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This list of dessert bar recipes has it all from brownies and beyond – chocolatey, fruity, cookie-based, cakey, frosted, and more!
More Collections: Cookie Bar Recipes, Brownie Recipes, Chocolate Cake Recipes
So Many Bar Recipes to Love!
When you think of bar desserts, brownies come to mind, but there are so many delicious variations. There are dessert bar recipes for everyone!
Frosted or candy-filled, graham crackers or cookie-based, or fruity, dessert bars can take on any flavor profile, but are always mouth-wateringly good!
Why we love them:
- Easy. All of our tasty recipes whip up in a flash, and all are just as tasty.
- For sharing. Bar treats are perfect for sharing and can feed a crowd.
- Variety. From fruity to chocolatey, cookie-based to oat-based. There’s something for everyone!
Dessert Bar Tips
- Use quality ingredients.
- Mixing. Beat the eggs and sugar well. Sift the dry ingredients in a separate bowl to get rid of any lumps and help the dry ingredients incorporate better with the wet ingredients so that you don’t over-mix.
- Don’t overbake.
- Butter. Many recipes call for softened butter. Our How to Soften Butter Quickly post can give you tips to do so.
- Cutting. It can be fairly tricky to get these delicious bites out of the pan without mutilating any of the pieces. Let them cool and set before cutting.
- Line the pan with parchment paper or foil.
- Allow the treat to cool before removing it from the pan.
- A plastic knife slices right through unfrosted treats.
- Use a large sharp knife to cut treats with toppings. Make downward cuts and gently lift. Don’t use a sawing motion. Wipe the blade clean after each cut.
- Double it. Most recipes can be doubled for extra treats. An 8×8 pan recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9×13 pan or make a batch to eat now and save the extra batch to freeze for later.
How to Display Bars at Parties
- Stacks. Some dessert bars are a little more firm and can be stacked, like Cookie Bars. These are great to stack on trays or platters.
- Single layers. Softer bars, frosted bars, and fruit bars like Key Lime Bars need to be set out in a single layer or on tiered display trays.
- Easy access. Be sure the dessert bar recipes can be accessed from any angle and there is enough space for traffic to flow easily around the table. Remove chairs and other obstacles from around the table.
- Visually appealing. Make the display visually appealing with low and high displays. Decide on a theme and incorporate the colors, patterns, and decorations throughout the display table. Don’t add lit candles to the table as sleeves can catch all too easily.
- Use identification cards. Label the name of each dessert and even include if an item is gluten-free, dairy-free, or contains nuts. I’ve even seen name cards that also have a QR code that leads you to the recipe.
Our Go-To Dessert Bars
From coconut to chocolate chips, some of the best dessert recipes come in bar form and these happen to be our favorite picks!
1 Cookie Bars
2 Scotcheroos
3 Sugar Cookie Bars
4 7 Layer Bars
5 M&M Chocolate Bars
6 Lemon Bar Recipe
7 Magic Bars Recipe
8 Banana Bars Recipe
9 Churro Cheesecake Bars
10 Millionaire Bars Recipe
More Dessert Bar Ideas
We just can’t get enough of these dessert bar recipes with candy bar pieces and buttery shortbread crust!
11 Snickerdoodle Bars Recipe
12 Reese’s Pieces Bars Recipe
13 Peanut Butter Cookie Bars Recipe
14 Oh Henry Bars Recipe
15 Monster Cookie Bars Recipe
16 Almond Toffee Bars Recipe
17 Pecan Pie Bars
18 Popcorn Bars Recipe
19 No-Bake Cheesecake Bars Recipe
20 Pumpkin Bars
21 Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars
fruity Dessert Bars
Nothing beats a graham cracker crust or cookie dough crust paired with a fruity filling or topping and these recipes are sure to be a hit!
22 Strawberry Shortcake Bars Recipe
23 Cherry Bars
24 Key Lime Pie Bars
25 Lemon Cream Cheese Bars Recipe
26 Peach Bars Recipe
27 Lemon Bars with Cake Mix Recipe
28 Strawberry Cream Cheese Dessert Bars
Everyone’s Favorite Cookie
If you like classic Sugar Cookies, you’ll love them just as much in bar form!
Not going to lie, this recipe calls for quite a bit of butter and cream cheese which is probably why they are so good, but trust me on this – they’re delicious, and you’ll love them!!
Here is the recipe:
20+ Dessert Bar Recipes
Ingredients
Bars
- 1¼ cups sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 (8-ounce_ package cream cheese, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Frosting
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- food coloring optional
- sprinkles for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
- With a hand mixer, beat sugar, butter, cream cheese, and egg until well blended and a bit frothy, which should be about 2–3 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and baking powder.
- Incorporate the flour mixture into the butter mixture and beat for a few minutes. Pour into the greased baking dish and bake for 18–20 minutes. Let cool.
- To make the frosting, beat together the powdered sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, and almond extracts until well combined, starting with 3 tablespoons of milk and adding more as needed to reach the desired texture. Add food coloring.
- Spread over cooled cake and top with sprinkles.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sweets for a Crowd!
Whether you’re looking for a dessert for a special meal or an everyday treat, you’re sure to find some tasty recipes that you will come back to again and again!
Be sure to check out all of our Brownie and Bar Recipes!
More Collections: Easy Cake Recipes, Cakes That Feed a Crowd, Cobbler Recipes
Omg, all of these are amazing!!! The 7 layer bars and lemon bars are some of my favs, I can’t wait to try them all!!
I really like the dessert bar recipes! They make a lot and the variety is endless.
Awesome collection of recipes and tips. I always bring bars to gatherings. I made the Millionaire Bars (which were delicious) and I can’t wait to make more!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the Millionaire Bars and hope you enjoy others!
Such a great collection of dessert bars! Saving this list to make my favorites!
Yay! Hope you enjoy!
Bars are my go-to when feeding a larger crowd! They are so easy & taste delicious!!
I have 6 siblings and between us we have 18 children and I have found that dessert bars are the way to go. I’ve already made the strawberry dessert bars, which were a hit, and can’t wait to try out the others.