Layered Brownies are a decadent treat! Fudgy brownies with 2 layers of Irish cream-infused chocolate ganache and buttercream! YUM!

 

 

 


Dec
2020

Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle

categories: Bar Cookies, Cookies, Desserts
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Delicious Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle is a very “brittle” slab of chocolate chip coconut pecan cookie broken in chunky pieces. EASY & YUMMY!
Delicious Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle is a very "brittle" slab of chocolate chip coconut pecan cookie broken in chunky pieces. EASY & YUMMY!

If you enjoy chocolate chip cookies, then I can practically guarantee you will LOVE this crispy, crunchy chocolate chip pecan brittle. There is also toasted coconut in this treat, which is a wonderful flavor addition. My husband and I love this simple, but decadent crunchy dessert. I originally found the recipe in one of the Christmas cookbooks I have in my collection. IT’S SO GOOD!

The dough is made, then pressed FIRMLY into a 13×9″ baking pan, then cooked until hard and crunchy. Once done baking, the entire slab of cookie brittle is removed from the pan IN ONE PIECE. It is then broken into irregular shaped pieces for serving. Oh. My. Goodness. This chocolate chip pecan brittle is addictively TASTY! It would also be perfect for gift-giving. Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Toast The Coconut And Pecans

First Things First… preheat your oven to 350°F. You will need to lightly “toast” the coconut and pecans before making the dough for the “cookie brittle”. It’s EASY. Simply spread the pecans and coconut out on a large baking sheet.

Bake them at 350°F for 7-8 minutes without disturbing, until the coconut is golden brown. Once done, remove pan from the oven, and set these two ingredients aside to cool for a few minutes before adding to the dough. TIP: While the pecans and coconut are cooling, you can begin making the dough, to save time.

Coconut and pecans are toasted on a baking sheet in the oven.

Make The Dough

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside. In a SEPARATE large bowl, stir together melted (and cooled) butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.

Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the butter mixture, and stir well, combining the ingredients into a soft dough.

Dry ingredients are added to buttery wet ingredients to form a soft dough.

Add the chocolate chips and the cooled, toasted pecans and coconut to the dough mixture. Stir well, until all ingredients are incorporated. The chocolate chip pecan brittle dough will appear to be a bit crumbly, once combined.
Chocolate chips, toasted pecans and coconut are added to the dough.

Pack The Dough Firmly Into The Baking Pan

Lightly spray a 13″x9″ baking sheet with rimmed edges with non-stick baking spray. Using clean hands, firmly press the dough evenly in the pan until it is compacted and tightly packed down. This will ensure a crispy slab of chocolate chip pecan brittle once baked! Press the dough all the way to the edges. 

Chocolate chip pecan brittle dough is pressed firmly into a 13x9" baking pan.

Bake The Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle

Once dough is firmly compacted in the pan, I take the back of a spatula and go around the edges of the pan, to create a tiny space between the dough and the pan. It helps to shore up the edges of the chocolate chip pecan brittle for a solid slab later.

Pop the tray onto the middle rack of a preheated 350°F oven. Bake for 19-21 minutes. When done, the “brittle” should be golden browned and firmly crisp. You don’t want soft spots, so you might have to cook it a minute or two longer, as oven temperatures can vary. When done, remove baking sheet from the oven to let the slab of brittle cool. Leave the brittle in the pan until it has cooled COMPLETELY.

Dough is separated from sides of pan, then baked until crispy and golden brown.

Time To Bust Out The Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle!

Once the brittle has completely cooled, it’s time to bust it out of the pan. Remove the entire slab from the pan, and transfer it to a piece of aluminum foil or wax paper. It should be easy to remove in one piece, by lifting one edge, and literally lifting the whole thing out of the pan in a solid slab (as shown below)!

Using your hands, break the slab into individual portions. Yes, the pieces will be non-uniform in size as you break it up, but you should easily be able to get 24 pieces from this recipe.

Baked chocolate chip pecan brittle is so firm it can be removed from pan in one piece.Irregular shaped pieces are broken off of the slab before serving.

Time To Eat!

Once the chocolate chip pecan brittle is broken up into serving size portions, it’s ready to eat. YUMMO. These delicious treats are so good, and it was all we could do to stay out of it! The brittle can also be placed into cute little cannisters or gift boxes to share some love with friends or family for the holidays or a special occasion!

These treats are really crunchy and are amazingly delicious! IF you have any leftovers… be sure to store them in an airtight container to ensure maximum crunchiness for several days!

A white platter full of pieces of chocolate chip pecan brittle.There are many sizes and shapes of chocolate chip pecan brittle on the plate.

I am positive you will really enjoy these decadent treats as much as we do! Hopefully you will have the opportunity and time to make them for those you love.  Thanks for stopping by today. I truly hope you will come back soon. Have a GREAT day.

Looking For More COOKIE Recipes?

You can find all of my cookie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few delicious ones, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: “Christmas With Southern Living 2007” Cookbook, published 2007 by Oxmoor House, page 158

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Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle
Prep Time
17 mins
Cook Time
19 mins
Total Time
36 mins
 

Delicious Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle is a very "brittle" slab of chocolate chip coconut pecan cookie broken in chunky pieces. EASY & YUMMY!

Category: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate chip pecan brittle
Servings: 24
Calories Per Serving: 204 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ cup butter melted & cooled slightly
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (miniature)
  • 1 cup pecan pieces toasted
  • ½ cup sweetened, flaked coconut toasted
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray or grease a 13"x9" rimmed baking sheet; set aside.

  2. Spread pecans and coconut out on a large baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 7-8 minutes undisturbed, until coconut is golden brown. Remove pan from oven, let ingredients cool before adding to dough.

  3. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside. In a SEPARATE large bowl, stir together melted (cooled) butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir well, combining ingredients into a soft dough. Add chocolate chips and cooled pecans and coconut to dough. Stir well, until all ingredients are incorporated (dough will be a bit crumbly).

  4. Firmly press dough evenly in greased pan until it is compacted and tightly packed down. This will ensure a crispy slab of chocolate chip pecan brittle once baked! Press dough all the way to the edges. Using the back of a spatula, go around edges, creating a tiny space between dough and pan. It helps to shore up the edges of the chocolate chip pecan brittle for a solid slab later.

  5. Place baking sheet on the middle rack of 350°F oven. Bake for 19-21 minutes. When done, "brittle" should be golden brown and very crisp. You don't want soft spots, so you might have to cook it a minute or two longer, as oven temperatures can vary. When done, remove baking sheet from oven. Leave the brittle in the pan until it has cooled COMPLETELY.

  6. Once completely cooled, remove entire slab from the pan. It should be easy to remove in one piece, by lifting up one edge, then lifting the whole thing out of the pan in a solid slab. Break the slab into individual portions. The pieces will be non-uniform in size as you break it up, but you should easily get 24 pieces. Serve, and enjoy! Store leftovers in airtight container.

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 204 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 16mg5%
Sodium 94mg4%
Potassium 112mg3%
Carbohydrates 20g7%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 185IU4%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 22mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Delicious Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle is a very "brittle" slab of chocolate chip coconut pecan cookie broken in chunky pieces. EASY & YUMMY!


Oct
2020

Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars

categories: Bar Cookies, Desserts
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Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars are a yummy treat, with crunchy layers of puffed rice cereal, butterscotch chips, peanut butter and chocolate!
Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars are a yummy treat, with crunchy layers of puffed rice cereal, butterscotch chips, peanut butter and chocolate!

If you’re on the lookout for a great tasting dessert bar or snack, I would love to recommend to you these butterscotch fudge krispy bars! I first tried them over 25 years ago when my sweet friend Dawn made a batch and shared them with our family. After my first bite I was hooked! They are absolutely delicious (and addicting, I might add).

I finally got around to making and photographing these yummy bars again, to share her fantastic recipe on my blog. So I whipped up a batch, and “forced” myself to enjoy several of them… you know for “quality control”! Luckily for us (and our waistlines), our oldest son had evacuated to our home as a precaution during the recent Oregon wildfires, so he definitely helped gobble them up, too! 

They are ALWAYS a huge hit, and I am happy to be sharing my friend’s easy recipe today. Here’s how to make ’em:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page.

How To Make Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars

In a large saucepan, cook butterscotch chips and peanut butter on LOW heat only until melted, stirring continually. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour in the crisped rice cereal immediately. Butterscotch chips and peanut butter are cooked until melted in saucepan.Puffed rice cereal is added to melted butterscotch chips and peanut butter.

Stir well, to combine the ingredients. The mixture will be THICK. Just keep stirring until all the rice cereal is coated. While the mixture is still warm, divide it in half. Press HALF of the mixture into a well buttered or greased dish (use 8×8 dish if making as written, or a 9×13 dish for a double batch). Keep the other reserved half of this mixture in the saucepan, at room temp.

Use the back of a spoon to firmly press the mixture down into the pan to form a solid, dense layer. Set the pan with the krispy layer into the freezer to chill and solidify while you make the chocolate fudge layer.

The butterscotch krispy mixture is stirred together until fully combined.Half of the mixture is packed down into a baking pan to form bottom of bars.

Make The Chocolate Fudge Layer

Now it’s time to make the middle chocolate fudge layer. Use a double boiler for this step. No double boiler? Do this: Place a small pan with the chocolate chips on top of a larger pan (half full of gently boiling water) on the stove. The small pan will “rest” on top of the lightly boiling water of the larger pan. Be careful not to let any water from the bottom pan get into the chocolate chips or they will “seize up” (not good).

Stir the chocolate chips until they have fully melted, then remove the pan from the heat. Once the melted chocolate is off the heat, quickly stir in powdered sugar, butter and then water. Stir well, to melt the butter, and continue stirring until smooth.

Chocolate chips are melted in a double boiler pan.Powdered sugar, butter and water are added to melted chocolate in pan.

Layer Fudge Filling And Then Butterscotch Krispy Mixture

Remove the dish with the krispy layer from the freezer, and immediately spread the chocolate fudge over the top. Use the back of a spoon, knife, or offset spatula to evenly spread the chocolate to fully cover the bottom layer.

Now take the reserved butterscotch krispy mixture, and carefully spread it over the fudge layer, fully covering the chocolate layer. Press this layer together to form a firm top layer. Now you have three distinct layers of butterscotch fudge krispy bars! Place the bars into a refrigerator to chill, until firm (about 30 minutes or so).

The fudge topping is added to the butterscotch krispy base.All the fudge topping is spread over the top of the bars.Remaining half of krispy mixture is packed on top of the chocolate layer.

Time To Eat Some Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars!

Once the butterscotch fudge kripsy bars are fully chilled and firm, they can be cut into portions for serving. Crunchy, sweet, and flavored with chocolate, butterscotch and peanut butter, you’re gonna love them, and might regret not making a DOUBLE BATCH!!

This is such a yummy dessert (or snack). It’s truly hard to not devour them all! The bars hold their shape really well, and have amazing flavor! Store any leftovers, covered, at room temperature. They do not have to be refrigerated after they have been cut, and will stay wonderfully delicious for days!

A plate of butterscotch fudge krispy bars, cut, and ready to eat!You see the chocolate layer in the middle of the butterscotch fudge krispy bars.

I sure hope you will have the opportunity to make this dessert. I can’t say enough good things about these treats… they are an all around family favorite! Thank you for stopping by my blog today, and I trust God will bless you and those you love.

Looking For More Bar Cookie Recipes?

You can find all of my bar cookie recipes (and other desserts) in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have quite a few, including:

Don’t Miss A Recipe!

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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Author's signature

Original recipe source: my friend Dawn Lindquist

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Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Refrigeration Time (inactive)
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars are a yummy treat, with crunchy layers of puffed rice cereal, butterscotch chips, peanut butter and chocolate!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: butterscotch fudge krispy bars
Servings: 16
Calories Per Serving: 204 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 6 ounces butterscotch chips
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 4 cups puffed rice cereal , (i.e.) Rice Krispies
For Chocolate Fudge Layer:
  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 Tablespoon water
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Layer #1-Butterscotch Krispy- In large saucepan, cook butterscotch chips and peanut butter on LOW heat until melted, stirring often. Remove pan from heat; add crisped rice cereal. Stir well, to combine until all cereal is coated. While warm, divide mixture in half. Press HALF of the mixture into a well buttered or greased dish, (setting aside other half of mixture in saucepan for later-Layer #3). Firmly press mixture down into dish to form solid layer. Set dish in freezer to chill/solidify.

  2. Layer #2 Chocolate- Use double boiler OR place small pan with chocolate chips on top of larger pan (half full of gently boiling water) on stove. Small pan will "rest" on top of hot water in larger pan. Don't let water from the bottom pan get into chocolate chips. Stir chocolate until melted; remove pan from heat. Immediately stir in powdered sugar, butter and water, stirring until smooth. Remove dish with krispy layer from freezer; spread chocolate on top to fully cover.

  3. Layer #3 Reserved Krispy Mixture- Take reserved butterscotch krispy mixture; spread it out to cover chocolate. Press krispy mixture together to form firm top layer. Chill bars in refrigerator until very firm (approx. 30 minutes).

  4. Serve- Cut chilled bars into 16 servings (or 32, if doubling recipe), serve, and enjoy. Store leftovers (covered) at room temp.

Nutrition Facts
Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars
Amount Per Serving (1 bar)
Calories 204 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 5mg2%
Sodium 129mg6%
Potassium 121mg3%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 18g20%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 525IU11%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 10mg1%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars are a yummy treat, with crunchy layers of puffed rice cereal, butterscotch chips, peanut butter and chocolate!


Oct
2020

Frosted Pumpkin Bars

categories: Bar Cookies, Desserts, Holidays!
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Frosted Pumpkin Bars are easy-to-make delicious treats, with cream cheese frosting, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, for a true taste of FALL!
Frosted Pumpkin Bars are easy-to-make delicious treats, with cream cheese frosting, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, for a true taste of FALL!

I can’t say enough great things about these yummy pumpkin bars. They’re SO GOOD. I’ve made them for many years (over 20), since my good friend Carla gave me her recipe way back in October, 1999. This year I realized I hadn’t ever posted the recipe on my blog, so I whipped up another batch a few weeks ago, and took photos as I made them.

Our oldest son was staying with us for just over a week, because of the horrible Oregon wildfires and hazardous smoke that saturated our area. We have air conditioning/air filtering, and since he lived right at the evacuation zone, it was “easier for him to breathe” here. We were glad to have him here, so he could enjoy his “Mom’s cooking”, AND gobble up several of these frosted pumpkin bars.

They are ALWAYS a huge hit (especially this time of year), and are incredibly simple to prepare. Today I want to share the recipe with you, so you can enjoy them, too! Here’s how to make 16 frosted pumpkin bars:

SCROLL DOWN FOR A PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

Prepare The Batter

In a large bowl, beat softened butter for about 30 seconds until creamy. Add granulated sugar, and beat until the mixture is rather “fluffy” (about 2-3 minutes). Add pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling), an egg, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Beat well, until fully incorporated. These are your “wet” ingredients for the pumpkin bars.

Butter is beaten until creamy, then sugar is added.Pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla are added to creamed butter mixture.The pumpkin batter of wet ingredients, after being mixed together

In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. This dry ingredient mixture includes flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and beat until the ingredients are fully blended together. Now your batter for the frosted pumpkin bars is complete. Time to bake!

Flour, cinnamon and other spices are whisked together for dry ingredients.The dry ingredients are added to the wet pumpkin ingredients and mixed together.

Time To Bake!

Evenly spread the pumpkin batter in an 8″x8″ greased or sprayed baking dish (bottom and sides). Bake the bars at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes. You will know the bars are done when a toothpick inserted into the top center comes out clean.

Once done, remove the pan from the oven, and place it on a wire rack to let the pumpkin bars cool. Let the bars FULLY cool before attempting to frost them! Trust me on this – if you try to frost them too soon, the heat will melt the butter and cream cheese in the frosting, which is not good. Just be patient and WAIT.

Batter for frosted pumpkin bars is spread in a greased 8x8" pan for baking.A pan of pumpkin bars, cooling on wire rack after baking.

Make The Frosting For The Pumpkin Bars

While the pumpkin bars are cooling, whip up the cream cheese frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and softened butter until fully combined. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar to the bowl, then beat on low, until smooth.

Once the pumpkin bars have TOTALLY COOLED, spread the cream cheese frosting over the top of the bars. Lightly sprinkle the frosting with ground cinnamon. Cover the pan, and place the pan of frosted pumpkin bars in the REFRIGERATOR to chill completely, in order to give the frosting time to firm up slightly.

Cream cheese frosting is mixed together to frost the pumpkin bars.The pan of frosted pumpkin bars, ready to cut and enjoy!

Let’s Eat Some Frosted Pumpkin Bars!

After the frosting has chilled and had time to firm up a bit, slice the bars into 16 portions, and serve. Get ready to enjoy a yummy treat! The bars are filled with the flavors of Fall, thanks to the wonderful “warm” spices of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.

YUM… they are soooo good. And the simple cream cheese frosting – don’t even get me started on that, cause I could eat it with a spoon! Store any uneaten frosted pumpkin bars, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, IF they last that long.

Long platter of stacked, frosted pumpkin bars, ready to enjoy!Delicious frosted pumpkin bars, ready to eat!

I really hope you will have the opportunity to try these absolutely delicious frosted pumpkin bars! They are a wonderful tasting dessert your family and friends will love. If you enjoy these pumpkin bars, be sure to check out my recipe for a pumpkin cream cheese roll! It’s a delicious and a beautiful dessert, that is perfect for the holidays.

Thank you for stopping by, and I invite you to come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Have a GREAT day, and may God bless you.

Looking For More BAR COOKIE Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few, delicious bar cookie recipes I think you will enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: my dear friend, Carla Merrill

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Frosted Pumpkin Bars
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Frosted Pumpkin Bars are easy-to-make delicious treats, with cream cheese frosting, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, for a true taste of FALL!

Category: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: frosted pumpkin bars
Servings: 16
Calories Per Serving: 167 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup butter , softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree , NOT pumpkin pie filling
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1¼ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
For Frosting:
  • 1½ ounces cream cheese (light)
  • ¼ cup butter , softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat softened butter for 30 seconds until creamy. Add granulated sugar; beat until mixture is "fluffy" (2-3 minutes). Add pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla. Beat well, until fully incorporated.

  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Add to the wet ingredients, and beat until fully blended. Spread batter in an 8"x8" greased or sprayed baking dish (grease bottom and sides).

  3. Bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes. Bars are done when a toothpick inserted into the top center comes out clean. Remove pan from oven; place pan on wire rack. Let bars fully cool before attempting to frost them!

Make Cream Cheese Frosting While Bars Cool:

  1. Beat cream cheese and softened butter in a medium bowl until fully combined. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar; beat until smooth. Once pumpkin bars have TOTALLY COOLED, spread frosting evenly on bars. Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover pan, and place frosted pumpkin bars in the REFRIGERATOR to chill completely.

  2. Once frosting firms up and bars have chilled, they are ready to serve. Slice into 16 bars, serve, and enjoy! Store leftovers, covered in refrigerator, for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Facts
Frosted Pumpkin Bars
Amount Per Serving (1 pumpkin bar)
Calories 167 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 28mg9%
Sodium 176mg8%
Potassium 45mg1%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 17g19%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 1996IU40%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 13mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Frosted Pumpkin Bars are easy-to-make delicious treats, with cream cheese frosting, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, for a true taste of FALL!


Sep
2020

Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

categories: Bar Cookies, Desserts
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It’s easy to make Banana Chocolate Chip Bars (w/ cream cheese frosting) for those you love! They’re moist & delicious- you’re gonna love ’em!
It's easy to make Banana Chocolate Chip Bars (w/ cream cheese frosting) for those you love! They're moist & delicious- you're gonna love 'em!

Today I want to share with you a yummy recipe I use to make banana chocolate chip bars. I’ve made other recipes over the years, but this one is my “go to” now. I made a very slight “tweak” to a great banana bar recipe (CAN YOU SAY CHOCOLATE?), and have gotten rave reviews for these dessert treats ever since!

The addition of mini chocolate chips, plus using 4 ripe bananas and sour cream in the batter, adds to the flavor, and the “moistness” of these yummy bars. They are so good, so I wanted to share the recipe here on the blog. They don’t take too long at all to prepare (only about 20 minutes prep.) Here’s how to make them:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page.

Prepare The Batter

Beat butter and granulated sugar together in medium sized mixing bowl (or in a stand mixer). Once it’s creamy and well-blended, add the eggs, ONE AT A TIME to the bowl, beating well after each egg is added. Now add vanilla extract and sour cream to the batter, and beat well, to fully incorporate these ingredients.

Butter, sugar, eggs, cream cheese and vanilla are mixed for the batter.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, salt and baking soda. STIR the flour mixture into the batter, a little at a time, until all the flour has been added.

Dry ingredients are stirred into the batter for the banana bars.

Time To Add The Bananas!

Place four really ripe bananas into a mixing bowl. You know… the browned ones with lots of spots (the ones you forgot about!). They are nice and soft… and SWEET! Mash them up with a fork until fully “smooshed”, and then add them to the batter, along with mini chocolate chips. Give the batter a good stir, to ensure all ingredients are fully combined.

Ripe bananas are smashed then added with chocolate chips to batter.

Bake The Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

Now it’s time to bake ’em!  Pour the batter, spreading evenly into a greased (or sprayed) 13″ x 9″  baking pan (or 15″ x 10″ jelly roll pan). Bake the banana chocolate chip bars at 350°F. for 35-40 minutes (mine took 35), if using a 13″ x 9″ pan. NOTE: If you’re using a 15″ x 10″ jelly roll pan, bake the bars at 350°F. for 22-27 minutes.

When done, the bars will be golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the top/middle of the bars should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the banana chocolate chip bars cool completely. You can make the cream cheese frosting while they cool.

Batter is spread evenly in a 13"x 9" baking pan before baking.Banana chocolate chip bars cooling in pan on wire rack, after baking.

Frost The Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

While the bars cool, make the frosting. It’s easy! Place softened cream cheese, softened butter, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Beat these three ingredients together until fully blended. Add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating as you add it, until the frosting becomes creamy. This only takes a few minutes.

Spread the frosting over the top of the completely cooled banana chocolate chip bars, and then sprinkle with additional chocolate chips, if desired.  I can’t resist, so I sprinkle about 3 Tablespoons of mini chocolate chips over the top. It’s an optional step, but it sure looks yummy. Let the bars sit for a few minutes to let the frosting slightly firm up, then slice them up!

A cream cheese frosting is beaten together to frost the dessert bars.Frosting is spread on cooled banana bars, then garnished with chocolate chips.

Time To Eat!

If making these banana chocolate chip bars in a 13″ x 9″ pan (that’s how I make ’em), you can cut them into 24 small portions. If making in a jellyroll pan, you will get approx. 36 servings. The banana bars are moist, absolutely delicious, and filled with flavor. And that cream cheese frosting… whoa… it’s absolutely scrumptious!

I filled several plates with a few of these bars, and delivered them to four of our neighbors as a surprise treat. They got rave reviews! Trust me… I could have eaten the entire batch (they’re sooo good), but decided to share with others, rather than sharing with my hips (wink, wink)!

Banana chocolate chip bars are cut into portions and served!Plates full of banana chocolate chip bars, ready to deliver to our neighbors.

We love these yummy dessert bars, and I am confident you will, too. I hope you have the opportunity to make them for those you love. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you will visit again soon. Have a great day!

Looking For More BAR COOKIE Recipes?

You can find all of my bar cookie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few you will enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe adapted from Terri, at: greatgrubdelicioustreats.com/banana-bars-with-cream-cheese-frosting/

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Banana Chocolate Chip Bars
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 

It's easy to make Banana Chocolate Chip Bars (w/ cream cheese frosting) for those you love! They're moist and delicious- you're gonna love 'em!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: banana chocolate chip bars
Servings: 24
Calories Per Serving: 292 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 medium RIPE bananas , mashed
  • ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
For Frosting:
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13 x 9 baking pan or 15 x 10 jelly roll pan with non-stick spray.

  2. Beat softened butter and sugar in medium bowl until creamy. Add eggs (one at a time), beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream; beat well.

  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. STIR flour mixture into the batter, a little at a time, until combined. Next, add mashed bananas and chocolate chips to batter; stir until fully combined.

  4. Spread batter evenly into prepared 13" x 9" pan (or 15" x 10" jelly roll pan). Bake at 350°F. for 35-40 minutes (for a 13x9 pan) or for 22-27 minutes (in jelly roll pan). When done, the bars should be golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the top of the bars should come out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let bars cool completely before frosting.

Make Frosting:

  1. Place (softened) cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat together until fully combined and smooth. Add powdered sugar, a little at a time, beating after each addition, until creamy.

  2. Spread frosting over cooled banana bars; sprinkle with additional chocolate chips (optional), if desired.  Let rest for a few minutes to let frosting slightly firm up, then cut into bars and serve! (24 servings for 9 x 13 pan, and 36 servings for 15 x 10 pan). Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTES: Caloric calculation was made based on 24 servings (9 x 13 pan). If making 36 servings (in 15 x 10 jelly roll pan), the calorie calculation reduces to approx. 195 calories per serving. **Additional 3 Tbsp. mini chocolate chips (for garnish on top) are optional, and were not included in either caloric calculation.

Nutrition Facts
Banana Chocolate Chip Bars
Amount Per Serving (1 bar)
Calories 292 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 45mg15%
Sodium 196mg9%
Potassium 159mg5%
Carbohydrates 43g14%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 31g34%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 358IU7%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 38mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!It's easy to make Banana Chocolate Chip Bars (w/ cream cheese frosting) for those you love! They're moist & delicious- you're gonna love 'em!


Mar
2020

Butterfinger Bars

categories: Bar Cookies, Desserts
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Butterfinger Bars are incredible tasting, crisp, buttery oat bars, topped with a creamy milk chocolate/peanut butter icing. This easy recipe makes 24!
Butterfinger Bars are incredible tasting, crisp, buttery oat bars, topped with a creamy milk chocolate/peanut butter icing. This easy recipe makes 24!

Many years ago (about 15), a friend, who was a parent of a student at the school I worked at, gave me a homemade dessert bar. She called her crisp, chocolate treats Butterfinger Bars. Not sure why she gave them this name, but since I LOVE Butterfinger candy bars, I “forced” myself to try one.

Ha Ha… I could have eaten 18 of them, they were so good. I asked her for the recipe, and she graciously wrote it down for me. Now, mind you, this is NOT A COPYCAT RECIPE for the delicious candy bar. This is its own bar cookie recipe that I’m confident you will LOVE, and I am happy to share it with you today!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Okay… But What Is In This Bar Cookie?

Well, I’m glad you asked! The bar cookies are made with only FOUR common ingredients: old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter. They are baked into a crisp bar cookie base, and then are frosted with a milk chocolate and peanut butter topping, once cool. Really, really simple!

The butterfinger bars have a crisp cookie base, and a creamy luscious topping of chocolate and peanut butter! These are seriously addicting bar cookies, especially if you enjoy chocolate and peanut butter. I think they’re even better the day AFTER you make them! Let me show you how EASY it is to make two dozen!

Make The Butterfinger Bars Base

Preheat your oven to 425°F. while you make the oat mixture base. It only takes a few minutes to make, so you will want your oven hot and ready to bake, once you’re done.

Mix oats (uncooked), brown and granulated sugars with melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Stir these ingredients together very well, until you have a crumbly, but butter-coated mixture.

Melted butter, oats, brown and granulated sugar in mixing bowl.The ingredients are fully combined before pressing mixture into baking pan.

Spray a 9×13 baking pan with non-stick spray, and pour the oat mixture into the dish. Spread the crumbs over the entire bottom of the pan. Use the back of a large spoon to firmly press the ingredients together in the pan.

When done, you should have a very firmly compacted oat mixture base in the pan (shown in the 2nd photo below, before baking). Now it is ready to bake! Bake the butterfinger bars at 425°F for 10-12 minutes. When done, they will be golden brown around the edges. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool.

The bar cookie mixture is spread evenly into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.The mixture is packed down firmly into the pan before going into the oven.

Make The Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

While the butterfinger bars are cooling (after baking), make the chocolate peanut butter frosting! Fear not- it is SUPER EASY! Melt milk chocolate chips (or giant sized Hershey bar) in a double boiler, along with the peanut butter.

WHAT IS A DOUBLE BOILER? A double boiler has a bottom saucepan filled about 3/4 of the way with water, and then a slightly smaller pan (with chocolate and peanut butter in it) sitting in (on top of) the water. Bring the pan with water to a gentle boil, while stirring the chocolate and peanut butter. Be careful to not let any water get into the chocolate mixture.

The heat from the boiling water below will gently melt (without burning) the chocolate chips and the peanut butter in the upper pan. Continue to stir until you have a creamy frosting, and then remove from the heat. TIP: For this recipe, it is best to NOT use all natural peanut butter.

Milk chocolate chips and peanut butter for frosting are melted in a double boiler.

Time To Frost The Butterfinger Bars!

Okay… now you should have a creamy frosting and a tray of completely cooled butterfinger bars! Pour the frosting over the bars, and then spread it, to cover the entire surface. Let the bars cool completely, so the frosting can firm up, before attempting to slice.

The chocolate peanut butter frosting is poured onto cooled bar cookies, and spread.Frosting is spread over the top of the butterfinger bars, and then rests to firm up.

See How CRISP The Butterfinger Bars Are?

Getting the butterfinger bars out of the pan can be a bit of a challenge due to their crispness. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan, and then use a really sharp knife to cut the butterfinger bars in half. Lift an entire half of the bars from the pan.

They are so crisp they should hold together very well. Cut the half into three equal portions, and then cut each third into 4 pieces, using a very sharp knife to make the cuts. Repeat with the other half of the bars!

Half of the crisp butterfinger bars are cut and lifted out of pan.Each half of the pan of bar cookies is cut into 3 pieces, then cut into 4 pieces per slice..

Now It’s Time To EAT!

Once the bars are cut into portions, you should have 24 square butterfinger bars! They are now ready to serve, and eat! The bars will be crisp, and the frosting creamy… and guess what? They also freeze well, so you can wrap up any leftovers really well, and save several for another time. They’re so good!

Grabbing a bite of one of the butterfinger bars to munch on!

Hope you enjoy these yummy chocolate frosted butterfinger bars! We sure do! Have a great day, and thank you for visiting!

Looking For More BAR COOKIE Recipes?

You can find all of my bar cookie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Source: My friend Annette Goetz gave me the recipe over 15 years ago

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Butterfinger Bars
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

Butterfinger Bars are incredible tasting, crisp, buttery oat bars, topped with a creamy milk chocolate/peanut butter icing. This easy recipe makes 24!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: butterfinger bars
Servings: 24
Calories Per Serving: 286 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • non-stick cooking spray (for pan)
For Bars:
  • 4 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup brown sugar , I used dark
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks) , melted
For Icing:
  • 11.5 ounces milk chocolate chips (1 bag) , or 12 ounce Hershey's milk chocolate bar
  • ¾ cup creamy peanut butter , do not use natural peanut butter
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

  2. Mix oats, brown and granulated sugars with melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Stir well, until fully combined. Lightly coat a 9x13 baking pan (bottom and sides) with non-stick spray, then pour oat mixture into dish. Spread mixture over bottom of the pan. Use the back of a large spoon to firmly press the ingredients together. When done, you should have a very firmly compacted oat mixture base.

  3. Bake at 425°F for 10-12 minutes. When done, they will be crisp, golden brown around the edges. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool.

Make The Frosting:

  1. Make the frosting while the bars are cooling. Melt milk chocolate chips (or 12 oz. milk chocolate Hershey bar) in a double boiler, along with the peanut butter. (See blog post for info on double boiler). Bring lower pan with water to a gentle boil, while stirring the chocolate chips and peanut butter in the pan above. Continue to stir until frosting is smooth and creamy, then remove from heat. TIP: For this recipe, it is best to NOT use all natural peanut butter. Once bars have cooled to room temp, they're ready to frost. Pour frosting over bars, and spread, to cover the entire surface. Let bars rest, so frosting can firm up, before attempting to cut or serve.

  2. To slice: Run a butter knife around edges of the pan, and then use a sharp knife to cut the pan of bars down the middle in half. Lift an entire half of the bars from pan. They are so crisp they should hold together well. Cut this half into three equal sized long slices. Now slice each third into 4 pieces, using a sharp knife to make the cuts. Repeat with remaining half of the bars, and you will have 24 square bars, ready to eat. Store leftovers in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

TIP: If substituting a Hershey large milk chocolate bar for the chocolate chips, be sure to break it into smaller chunks before melting it with the peanut butter! It will melt a LOT faster that way!

Nutrition Facts
Butterfinger Bars
Amount Per Serving (1 bar cookie)
Calories 286 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 22mg7%
Sodium 117mg5%
Potassium 116mg3%
Carbohydrates 33g11%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 22g24%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 267IU5%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 36mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Butterfinger Bars are incredible tasting, crisp, buttery oat bars, topped with a creamy milk chocolate/peanut butter icing. This easy recipe makes 24!