Name: Halloween Cookie Bars
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup salted butter (softened at room temperature ); 3/4 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 whole egg; 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/3 cup cocoa unsweetened powder; 1/4 cup Halloween sprinkles

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Halloween Cookie Bars makes a perfect Halloween dessert made with a fudgy chocolate sugar cookie base and topped with festive and fun sprinkles! These take minutes to whip up and couldn’t be easier to make!

PIN these Halloween Cookie Bars to try later!

Halloween Cookie Bars

These Halloween Cookie Bars have a thick and chewy chocolate base that almost resembles a brownie in a cookie form. The spooky Halloween sprinkles that we put on top make this a fun treat perfect for kids and Halloween parties.

Spooky season is here and I love baking festive treats this time of year. This is a fun recipe for kids to help make as they can add the sprinkles on top or any mix-ins that you want to add (see below for a list of ideas).

The cookie bars are extra buttery, moist, and chewy and take half the time to prepare than regular cookies. I’m all about easy recipes especially when I’m short on time and these are a time saver.

If you love bar cookies, try my M&M Cookie Bars, Oreo Cookie Bars, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, and Peanut Butter Cookie Bars! If individual cookies are more your thing, try these Halloween cookies instead:

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Festive: Bring this tasty treat to a Halloween party, classroom party, or make them when you want to get into the Halloween spirit!

Portable: These bars are perfect for any occasion and can be transferred easily by placing them in an airtight container or ziplock bag.

Easy recipe: You don’t have to worry about the hassle of rolling, scooping any dough, or icing any cookies. If you’re in a hurry, you just need less than 10 minutes of prep time in the kitchen.

Quick: You can make these cookie bars in less than 30 minutes and you don’t have to chill the dough.

Cookie bars are great to feed large crowds: One batch makes 16 regular sized bars but you can cut those in half to make 36 smaller bars.

Chocolate cookie bars with Halloween sprinkles.

key ingredients

All-purpose flour: Spoon and level regular all-purpose flour when measuring it. Be sure not to scoop it out of the bag using the measuring cup. This way, you won’t accidentally measure out too much.
Baking soda and baking powder: Used as a leavening agent.
Butter: You could use salted or unsalted butter. If you use unsalted butter, make sure to add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the recipe. Make sure the butter is softened at room temperature.
Sugar: We use both granulated white sugar and dark brown sugar or light brown sugar. This combination will increase the chewiness of the bars.
Unsweetened cocoa powder: The star ingredient! Gives these cookie bars a chocolate flavor.
Egg: Make sure the whole egg is at room temperature so it incorporates into the dough better.
Vanilla extract: Enhances the flavors and adds a warm flavor.
Spooky Halloween sprinkles: For fun and make this cookie dessert extra colorful and festive!

how to make Halloween cookie bars

Prepare baking dish: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 8 × 8-inch or 9 × 9-inch pan with parchment paper or grease generously with nonstick cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla extract and egg and mix again.

Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa powder.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients: Mix until combined and be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Bake: Press cookie dough into prepared pan and top with sprinkles. Gently press the sprinkles down so it sticks into the dough. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center looks set. Let the cookie bars cool for 5 minutes and then lift bars out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack. Once cooled, cut into 16 bars with a sharp knife. Enjoy!

tips & variations

You can cut the bars into 36 smaller squares or 12-16 large squares. You can also cut them into rectangular bars or triangles.
Toppings: Add a chocolate drizzle or creamy peanut butter drizzle to the top of the bars once they’ve cooled. You could also spread a layer of your favorite frosting or icing flavor to make these bars extra sweet.
Seasonal sprinkles: Switch up the sprinkle colors and theme of these bars depending on the holiday season to make any time of year.
Add-ins: Chopped nuts, white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, candy corn, mini peanut butter cups, Reese’s Pieces, M&M Ghoul’s Mix, edible candy eyes, mini marshmallows, and crushed Oreos.
Use a sharp knife to cut the bars: You can also refrigerate the cookie bars for a few minutes before cutting the bars to get perfect cut bars.
Leftover Halloween Candy Cookie Bars: Add your favorite chopped chocolate candy or favorite candy bars to the batter or on top of the cookie bars.

leftovers & storage

To Store: Cookie bars are always best when they are fresh but you can store any leftovers in the same baking pan and cover them with plastic wrap, transfer to an airtight container, or large ziplock bag. They will keep fresh for 5 days or you can store them in the refrigerator for up to a week.

To Freeze: You can also freeze any leftover bars for up to 3 months by placing cooled bars in a freezer-safe ziploc bag. For best results, let the cookies bars defrost at room temperature when ready to eat. The best way to enjoy them is when they are at room temperature or slightly warmed.

Storage tip: To ensure these cookie bars stay soft, place a piece of bread in with the cookie bars when storing them. The cookies will absorb moisture from the bread, keeping them soft longer. Be sure to use sliced white bread if possible so it won’t transfer any other flavors.