Chocolate Box Cookie Bars!
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Easy and delicious chocolate box cookie bars – your favourite chocolates, in cookie traybake form!
Leftover chocolates
Right.. roll with me here. Leftover chocolates DO EXIST. No doubt when I post this recipe, I will get comments saying “leftover chocolates?! what are they?!” as everyone thinks they are being funny… but in all honesty, nearly every house will have them.
Over a period like christmas, and easy and common gift is a box of chocolates. And if you are like me, and you get given a whole lot of chocolates such as Celebrations, Heroes, Roses and so on… you will have far too many to eat.
It’s not so bad for a big family, and a family that don’t receive too many chocolates… but I always get given loads. Whether they are gifted from companies because of my blog, presents from friends or family, or me buying another box as I was ‘spontaneous’.. I have too many.
Chocolate box cookie bars
When you have over SEVEN tubs of chocolates, it’s just too many. Therefore, the easiest thing to do is to shove them all in a bake! Whether its a no-bake treat such as rocky road, or something like this.. it’s a much easier way of using them up, and being able to give them away!
I love putting chocolates into a bake as I often prefer them that way – I don’t often eat chocolates on their own as I have so much sweetness in my life already, and I feel like giving away a box of chocolates you got given yourself is a bit odd…
Cookie dough
For these, I used my regular and favourite cookie bar recipe that you can find in my other ones, such as my oh-so-popular mini egg cookie bars for example. You just take out the chocolates featured in that recipe, such as the Mini Eggs, and replace it with chocolates!
If you fancied making this, but making it a chocolate cookie dough… take out 30g of the flour, and 1/2tbsp of cornflour, and add in 30g of cocoa powder instead! Both ways are utterly delicious!
Cookie bars as I will say again and again are delightful. The cornflour IS IMPORTANT TO THE BAKE. It changes the texture, changes the bake, and improves them tenfold. This is why cornflour is in a lot of my cookie recipes, so please don’t leave it out!
Tips and tricks!
The good thing about this, is you can use all of the chocolates in the box, use up the ones you don’t like if you are giving the cookie bars away, or use the ones you do like but if you fancy something a bit different!
This recipe is also great to use after christmas when you are a little fed up with all the food, as you can make the cookie bars and freeze them! You can defrost some when you fancy a cookie! Or, you can make up the cookie dough, and bake them as you please!
You can see from the photos that they are a tasty bake, with all the different chocolates poking through! If you use a lot of chocolates that have a runny centre such as Quality Street caramels, I would recommend freezing them before baking, but if you are using a large combination such as I have, I generally don’t bother!
These really are such an adaptable and utterly SCRUMPTIOUS bake – They are a great bake for all sorts of occasions, and also a great way to use up all that ~leftover~ chocolate that DOES ACTUALLY EXIST!!! Enjoy! x
Chocolate Box Cookie Bars!
Ingredients
- 275 g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt optional!
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 115 g unsalted butter
- 55 g granulated sugar
- 135 g light brown sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g milk chocolate chips
- 300-400 g chocolate box chocolates (I used Celebrations!)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190C/170C Fan and line a 9x9inch square tin with parchment paper, and leave to the side for now.
- Whisk/Mix the plain flour, bicarbonate, salt (if you are using) and cornflour together so its evenly distributed – leave to the side.
- In a larger bowl, melt the butter. Add in the two sugars, and whisk for about 2 minutes so the sugar starts to dissolve and the mixture is smooth.
- Add in the egg and the vanilla, and whisk again briefly until smooth. (I used an electric whisk)
- Add in the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips and mix with a spatula until a thick cookie dough is formed.
- Finally, add in the chocolates! I don't chop mine up. Fold through the mixture as best you can!
- Press the mixture into the bottom of the tin and bake the traybake in the oven for 18-22 minutes, until the top of the cookie bake looks ‘dry’!
- Leave the cookie bake to cool for about 10 minutes, then leave to cool fully on a wire rack. Cut the bake into 4×4 for decent sizes, or 5×5 for smaller ones! Enjoy!
Notes
- I used Celebrations as I bought SO many. I used all of them, as I'm not fussy when it comes to Celebrations.. but use your favourites if they're for you! Or even use up the ones you don't like and give them away!
- You can easily use others such as Heroes, Roses, Quality street and so on - however, if you are using a lot of soft centre ones, I would recommend freezing them first.
- These delicious beings will last in an airtight container for up to 5 days, but honestly, they’ll be eaten before then.
- Try microwaving them when they’ve cooled if you want a gooey cookie, or even add a scoop of ice cream!
ENJOY!
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J x
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These Chocolate Box Cookie Bars are an absolute delight, The recipe is straightforward and a fantastic way to repurpose leftover chocolates into a decadent treat. The combination of buttery cookie dough with assorted chocolates creates a rich and satisfying dessert. Perfect for sharing during the holidays or as a sweet indulgence any time of year. Thank you for sharing this creative and delicious recipe.
Is it possible to make the dough in advance the day before baking and keep in the fridge?
Yes!!
Hi I will definitely have a go at this recipe with my granddaughter. I follow a vegan diet and am always given milk chocolates which I can’t eat. Layla will be so excited at she keeps telling me she loves chocolates. ❤️
Ps can they be frozen. I only have an 8 inch square tin but I’m sure on of my rectangular tins will do.
Many thanks. I love ur recipes and have asked Santa for your book.
Hi Jane, I’d like to add a chocolate spread layer to this recipe, is this possible? If so do I need to change the bake time?x
If I want to do half of the recipe what pan size should I use?
Thank you
7″ square x
Hi, do you have to use cornflour? I don’t want to buy a box I’ll hardly use for such a small amount!
Hiya! You can leave it out, just replace it with 25g more flour. Hope this helps! x
Hi I have done these and amazing, I put some in the freezer and now want them so do you just let them defrost and eat or do you put in oven for a bit again x
oh yummy! I reheat mine in either the microwave or oven! Hope this helps! x
Thank you for this recipe.
My husband had been given a Rolo easter egg and we had been given a box of Celebrations and he doesn’t like milk chocolate so I wanted a recipe to use them and take to work to share with my colleagues. This recipe is perfect. I used broken bits of the Rolo egg instead of the chocolate chips and added the Rolos in with the Celebrations. A combo of your Rolo Cookie bar and this recipe. I found a great online converter to scale up the recipe for my 8 X 13.5 inch traybake tin. It is also great to have a recipe that uses cornflour. The box in my baking cupboard doesn’t get used much, except for thickening sauces.
I had to bake them for 28 mins at fan 170, possibly because of the bigger tin. They have now cooled in the tin for 10 mins and I have put them on the cooling rack and cut them into bars and they are perfectly firm and a bit crispy in a good way on the outside but gooey in the centre – yum! I am trying to resist eating one before I take them into work tomorrow. I did sample a bit that broke off.
I’m going to use this recipe but do I have to add the other chocolate? I’m just looking to do cookie bar as dippers
Hi Jane, would this recipe work with just 300-400g of bounty bars?
Hi Jane
I put in 1 tsp of baking powder instead of bicarbonate of soda ahhh.
How bad will it be, feeling like I’ve wasted a ton of chocolate?
Thanks I was gifted a 2kg box of celebrations after an operation that required me to be sedentary for a while….. so not a good idea!!!! Even after Christmas we still had loads so making these to give the bars away!!!! came out perfect . Thank you!
Can you make a butterscotch chips cookie bar recipe please?
Hi Jane, Can I use chocolate Revels in this recipe? Thanks! x
Hello! Yes its worth a go!x
Could you use baking powder or does it have to be bicarb? x
Hiii! Ideally bicarb should be used, but you could use 1tsp of baking powder instead!x
Hi Jane!
Would I be able to use this recipe as a base for all my cookie bars and just add 400g of any chopped chocolate eg maltesers, crunchie, smarties?
Thanks xx
Basically yes – although some chocolates wont work well or the same depending on what they are made of! x
Hi Jane
Would I be able to split this into 2 7” tins?
Thanks for all the awesome recipes x
Yep! x