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50+ Of The Best Bar Cookies Recipes

 I may be a dessert person, and I’m always on the lookout for the best bar cookie recipes. Some links are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.

Best of the bar cookie recipes

Why do I love bar cookies so much? Partly it’s because I put them in one pan and they bake. I don’t have to pull pan after pan from the oven, reload the cookie sheets, and keep putting them in over and over.

So really.. it’s because I’m lazy?

But you can also do so much more with bar cookies than you can with traditional cookies. You can layer on the flavor and include more textures, which makes them even more delicious.

That isn’t to say I don’t make my share of cookies, but bar cookies? I’m all about them.

Tools You Need to Make the Best Bar Cookies

Good stand mixer

While you can use a hand mixer to whip up your recipes, it’s so much easier and faster when you invest in a solid stand mixer. This one is my favorite.

9×13 pan

The best recipes get made in a 9×13 pan. You want one that will cook evenly and not warp. Me? I own 4 of them because once the holidays roll around, I need them all!

Square pan

Some recipes are built for an 8×8 pan instead. It doesn’t work to try to bake these recipes in a 9×13 pan. Trust me, I’ve tried!

Good spatulas

You need a spatula to get your batter or dough from the mixing bowl into a pan. It has to be strong enough to last and flexible enough to scrape out the bowl properly. This set is a winner.

Bench scraper

This one is my go to tool for just about anything I bake. I hate using a knife on my pans because it scratches them up. Instead, I use my bench scraper to make clean cut lines without scratching anything for my bar cookies.

Cookie scoops

When you have really thick dough, it works best to add it to the pan in bits and pieces then flatten and squish it together. I use my biggest scoop for this, and it makes it so easy.

Offset spatula

Many bar cookies are longer and narrower than what a traditional spatula can pick up. An offset spatula can more easily get into your baking pan to remove those bar cookies without breaking them up.

Good storage containers

Ideally, you’ll have some leftovers to enjoy another day. The best way to keep them fresh is to store them on your counter (unless otherwise directed) in an airtight container. These are hands down my favorites.

Wax paper

When you store them, you don’t want your bar cookies to stick to each other. Layer wax paper to ensure they stay whole and just the way you want them when you enjoy those leftovers.

50+ of the Best Bar Cookies

Traditional Bar Cookies

Some bar cookies we grew up eating, and they'll always hold a special place in our hearts. Brownies fall into this category, as do Rice Krispie Treats, right? But there are so many more, too.

More Unique Bar Cookies

Throwing traditional recipes out the window or adding fun twists to classics sometimes makes for the best bar cookies. These are perfect examples.

Allergy Friendly Bar Cookies

So many bar cookies are naturally gluten free or dairy free, which makes them perfect for sharing at parties or pot lucks. These are some of my favorites.

In your mind, what are the best bar cookies?

More than 50 bar cookie recipes

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