Cookie Dough Bars with Chocolate Chips and M&M’s Recipe
Delight in these indulgent Cookie Dough Bars, featuring a creamy and chewy cookie dough base mixed with chocolate chips and mini M&M’s, topped with a rich chocolate ganache and more colorful M&M’s for a perfect balance of texture and flavor. This no-bake dessert is easy to prepare, making it an irresistible treat for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes (including chilling time)
- Yield: 16 bars
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, heat treated
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup mini M&M’s
Topping
- 6 ounces semi-sweet baking bar, finely chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ½ cup mini M&M’s
Instructions
- Prepare the Cookie Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the heat-treated all-purpose flour, room temperature unsalted butter, and packed light brown sugar. Mix until creamy and smooth. Add the vanilla extract and sweetened condensed milk, stirring until fully incorporated to create a soft, sticky dough.
- Add Mix-ins: Fold in the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and mini M&M’s evenly throughout the dough to ensure every bite gets a burst of chocolatey flavor and color.
- Shape the Base: Line a baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it. Press the cookie dough mixture firmly and evenly into the pan, creating a flat, uniform layer as the base for your bars.
- Make the Ganache Topping: In a small saucepan, gently heat the heavy cream and light corn syrup over medium-low heat just until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat and pour over the finely chopped semi-sweet baking chocolate. Let it sit for a minute, then stir until smooth and glossy.
- Apply the Topping: Pour the warm ganache over the cookie dough base, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining mini M&M’s on top while the ganache is still wet, pressing them lightly into the surface for decoration.
- Chill and Set: Refrigerate the assembled bars for at least 2 hours, or until the ganache topping is firm and the bars hold together well. Once set, cut into squares and serve chilled for the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Heat treating the flour is important to eliminate any risk of raw flour consumption; simply spread the flour on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 5-7 minutes.
- For a firmer bar, chill overnight before slicing.
- Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Make sure butter is at room temperature for easier mixing.
- Use mini chocolate chips and mini M&M’s to distribute the chocolate evenly without overpowering the bars.