Chocolate Cookie Squares

Enjoy the blissful layers of these Chocolate Cookie Bars. A buttery cookie base, a creamy center of sweetened condensed milk, and a decadent topping of melted milk chocolate chips.

If you like desserts with chocolate chips in them, along with creaminess, this is definitely the dessert you want to try.

I have a sweet tooth.  It’s strong.  and all I want in my life is dessert – ALWAYS.  But while I enjoy eating a variety of desserts, I lean towards a certain one to bake due to ease.

I’m all about squares and bars when it comes to making dessert.  It’s so easy to whip up in that form.  Something about pouring dessert into one pan to bake instead of a bunch of individual spots like muffins or cupcakes.  I know, I know, how lazy can I be??  But for some reason, baking squares or bars seems so much easier.

That’s why I’m a big fan of making square-like desserts such as Toffee Butter Tart Squares or Blueberry Cheesecake Bars.

We are in mid-summer here, but soon enough the school year will start and as a homeschooling mom I’m feeding my kids a gazillion snacks a day.  And, now I’ve got two teenagers and one pre-teen.  All the things they say about teenager appetites is ABSOLUTELY TRUE.

Actually, just the other day my husband and I were hosting some friends with younger kids for dinner and we watched as the Dad ate all his kid’s leftovers and my husband commented that he missed those days.  He joked that now it’s a fight to get his fair share before the teenagers ate it all.

So, all that to say, I need a healthy dose of snacks on hand at all times.  These squares will definitely be added to the rotation of snacks I make.

What I love about these bars is that you can serve them as a dessert when guests come over, or just keep them on hand for a mid-morning snack for your own family.

This recipe makes an 8 x 8 sized dish.  If you have a large family or teenagers like me I’d recommend doubling the recipe. 

Chocolate Cookie Squares

Ingredients:

Bottom layer

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cup flour

Middle layer

• 1 can condensed milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla

Topping

• 1 bag of milk chocolate chips

Step 1: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2:

Mix together that cup of butter, brown sugar, and flour.

Step 3: 

Press in an 8 x 8 pan

Step 4:

Pop it in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Step 5:

Once done, set aside to cool a bit while you make the next layer.

Step 6:

In a medium-sized saucepan dump the can of condensed milk into it.  Add the 1/4 cup of butter and tsp of vanilla.  Whisk together on medium heat for about 6 minutes.  Make sure to stir it frequently because it can burn easily and there’s nothing that makes me more sad than when I ruin a good dessert while making it.

Step 7: 

Pour over the bottom layer of your cookie Squares.  Spread around with a spatula so that the first layer is completely covered with the condensed milk mixture.

Step 8: 

Put it back in the oven and bake for 17-18 minutes.

Step 9: 

Take it out and sprinkle the chocolate chips over it evenly.  Let it sit for 5 minutes.  After five minutes spread the chocolate evenly across the cookie bars with a spatula.

Step 10: 

Let them cool completely before cutting into them.  I prefer to put them in the fridge once they cool to help firm them up.

We served this dessert to our guests who loved it!  My family ate what was left in the pan in no time.  

 

Enjoy This Sweetened Condensed Milk Dessert

I love any dessert that involves sweetened condensed milk.  If I’m being honest, my full out confession here is that sometimes I like to eat a big spoonful of sweetened condensed milk.  It’s amazing!  It’s also super amazing to enjoy in a cup of coffee. 

That’s another one of my favorite ways to enjoy it but I do limit myself to only allowing that once in awhile because let’s be fair, it’s not the healthiest way to enjoy a daily coffee.  However, it feels like a decadent treat that this mom sometimes loves to enjoy!

Also, side note, is it just me, or did anyone else used to confuse sweetened condensed milk with evaporated milk? I used to think it was the same thing but I can promise you, if you use a can of evaporated milk in this dessert you will be VERY, VERY disappointed.   It’s definitely not one in the same.

The next time I make these I wouldn’t mind trying to add chocolate chips into the base. I  think that would be a nice twist on this dessert.  You can never have too much chocolate in my opinion.

In the meantime, I’ll enjoy them in this classic way, and I hope you will too.  If you make these please leave a comment below to let me know how they turned out.  I hope they will be a winner in your house just like they are in mine.