Kitchen Sink Cookie Bars
Kitchen Sink Cookie Bars are thick, chewy, and packed with chocolate chips, gooey caramel pieces, and crunchy pretzels. Every bite has the perfect combination of sweet chocolate, buttery cookie dough, soft caramel, and salty pretzels. Instead of scooping dough and baking several batches of individual cookies, the whole thing is pressed into one pan and baked until soft and chewy.
No chill time is needed for these kitchen sink cookie bars. Once the dough is mixed, spread it directly into the prepared pan and bake.
Yes. If using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt added to the dry ingredients. Unsalted butter provides more control over the final flavor, especially because the pretzels already add saltiness.
Dry bars are usually caused by adding too much flour or baking them too long. Measure the flour carefully and remove the bars from the oven as soon as the center is set.
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Ingredient Notes
- All-purpose flour: Gives the cookie bars structure while keeping the center soft and chewy.
- Cornstarch: Helps create a tender texture and gives the bars a thick, chewy cookie center.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookie dough rise slightly as it bakes.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the flavors of the chocolate and caramel.
- Brown sugar: Adds moisture and gives the bars a rich caramel flavor. Dark brown sugar can be used for an even deeper molasses flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create lightly crisp edges.
- Unsalted butter: Melted real butter adds a rich, buttery flavor and makes the dough easy to mix.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and help create soft, chewy cookie bars.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and enhances the flavors of the chocolate chip cookie base.
- Dark chocolate chips: Add rich chocolate flavor that balances the sweetness of the caramel pieces.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Create plenty of melty chocolate pockets throughout the bars.
- Caramel pieces: Add sweet, chewy bites of caramel to every slice.
- Chopped pretzels: Add a salty crunch that makes these kitchen sink bars extra delicious.
Kitchen Sink Cookie Bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper. Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to mix and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat to combine.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, caramel, and pretzels. Reserve a small amount of each ingredient for sprinkling on top of the cookie bars, if desired.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Top with reserved chocolate chips, caramel, and pretzel pieces.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the center of the cookie bars is set.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing.
Kitchen Sink Cookie Bars
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup caramel pieces
- ½ cup chopped pretzels
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper. Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to mix and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat to combine.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, caramel, and pretzels. Reserve a small amount of each ingredient for sprinkling on top of the cookie bars, if desired.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Top with reserved chocolate chips, caramel, and pretzel pieces.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the center of the cookie bars is set.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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