salted pretzel milk chocolate cookie bars
I feel like those tiny pretzels are like eyes watching me sneak back into the kitchen for another cookie…
Actually, I’ve been nibbling on my Salted Caramel Graham Cracker Bark all afternoon, straight after finishing lunch. So that’s what I’ve been doing when opening and shutting the fridge constantly. For real, if you haven’t checked out that recipe, do so, and prepare to have your mind obliterated.
Anyway. This post is about cookie bars, not that, so here are my musings about such. I’ve been in a cookie bar mood more than a pure cookie mood lately, simply because they’re easier – no scooping or rolling or waiting for multiple batches, just a one-and-one tray that yields a treat just as tasty and enjoyable. They’re also kinda fun to photograph. And when I enjoy photographing a concept, I beat it to death so ya’ll end up hating me before long.
Crunchy, salty pretzels and sweet milk chocolate characterize this particular bar. They’re easy and quick, and utterly delightful. Stow a few in the freezer for later once the holiday madness dies down, and be sure to throw some into your holiday cookie boxes for friends, colleagues, and other deserving folk to enjoy. Think of yourself like a Cookie Santa, spreading holiday cheer and all that shit in the form of a baked good.
Meet Me At The Bar
The plate of cookie bars, that is.
No elaborate introduction needed for prepping these bad boys, so let’s get to it. Wet ingredients: cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy. Whip in two eggs, one at a time, then vanilla.
Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt. Once that’s reasonably (but not overly) incorporated, fold in lots of crushed pretzels and milk chocolate chips. I use the tiny twist pretzel variety.
Line a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with parchment. To prevent it from annoyingly sliding around while spreading the dough, attach a few binder or chip clips. Parchment likes to perform the Cha Cha Slide whenever you introduce sticky dough.
Tip: lightly grease a spatula to help with distributing the dough. You may have to regrease a couple times but it does help a lot. Once the dough is pretty even and spreads edge to edge, remove your clips if you used them and bake the tray at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Cool the bars about 30 minutes or so, in the pan, before slicing. Sooner than that and you risk a gooey, sloppy, but delicious mess. If you’re baking ahead of time, cool the bars completely, then wrap the tray in foil or slice into individual bars and pop them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
These guys can also be made ahead of time. Mix up the dough, spread into the cake pan as directed, then refrigerate up to 3 days before baking. You may need a few minutes more of baking time if you move them to the oven straight after chilling, so keep that in mind.
Either way, you’ll still have gooey, scrumptious cookie bars awaiting you soon enough!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
No holds barred:
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salted pretzel milk chocolate cookie bars
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup pretzel twists, crushed
- 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with parchment.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Whip in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla extract. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Fold in the crushed pretzels and the milk chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
- Spread the dough into the prepared cake pan. Top with additional pretzel twists and milk chocolate chips, if desired. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the center is no longer shiny. Let cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. Slice and serve!
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