30 Easy Cookie Bar Recipes with 10 Ingredients or Less
If you are looking for easy cookie bar recipes with only a few ingredients, here are 30 great bar options that busy bakers will love.
My kids love to help me bake cookies but there are times when life feels too busy to go through all the work of mixing and scooping cookies, one tray at a time. Enter the joy of cookie bar recipes!
Cookie bars are just that – cookies that are baked in a bar form, most usually a 9×13 pan. When you bake cookie bars, you can bake one pan and then cut them into individual servings for everyone. No scooping necessary! They take less effort than normal cookies and are a great way to make sweet treats in a hurry.
Easy cookie bar recipes are my favorite – enter all these bar recipes that have 10 ingredients or less!
These easy bar cookies are perfect for busy holiday seasons, baking for a last minute potluck or the next time you need a quick dessert.
I also like cookie bars because once they are cooled, you can cut them into pieces and freeze them for later. Just layer waxed paper or parchment paper between all the pieces so they won’t stick together when frozen or thawed.
No matter the reason or the occasion, cookie bars are perfect for whenever you need them. Click on any of the titles below for a direct link to the printable recipe.
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Tips for Baking and Serving Cookie Bars
Most cookie bars are easier to cut after they have cooled completely. For bars with a sticky filling or topping, I like to line the pan with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over two sides. That makes it easier to lift the whole batch out of the pan before slicing. Always check the individual recipe for its recommended pan size and baking time.
A small serving spatula is handy for lifting the first bar out of the pan without breaking it. I own multiples of these mini spatulas and use them for everything – but they are especially handy for cookie bars.
If you’re baking ahead, cut the cooled bars into portions and freeze them in an airtight container with parchment between layers. Then you can take out just what you need for a cookie tray, potluck, or afternoon treat.
Here is a list of easy cookie bar recipes with few ingredients for you to try!
Chocolate Cookie Bars
O’Henry Bars | Joyfully Thriving
O’Henry Bars have a chewy oatmeal base topped with chocolate and peanut butter, a crowd-pleaser for the holidays. This easy dessert recipe requires only 8 ingredients, making them quick and fuss-free.
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge Bars | Joyfully Thriving
Rich and creamy, these peanut butter and chocolate fudge bars are a simple yet decadent treat that combines two recipe favorites. With only 7 ingredients, they’re easy to prepare and freeze great.
Caramel Morsel Bars | Joyfully Thriving
These indulgent caramel morsel bars are filled with gooey caramel and chocolate, creating a sweet and chewy holiday treat. The recipe uses just 6 ingredients, one of which is a chocolate cake mix, to make it a truly easy recipe.
Fudge Topped Almond Shortbread Bars | Joyfully Thriving
This easy recipe features a crisp almond shortbread base topped with a thick layer of rich chocolate fudge. Made with seven ingredients, it’s a fun twist on your traditional shortbread cookie.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake Bars | Crunchy Creamy Sweet
These creamy peanut butter cheesecake bars topped with rich chocolate are a decadent yet easy dessert. Made with exactly 10 ingredients, they combine a smooth cheesecake filling with a peanut butter twist.
Buckeye Bars | Mildly Meandering
Inspired by the classic buckeye candy (my original buckeye recipe here), these peanut butter and chocolate bars are easy to make and great for the holidays. With only 6 ingredients, they’re a no-fuss way to enjoy this sweet treat.
Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars | Crazy for Crust
Chocolate lovers will adore these double chocolate cookie bars made with a chocolate cookie dough and sprinkled with lots of chocolate chips. 10 regular pantry ingredients needed for this yummy recipe.
Fruit and Oat Bars
Brown Butter Blackberry Crumble Bars | Inside the Bru Crew Life
These easy-to-make bars combine a nutty brown butter crust with sweet blackberry filling and a crunchy crumble topping. The recipe uses 10 ingredients and makes for a fruity treat.
Cranberry Date Bars | Joyfully Thriving
It may seem like an unusual recipe combination but you will love these bars! These cranberry date bars combine the sweetness of dates with tart cranberries, all layered between a buttery oat crust and topped with an orange glaze. This easy recipe features 10 ingredients and freezes great. Such a great recipe!
Raspberry Bars with Oatmeal Crumb Topping | Averie Cooks
Easy and delicious, these raspberry bars have a buttery crust, a sweet raspberry filling, and an oatmeal crumb topping for added texture. With only 7 ingredients, they’re a simple yet elegant dessert.
Apple Pie Bars | Pastry & Beyond
If you want an easier take on apple pie, try these bars. These apple pie bars feature a buttery crust and a spiced apple filling, all topped with a streusel crumble, creating an easy treat. The recipe uses 9 ingredients to capture the flavors of a classic pie in bar form. You can serve with vanilla ice cream too, just like you would a regular apple pie.
Strawberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars | Averie Cooks
These strawberry oatmeal bars have a buttery oat crust, a fresh strawberry filling, and a crumbly topping. The same mixture makes both the crust and topping, keeping this easy recipe to just nine ingredients.
Classic Cookie Bars
Ooey Gooey Butter Bars | Joyfully Thriving
These easy, rich butter bars have a soft and sweet filling that melts in your mouth, perfect for potlucks. With only six ingredients, this is the easiest recipe for busy bakers. Gooey butter bars are a staple at our family gatherings – plus, they freeze great. The best way to freeze is simply cut them into individual bars and store them in an airtight container.
Homemade Twix Bars | I Heart Naptime
These homemade Twix bars feature a buttery shortbread base, creamy caramel layer, and chocolate coating, making them an easy homemade version of the classic candy. Only 7 ingredients needed, too!
Cookie Dough Bars | Dinner at the Zoo
These no-bake cookie dough bars feature a soft, eggless cookie dough layer topped with a rich chocolate coating, making them an easy and indulgent treat. The recipe is so easy with just 8 ingredients.
Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars | Simple Joy
Soft and easy to make, these sugar cookie bars are topped with a thick layer of homemade frosting. This sugar cookie recipe is a quick alternative to the hard work of cutting out cookies and frosting them – and just as delicious! The bars and frosting use 10 ingredients without optional decorations.
Sugar Cookie Bars | Julie Blanner
These sugar cookie bars are my go to for any occasion – and honestly? I think they are even better than regular sugar cookies. I bake them in a 9×13 glass pan and they are so soft it is almost like eating cookie dough! 7 ingredients needed for a recipe that I am sure your family will love too.
No Bake Peanut Butter Bars | Baking a Moment
These no-bake peanut butter cookie bars are a quick and easy treat, featuring a creamy peanut butter layer topped with rich chocolate. With just 5 ingredients, they’re perfect for snacking without any oven time.
M&M Marshmallow Dream Bars | Mom on Timeout
These M&M marshmallow dream bars are a fun and festive treat, combining gooey marshmallows, colorful M&Ms, and a buttery graham cracker crust. The easy recipe comes together with 8 normal pantry ingredients.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars | A Farmgirl Dabbles
If you love chocolate chip cookies, you’ll love these easy chocolate chip cookie bars. No mixer or scooping needed for this quick bar recipe made with 10 ingredients. You can bake them with milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips, depending on your personal preference.
Monster Cookie Bars | Practically Homemade
Made with ten ingredients, monster cookies are a classic cookie bar and this version is so easy. Just mix all the delicious adds in together and spread in a baking pan.
S’Mores Bars | Little Sweet Baker
If you love S’mores, you will want to try making these 4 ingredient s’mores bars. Making them in a bar form means that you can make them ahead of time to enjoy s’mores without the campfire!
Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars | The Baking Chocolatess
Only 7 ingredients needed to make these tasty snickerdoodle bars. The cinnamon sugar flavor makes snickerdoodles a classic!
Peanut Butter Blondies | Sally’s Baking Addiction
If you like peanut butter, these peanut butter blondies are made with peanut butter – and topped with Reese’s. Made with 9 ingredients, they are perfect for a peanut butter lover!
Holiday Cookie Bars
Dulce de Leche Cookie Bars | Tara Teaspoon
These easy bars feature a rich dulce de leche filling on a buttery cookie base, perfect for adding some caramel sweetness to your dessert table. The undecorated version uses 10 ingredients exactly.
Ultimate Magic Cookie Bars | I Heart Naptime
These magic cookie bars are an easy, layered dessert with semisweet chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans, all baked on a graham cracker crust. Made with 7 ingredients, they come together quickly. Magic bars are always a huge hit!
Pecan Pie Bars | Better Homebase
These easy pecan pie bars have a buttery shortbread crust and a gooey, sweet pecan filling, making them an ideal dessert when you want pie. With 10 ingredients, they’re a simple take on the classic holiday pie.
Christmas Cookie Bars | Crazy for Crust
Christmas cookie bars are a fun and festive dessert filled with holiday M&Ms and sprinkles, all baked into a soft, chewy cookie base. With 9 ingredients, this easy recipe is one kids especially will love! You can bake them at any season simply by changing the color of your M&Ms.
Nutella Cheesecake Swirl Bars | Sally’s Baking Addiction
These Nutella swirl cheesecake bars have a buttery graham cracker crust and a creamy cheesecake filling swirled with chocolate hazelnut spread. They look impressive but use just seven ingredients, making them an easy dessert to share at a holiday gathering.
Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie Bars | How Sweet Eats
These cranberry white chocolate cookie bars pair tart dried cranberries with sweet white chocolate in a chewy brown butter bar. They look festive on a Christmas cookie tray and use just 10 ingredients—no cookie mix needed.
With so many easy cookie bars to choose from, which one will you bake first?
If you’re planning your holiday baking, browse my 45 easy Christmas desserts for a crowd for more treats to share, or get ahead with these Christmas desserts you can make ahead and freeze.
For cookie trays and gifts, I’ve also gathered 50 Christmas cookie exchange recipes, 50 easy no-bake Christmas candies, and 35 Christmas desserts with five ingredients or less. There’s no need to make everything in one day—pick a few favorites and enjoy the baking!
