Cookies and cream bars are soft and chewy blondie squares. Made using cookies and cream candy bars and Oreos, they are easy to make and will disappear quickly!
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As a busy mom and self taught baker with over 25 years experience in the kitchen, I am always looking for a dessert that will please everyone that is also quick and easy to make. I know you will love that these bar cookies use cold butter and will be finished in under an hour.
Blondie bars like my oreo brookie bars always get devoured when I share them at parties or potlucks. And Oreo desserts like cinnamon rolls, cookies and cream donuts or pound cake never fail to bring a satisfied "yum!" from the people eating them.
Jump to:
- 💗 why you will make these bar cookies over and over
- 💭 what are cookies and cream bars made of?
- 🛒 ingredients and substitutions
- 🥣 how to make these easy dessert squares
- 💬 frequently asked questions
- 👩🏻🍳 tips for the best cookie bars
- 💡 variation ideas
- 🫙 how to store
- 📖 recipe
- Chewy and Soft Cookies and Cream Bars
💗 why you will make these bar cookies over and over
Soft and chewy ~ the cookies and cream bars have a dense and chewy texture. Much like some brownies, they also have bites with a fudge-like texture.
Quick and simple to prepare ~ 15 minutes of prep time {maybe even less if you aren't as distracted as me!} and 20 minutes to bake.
Cold butter means no planning ahead!
💭 what are cookies and cream bars made of?
These bar cookies have a blondie bar base and are filled with chocolate sandwich cookies {like Oreos} and Hershey’s Cookies and Cream candy bars. They are baked just until they reach a brownie-like texture.
🛒 ingredients and substitutions
Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.
- Unsalted butter ~ unsalted is my choice, but if you only have salted butter leave out the kosher salt. We are using cold and cubed butter, which helps to create a thicker bar cookie {and perfect for those of us that don’t plan ahead!}
- Kosher salt ~ helps to balance the sweet, if you only have table salt use half the amount.
- Sugars ~ both granulated and brown sugar are used to bring sweetness.
- Eggs ~ one large egg + one large egg yolk are needed. The extra yolk brings more moisture and chewiness to the cookies and cream bars. You can use the extra egg white to make candy cane cake or vanilla snack cake.
- Vanilla ~ I prefer pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Baking soda and baking powder ~ just a little to give the right texture and height.
- Cornstarch ~ adds softness to the baked cookie squares.
- All-purpose flour ~ please measure your flour correctly. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff the flour in it's container then spoon it into your measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level it.
- Chocolate cream sandwich cookies ~ Oreos, Trader Joe’s Joe Joe’s or Back to Nature Classic Creme cookies all work.
- Cookies and cream candy bars ~ I made this recipe using Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme bars, but any brand will work.
🥣 how to make these easy dessert squares
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cold and cubed unsalted butter and kosher salt until combined.
Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape up and down the bowl.
Add in the 1 large egg + large egg yolk and vanilla and beat on medium until well blended.
Sprinkle the baking soda, baking powder and cornstarch over the dough and mix on medium for about 30 seconds. Scrape up and down the bowl. Then add the all-purpose flour and mix on low until a few large streaks of flour remain.
Now add the chopped/broken chocolate cream cookies and cookies and cream candy bars and mix on low until the dough just comes together.
Then drop the dough into the bottom of the prepared 8x8 pan and smooth/pat into an even layer. The dough is thick and an offset spatula works well.
Now take the remaining broken chocolate cookies and lightly press them into the top of the batter.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are very lightly browned. If you do the toothpick test, there may be some wet crumbs.
The bars will continue to cook and firm up as they cool. Allow to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before removing from the pan and slicing.
💬 frequently asked questions
can I make in a different size baking pan?
Yes, you can double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 baking pan. You can also bake the cookies and cream bars in a 9x9 pan, but know the bar cookies will be a little thinner and will take less time to bake.
how many bars does this recipe make?
I typically slice the bars into 16 squares. If you like larger bar cookies, go for 12 or 9.
Remember to pin this recipe to Pinterest! Use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of this page.
👩🏻🍳 tips for the best cookie bars
Don't over bake the cookies and cream squares! It's better to err on the side of less done than over done. The bars will firm up and continue to cook as they cool. This is how you will get a fudgy and chewy texture. Please don’t be tempted to bake until you get a clean toothpick or the bars will be dry.
If you fear you have over baked your cookies and cream bars, pop the pan in the refrigerator right away; this will help to stop the baking process more quickly as they will continue to bake in the pan as they cool.
Remember your oven is different than mine and the baking time may be slightly different. I use this oven thermometer to ensure my oven is at the temperature I think it is.
For less dishes to wash, use a food scale and skip the measuring cups! This is the scale that I use and love. If you are looking for a more economical option this Escali digital scale is also a great one.
If you need to speed up the cooling process, once the cookies and cream bars have cooled enough that you can pick up the pan with your bare hands, place the pan in the refrigerator to cool completely.
For the cleanest looking cuts, chill or completely cool the bar cookies first. Pull the bars out of the pan with the parchment paper and set them on a solid surface. Then use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between each cut.
Cookies and cream bars taste best at room temperature, but are quite delicious cold from the refrigerator too!
💡 variation ideas
Vanilla sandwich cookies ~ replace the chocolate sandwich cookies with vanilla cookies.
Mint cookies and cream bars ~ use mint sandwich cookies and mint candy bars, such as Andes mints.
White chocolate drizzle ~ melt an ounce or two of white chocolate and drizzle it over the cooled cookies and cream bars.
🫙 how to store
Store cookies and cream bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
Cookies and cream bars can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before serving.
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Cookies and Cream Bars. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
📖 recipe
Chewy and Soft Cookies and Cream Bars
Cookies and cream bars are soft and chewy blondie squares. Made using cookies and cream candy bars and Oreos, they are easy to make!
I highly recommend using weight {metric} measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed (113g)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup dark brown sugar* (100g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (219g)
- 6 chocolate cream sandwich cookies, broken into pieces* (~78g)
- 2 1.55 ounce cookies and cream candy bars, broken** (86g)
- 4 chocolate cream sandwich cookies, broken into quarters (~52g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cold and cubed unsalted butter (½ cup/113g) and kosher salt (½ teaspoon) until combined, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar (½ cup/100g) and granulated sugar (¼ cup/50g) on low - medium-low until combined, then medium-high (speed 6 on a KitchenAid) for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape up and down the bowl.
- Add in the 1 large egg + large egg yolk and vanilla (2 teaspoons) and beat on medium (speed 4 on a KitchenAid) for 1 - 2 minutes or until well blended.
- Sprinkle the baking soda (½ teaspoon), baking powder (½ teaspoon) and cornstarch (1 teaspoon) over the dough and mix on medium (speed 4 on KitchenAid) for about 30 seconds. Scrape up and down the bowl. Then add the all-purpose flour (1 ¾ cups/219g) and mix on low until a few large streaks of flour remain.
- Now add the chopped/broken chocolate cream cookies (6 cookies/78g) and cookies and cream candy bars (2 - 1.55 ounce bars/86g total) and mix on low until the dough just comes together.
- Then drop the dough into the bottom of the prepared 8x8 pan and smooth/pat into an even layer. The dough is thick and an offset spatula works well.
- Now take the remaining broken chocolate cookies (4 cookies/52g) and lightly press them into the top of the batter.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are very lightly browned. If you do the toothpick test, there may be some wet crumbs. The bars will continue to cook and firm up as they cool. Don't be tempted to bake until a clean toothpick or you will have dry cookies and cream bars.
- Allow to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before removing from the pan and slicing.
Notes
If you only have salted butter, omit the kosher salt.
Light brown sugar can also be used.
*Chocolate cream sandwich cookies can be Oreos, Trader Joe's Joe-Joe's or any other brand. You can also use flavored Oreo cookies such as peanut butter, mint or golden Oreos.
**I break the cookies and cream candy bars into the pre-scored size on the candy bars. Having some larger pieces of candy bar will give nice "pools" of the cookies 'n' cream flavor inside the baked cookie bars.
Can be baked in an 9x9 baking pan, just know the baking time will decrease by 5 - 10 minutes and the bars will be thiner.
Store cookies and cream bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
Cookies and cream bars can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 278Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 188mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 4g
The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
Oh, these bars are a paradise for all cookie lovers haha! I'm normally not a huge fan of sandwich cookies like Oreos on their own, but I like them being a part of other desserts - so these bars sound great to me!
Tasia
Thanks Ben! I'm 100% with you on this one!
Kathleen
I'm making these today to send to my boys as a college care package! And I'm with you, I prefer Joe-Joe's O's or Back to Nature!! 😉
Tasia
Hi Kathleen, I know your boys will love them! Thank you for making the cookies and cream bars and sharing!
Michelle
Cookies and cream is a fave around here -- these bars would be devoured by my boys in no time!
Tasia
Yay, thank you Michelle! My girls are the same with anything cookies and cream.