Puppy Love Cookie Bars
A rich, thick, and fudgy chocolate crinkle cookie bar loaded with mini m&ms and peanut butter chips. Topped off with a chocolate peanut butter ganache AND actual puppy chow, these Puppy Love Cookie Bars are doggone good.
Puppy Love Cookie Bars
Okay, for once we might have a dessert that’s bite is bigger than its bark. That sounds lame, but hear me out: these cookie bars are the love child of my very favorite thick & fudgy chocolate crinkle cookies and the sweet chocolate peanut buttery goodness that is Puppy Chow. And they’re really, really yummy and really, really cute! Each chocolate cookie bar is stuffed with mini m&ms and peanut butter chips. Then it is topped with a peanut butter chocolate ganache, puppy chow pieces, and Valentine’s sprinkles. And the best part is you don’t have to scoop, roll, frost and decorate individual cookies. You do it in one fell-swoop because cookie bars are just the best like that.
You can make these cookie bars with store bought puppy chow (aka muddy buddies) but I recommend making it with homemade puppy chow!
Ingredients
*You can find instructions and exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Cookie Bar
- Salted butter, softened – I like to use salted butter. But you can sub unsalted butter if that is your preference, you may just have to add an extra pinch of salt to the dough.
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Corn syrup – This will aid in making the cookies nicely soft and chewy.
- Vanilla extract – The vanilla provides a base of flavor that is so good.
- Milk
- All-purpose flour
- Dutch processed cocoa powder
- Corn starch – The corn starch makes the cookies so soft.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Mini Valentine m&ms – You will put these in the cookie and on top!
- Peanut butter chips
- Powdered sugar – This is to roll the cookies in before baking.
Ganache + Toppings
- Chocolate chips – Buy a high quality brand here! I like Ghirardelli.
- Peanut butter chips – Any brand will do, but the Reese’s brand is really good!
- Heavy cream
- Puppy chow – You can buy this from the store or make your own puppy chow at home!
- Valentine sprinkles – I recommend stopping by your grocery store’s bakery and buying your sprinkles there! You can custom make your own mix and it will be much cheaper.
How to make Puppy Love Cookie Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).
- Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light in color and fluffy in texture.
- Scrape down the sides and add in the eggs, corn syrup, vanilla and milk. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Next, add the flour, cocoa, corn starch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until your chocolate cookie dough forms. The dough will be soft.
- Add in the m&m candies and peanut butter chips and mix gently just until distributed throughout the dough.
- Press the dough into a greased 9×13 pan. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.
- Bake at 350° F (180° C) for 14-16 minutes or until the dough has risen, no longer looks wet and glossy and begins to crackle.
- Allow the bars to cool completely.
- While the cookies are cooling, make the ganache. Measure out the heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave the cream for 1 1/2 minutes or until it is boiling.
- Remove the bowl from the microwave and add in the chocolate and peanut butter chips. Use a spoon and push the chips around so they are all covered by the heavy cream.
- Allow the chocolate and peanut butter chips to sit in the hot cream for 3-5 minutes.
- After the time is up, use a whisk and stir the chips into the heavy cream until smooth. If some of the chips have not melted, feel free to pop into the microwave for 15 seconds.
- Spread ganache onto the cookie bars and quickly top with a few whole pieces of puppy chow, some mini m&ms, and some festive sprinkles.
- Allow the ganache to set completely before cutting the bars.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
How should I store these cookie bars?
Once cooled, decorated and cut, store your cookie bars in an airtight container on the counter for 3-5 days!
Can I freeze these cookie bars?
Yes! You can freeze these cookies with or without the ganache for up to 3 months! If freezing with ganache, place all cool and cut cookie bars onto a cookie sheet. Place the entire cookie sheet into the freezer and ‘flash freeze’ until they start to harden slightly and the frosting is set. Move the cookies to a ziptop bag or airtight container, with parchment between layers of cookies.
Karli’s Kitchen Faves
Here are a few of my favorite kitchen tools that I used to make this recipe!
- Kitchenaid Mixer – I really love this thing. It’s not necessary for making good cookies, but I love the size of the bowl and the power. It saves me a lot of arm aches.
- Parchment paper – You can line your 9×13 with parchment! Leave some hanging over the sides so that you can use it as a sling to remove it from the pan once cooked and cooled.
- Offset spatula – I love using an offset spatula to frost the ganache onto the cookies because it’s so much easier to get the perfect swirl on top without getting extra frosting on the side of your hand.
- Spatula – I love these silicone spatulas for scraping down the sides of the mixer.
- Whisk – I like this for mixing up the ganache so it is nice & smooth.
- 9×13 pan – This is one of my fave pans for making cookie bars.
Cookie Bars You’ll Love
Puppy Love Cookie Bars
A rich, thick, and fudgy chocolate crinkle cookie bar loaded with mini m&ms and peanut butter chips. Topped off with a chocolate peanut butter ganache AND actual puppy chow, these Puppy Love Cookie Bars are doggone good.
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Servings: 24 cookie bars
Calories: 122kcal
Ingredients
Chocolate Crinkle Cookie
- 3/4 cup (167g) salted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (185g) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (58g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp corn syrup
- 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 2 cups (304g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (60g) dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1/2 Tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (200g) mini Valentine m&ms, plus more for topping
- 1 cup (200g) peanut butter chips
- 1/3 cup (35g) powdered sugar
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache + Toppings
- 1/2 cup (100g) chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (100g) peanut butter chips
- 1/3 cup (79ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup puppy chow, store bought or homemade
- Valentine sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).
- Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light in color and fluffy in texture.3/4 cup (167g) salted butter, softened, 3/4 cup (185g) brown sugar, 1/4 cup (58g) granulated sugar
- Scrape down the sides and add in the eggs, corn syrup, vanilla and milk. Mix until thoroughly combined.2 eggs, 1 Tbsp corn syrup, 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract, 1 Tbsp milk
- Next, add the flour, cocoa, corn starch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until your chocolate cookie dough forms. The dough will be soft.2 cups (304g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup (60g) dutch processed cocoa powder, 1/2 Tbsp corn starch, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- Add in the m&m candies and peanut butter chips and mix gently just until distributed throughout the dough.1 cup (200g) mini Valentine m&ms, plus more for topping, 1 cup (200g) peanut butter chips
- Press the dough into a greased 9×13 pan. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.1/3 cup (35g) powdered sugar
- Bake at 350° F (180° C) for 14-16 minutes or until the dough has risen, no longer looks wet and glossy and begins to crackle.
- Allow the bars to cool completely.
- While the cookies are cooling, make the ganache. Measure out the heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl.1/3 cup (79ml) heavy cream
- Microwave the cream for 1 1/2 minutes or until it is boiling.
- Remove the bowl from the microwave and add in the chocolate and peanut butter chips. Use a spoon and push the chips around so they are all covered by the heavy cream.1/2 cup (100g) chocolate chips, 1/2 cup (100g) peanut butter chips
- Allow the chocolate and peanut butter chips to sit in the hot cream for 3-5 minutes.
- After the time is up, use a whisk and stir the chips into the heavy cream until smooth. If some of the chips have not melted, feel free to pop into the microwave for 15 seconds.
- Spread ganache onto the cookie bars and quickly top with a few whole pieces of puppy chow, some mini m&ms, and some festive sprinkles.1 cup puppy chow, store bought or homemade, Valentine sprinkles
- Allow the ganache to set completely before cutting the bars.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
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Nutrition
Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 69IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
I’m excited to make these. But my question is. If i don’t have Dutch Process Cocoa. Can I use plain unsweetened baking cocoa instead? TIA
Yes, you absolutely can!