Our 35 Most Decadent Bar Cookie Recipes

Requiring only six ingredients, this South Carolina treat is one of our favorite easy bars. The pecan-studded recipe comes from Gullah Geechee cuisine, and many recipes for the confection have been passed down over generations from their enslaved ancestors.

The secret to these perfectly moist blondies? Would you believe that it’s a good bit of mayo…The rich condiment is good for so much more than sandwiches.

This is not your average cereal bar. Made from puffed rice cereal, butterscotch chips, peanut butter, and semisweet chocolate chips, this decadent treat feels extra special but is still super simple to make.

Sweet, dense, chewy, and crisp these bars have it all. The flaky sea salt on top can be left off, but trust us when we say it’s the perfect finishing touch for a balanced bite.

Graham cracker crumbs and pretzels form the base of these gooey bars, which are then topped with a silky cheesecake layer, a cinnamon apple layer, and a final drizzle of caramel.

Think of these bars as a cross between a cheesecake and a peach cobbler. Juicy bourbon-soaked peaches pair wonderfully with the rich cream cheese filling. The only hard part is waiting for these bars to set in fridge, but properly chilling them is a must.

“These are amazing! Great for packing in lunches. They’re soft, chewy, rich, and perfectly balanced!” writes one Southern Living reader of these bars.

If you love Cowboy Cookies, then you’ll love this riff on them loaded with pecans, coconut, and lots of chocolate chips.

Atlantic Beach Pie is easily one of our most popular pie recipes and for good reason. This bar version of the classic recipe makes it easier to serve to a crowd.

Perhaps the most decadent bar cookies ever, Hello Dolly Bars start with a can of condensed milk. Then you stir in pecans, chocolate morsels, and coconut. Full of texture and sweet and salty flavors, it’s obvious why they are a longtime crowd-pleaser.

When you really want to impress at a party or bake sale, try these incredible peanut butter bars topped with chocolate. A serrated knife is the best tool for making neat slices.

One look at these mouthwatering bars and you’d never guess that they are no bake. Layers of saltines and toffee are topped off with milk chocolate and flaky salt for a treat that will appeal to adults and kids alike. These bars are a bit sticky, so cut into them with a knife rinsed in hot water between slices.

Frosted sugar cookies are fun, but these sugar cookie bars are much easier. You simple make a tray of sugar cookies, add buttercream frosting, and sprinkle any fun candies you like.

With a jammy sweet-tart middle and nutty oatmeal crumble on top, these breakfast bars are an incredible way to start the day.

The name says it all. Enjoy the caramel sweetness of a pineapple upside-down cake, but in buttery hand-held form. A crumbly almond topping is the perfect match for the juicy fruit filling.

Delight the kids in your life (or those grown-up kids at heart) with these adorable cereal bars. Choose from Honey Nut Cheerios, Froot Loops, or Cinnamon Toast Crunch and bake up a batch—or two!

Blueberries and lemon make a delicious duo, especially in these impressively thick bars. A crunchy top and bottom layer contrast nicely with the soft, jammy filling. Think of it as a fruit crisp in cookie form.

You might recognize these from your grandmother’s kitchen. And if you don’t, they are a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate-coconut dream. Even better, you can make these cookie bars custom to your preferences by substituting walnuts for pecans or white or dark chocolate for bittersweet chocolate.

Banana pudding is a classic dessert, so try this twist by combining it with another crowd-favorite, cheesecake. The custardy flavors pair perfectly with the brown butter-vanilla wafer crust. Leave enough time in your preparations for these bars to chill correctly.

Love carrot cake, but don’t have time (or the inclination) to make and frost all those layers? This recipe is made for you. All of the traditional ingredients are there: carrots, pineapple, raisins, walnuts, and a rich cream cheese frosting to top it all off.

Get your caffeine fix an even sweeter way. These bars may look fancy, but they only require 15 minutes of hands-on time to make—the rest is just chilling time. Store-bought wafer cookies are the secret to the chocolatey crust. Make the bars up to three days in advance and keep them refrigerated until you are ready to serve.

Don’t even bother turning on the oven. These ooey, gooey, caramelly layered bars are completely no-bake. The most complicated part of this recipe is combining the cream and sugar when making the toffee mixture, be mindful not to let it boil.

Peanut butter and chocolate together is a tale as old as time, and these bars give you the perfect amount of each. Wait until the top layer of chocolate firms up to get the best slice. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

We took an all-American cherry pie and turned it into a soft, cakey bar. After baking the bottom layer for about 25 minutes, spread the cherry filling evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the filling with the chopped pecans and flour mixture and cook until golden brown.

These gooey cookies are so good, they might just replace the usual pecan pie on your holiday table. The bars are baked in a 13- x 9-inch casserole dish. If you’re bringing them to a gathering, keep them in the pan and slice them up when you’re ready to serve.

You can’t go wrong with a traditional lemon bar. The buttery crust makes the perfect pairing with the tart filling.

Flaky coconut meets tangy cheesecake for a sweet treat everyone will request again and again. Coconut, lemon, and lime add tropical notes, and chopped and toasted macadamia nuts make the perfect finishing touch.

Ground cinnamon and ginger liven up the traditional pecan pie filling in these amazing bars. Substitute store-bought pie dough to make these treats come together even faster.

Tangy, sweet cheesecake gets even more company-worthy with a bold berry topping and an easily portable bar shape. For the prettiest topping, use a knife to gently spread the fruit purees into swirls. Bake these bars up to two days in advance for easy party preparation.

Classic blondies get an easy upgrade—brown butter—in this fantastic recipe. Nutty, aromatic butter is heavenly when paired with vanilla, brown sugar, and plenty of chocolate.

These bars are for true peanut butter fans—there’s no chocolate or caramel in these bars to get in the way of the pure peanut flavor. Creamy cheesecake teams up with a tender cookie base to make one incredible bar.

All the tangy, creamy goodness of Key lime pie that everyone loves, but in a more party-friendly package. These bars serve a larger crowd than a pie, and they’re easier to slice and transport.

These jazzed up lemon bars have a tart cranberry layer sandwiched in the middle, which complements the sweet and buttery crust and adds a pretty pop of color.

Think of these bars as a cakier, sweeter version of pumpkin bread, then imagine a layer of cream cheese frosting, and a sprinkle of candied spiced pumpkin seeds. Make them for fall or whenever you’re in an autumnal mood.

These old-fashioned bar cookies were the first ones featured in Southern Living magazine. You get all the good things: graham cracker crumbs, flaked coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, sweetened condensed milk, and chopped pecans.