No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars

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Today I’m sharing a wonderful no bake recipe that is perfect for this August heat.  It’s basically edible cookie dough and it’s amazing!

Don't turn on the oven this summer! Make these no Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars today!

This past week it has been in the upper 80’s every day with a heat index of around 100.  While I love summer, the sunshine, and the heat, 100 degrees is a little too warm even for me.   We’ve had all of the fans cranked up in the house and we haven’t been turning on the oven.  We’ve had a lot of meals on the grill and a few on the stove top.  The one thing I’ve been missing the most is dessert.  I’m usually in the kitchen 2 or 3 nights a week baking but it’s just been too hot.

Since I had a craving for something sweet I began searching for recipes that didn’t require me to turn on the oven.   I looked at things like pudding and mousse but all I really wanted was a cookie.   I figured the next best thing was a no bake cookie though most of the ones I’ve seen have peanut butter in them which is a no no for me.

Delicious chocolate chip cookie dough

I found an awesome looking recipe for no bake chocolate chip cookie dough bars.  They looked so good but I was afraid the dough would melt in the heat.   I knew that the bars were frozen for a few hours before they were cut and I figured I could always keep the bars in the refrigerator if they were melting too much out of it.

The basic recipe is similiar to cookie dough except there is sweetened condensed milk in it.   Sweetened condensed milk is used in a lot of dessert recipes.  Would you believe that I didn’t have a single can in the house?  I couldn’t but it turned out I didn’t have any so I had to go out and get one.  Thankfully it was totally worth it.

You'll be drooling over these No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars

This recipe is easy.  All it takes is making a basic dough, refrigerating it, and then pouring chocolate over top of it.  Then the entire thing is refrigerated again until it’s ready to be cut.   I had an easy time cutting the bars but like I thought, after about 20 minutes the cookie dough started melting.  I ended up putting them in the refrigerator and just pulling them out one at a time to eat.   They tasted just like chocolate covered cookie dough which was awesome.

Don't turn on the oven this summer! Make these no Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars today!

No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars

Yield: 32 bars
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

These chocolate chip cookie bars are made like a traditional cookie dough but without the eggs. Then they are topped with chocolate and cut into bars.

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

  • 1/2 c. butter
  • 3/4 c. brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/4 c. cookie butter
  • 1 c. chocolate chips

For the chocolate topping:

  • 1/2 c. chocolate chips
  • 2 Tablespoons cookie butter

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar. Add in the vanilla and mix well.
  2. Stir in the flour and mix until combined.
  3. Add in the sweetened condensed milk and cookie butter and stir until everything is mixed. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  4. Place a piece of parchment paper in a 9 x 13 pan. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it to the edges. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
  5. Heat the chocolate chips and cookie butter in a microwave safe container in 30 second intervals, stirring after each heating.
  6. Pour over top of the cold cookie dough, spreading quickly over the top. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
  7. Cut into small bars and serve.

Notes

Adapted from The Recipe Critic


No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars

 

132 Comments

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  7. I like to bake scones and cookies and have those for dessert… but I always have dessert before dinner!

  8. I like brownies that have some type of additional add in. For example caramel and peanut butter are my favorites.

  9. I love books based on true life stories, one of my favorites was about a couple who homesteaded in Alaska.

  10. Looks like my comment on the ipad didn’t go through so I’ll try again here – thanks for hosting the giveaway! It looks like so much fun! My favorite dessert would be impossible to choose, but I made the Cook’s Illustrated coffee cake (Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel) this morning and it was fluffy and very delicious with a wonderful struesel topping. I also made Cook’s Country’s Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake to compare side by side, and they were both winners 🙂 It has toasted tiny bits of pecans in the batter so that made the cake very good, and next time I’ll add a streusel.

    These bars sound PERFECT for this hot weather! Have you tried the Cook’s Country magic ice cream recipes? My husband loves the chocolate one; I haven’t made strawberry or vanilla yet, but I thought of you because it’s easy to make, super cool, and you don’t need an ice-cream maker. Or maybe you have one?

    Anyway, good luck staying cool and keep keeping us motivated to eat more yummy things! I also can’t imagine ending a meal without dessert 🙂

    1. I love anything from ATK or Cook’s Country-they have the best recipes and I love watching them on TV. I have not tried the magic ice cream recipe but now I’m going to have too! I do not have an ice cream maker and love making no churn ice cream recipes.

      1. Me too! They are SO awesome and all of their recipes work exactly as promised…the ones we like are more to personal taste, but they really do never fail! Here is the recipe for the ice creams 🙂

        Easy Chocolate Ice Cream
        From Cook’s Country | June/July 2009

        Why this recipe works:

        Instead of a double boiler, we kept things simple for our Easy Chocolate Ice Cream and used the microwave to melt the chocolate and combine the ingredients. We used sweetened condensed milk in place of cream because it maintains its velvety texture in the freezer. For a fluffy, light texture similar to churned ice cream, we took a cue from the Italian dessert semifreddo and folded in whipped cream. Bittersweet chocolate also worked well in maintaining the texture. To heighten chocolate flavor even more, we turned to instant coffee powder. The note of bitterness intensified the chocolate without making it taste like a cup of coffee. It also helped balance the sweetness of the condensed milk.

        Makes 1 quart

        If you plan to store the ice cream for more than a few days, place plastic wrap directly on its surface before freezing.

        Ingredients

        1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder
        1 tablespoon hot water
        4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
        1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
        1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
        pinch salt
        1 1/4 cups heavy cream, cold

        Instructions

        1. MELT CHOCOLATE BASE Combine coffee (or espresso) powder and hot water in small bowl. Let stand until coffee dissolves, about 5 minutes. Microwave chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, and coffee mixture in bowl, stirring every 10 seconds, until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute. Stir in vanilla and salt. Let cool.

        2. MIX AND FREEZE With electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip cream to soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Whisk one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Fold remaining whipped cream into chocolate mixture until incorporated. Freeze in airtight container until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 2 weeks. Serve.

        No Machine, No Churning, No Fuss

        Follow these steps for chocolate ice cream that’s incredibly easy—and delicious.

        1. Skip the double boiler. Start by microwaving the chocolate, coffee, and condensed milk until the chocolate is melted.

        2. Skip the ice cream machine. For fluffy texture that mimics churned ice cream, gently fold in whipped cream.

        3. Skip the stirring. Simply pour the mixture into a container and freeze for at least six hours.

        Magic Vanilla Ice Cream
        From Cook’s Country | June/July 2010

        Why this recipe works:

        After developing a recipe for Easy Chocolate Ice Cream that didn’t require a machine, we figured Magic Vanilla Ice Cream would be a snap. But without the chocolate, the ice cream lacked structure and silkiness. We replaced the chocolate binder from our Easy Chocolate Ice Cream recipe with white chocolate, but instead of tasting like vanilla ice cream, it tasted too much like white chocolate. Adding just a little sour cream lent enough tartness to both balance and mask the white chocolate. Our tasters preferred vanilla extract to vanilla bean for its more assertive flavor.

        Makes 1 quart

        Shop carefully: White chocolate varies greatly in quality. We like Guittard Choc-O-Lait Chips or Ghirardelli Classic White Chips. If you use a bar instead of chips, chop it fine before melting it in step 1. If you plan to store ice cream for more than a few days, place plastic wrap directly on its surface before you freeze it.

        Ingredients

        1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
        1 ounce white chocolate chips (see note)
        1 tablespoon vanilla extract
        pinch salt
        1/4 cup sour cream
        1 1/4 cups cold heavy cream

        Instructions

        1. MAKE BASE Microwave sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate in large bowl until chocolate melts, stirring halfway, about 30 seconds. Let cool. Stir in vanilla, salt, and sour cream.

        2. WHIP CREAM With electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip heavy cream to soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Whisk one-third of whipped cream into white chocolate mixture. Fold remaining whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until incorporated.

        3. FREEZE Place in airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 2 weeks. Serve.

        Magic Trick Revealed

        Ice-cream machines work by incorporating air into a custard of cream, milk, sugar, egg yolks, and Flavorings. Our “Magic” no-machine-required ice cream relies instead on whipped cream for airiness and

        sweetened condensed milk for creamy texture.

        SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK

        Prevents crystallization, promoting silkiness.

        WHIPPED CREAM

        Adds air, no churning required.

        Magic Strawberry Ice Cream
        From Cook’s Country | August/September 2011

        Why this recipe works:

        In the past, we nailed a machine-free method for homemade vanilla and chocolate ice creams using a base of sweetened condensed milk, melted chocolate chips (white or semisweet), and whipped cream. Could we complete the Neapolitan trifecta with a strawberry version? The moisture-rich berries provided more of an icy challenge than we’d imagined, but a small amount of vodka kept the crystals at bay and let the fresh berry flavor shine.

        Makes 1 quart ice cream

        You can use 6 ounces of thawed, frozen berries in place of fresh ones and bar white chocolate in place of the chips—chop it finely before melting it. If you plan to store the ice cream for more than a few days, place plastic wrap directly on its surface.

        Ingredients

        8 ounces strawberries, hulled (1 1/2 cups)
        1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
        1 ounce white chocolate chips
        1 tablespoon vodka
        1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
        pinch salt
        1 1/4 cups heavy cream, chilled

        Instructions

        1. Process strawberries in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds (puree should measure about ¾ cup). Microwave sweetened condensed milk, white chocolate chips, and vodka in large bowl until chocolate melts, about 1 minute, whisking halfway through cooking. Whisk in strawberry puree, vanilla, and salt.

        2. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip cream on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Whisk one-third of whipped cream into strawberry mixture, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream, 1 scoop at a time, until combined. Freeze in airtight container until firm, 6 hours or up to 2 weeks. Serve.

        Magic Chocolate Swirl Ice Cream
        From Cook’s Country | June/July 2012

        Why this recipe works:

        We’ve taken our recipe for Magic Vanilla Ice Cream and introduced a fudgy swirl. Using a modified chocolate ganache made with bittersweet chocolate, we achieved the right balance of rich chocolate and creamy vanilla, where the dark chocolate balances the sweetness of the ice cream. Be sure to fold the remaining two thirds of the whipped cream into the ice cream base carefully to keep the final product light and creamy. When incorporating the chocolate, take care to swirl it just enough to disperse it without mixing it into the ice cream.

        Makes 1 quart

        Mix the chocolate only enough to swirl it; don’t mix it in completely.

        Ingredients

        ICE CREAM
        1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
        3 tablespoons white chocolate chips
        1/4 cup sour cream
        1 tablespoon vanilla extract
        Pinch salt
        1 1/4 cups heavy cream, chilled
        CHOCOLATE SWIRL
        2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
        1/4 cup heavy cream
        1 tablespoon light corn syrup
        1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
        1/8 teaspoon salt

        Instructions

        1. FOR THE ICE CREAM: Microwave condensed milk and white chocolate chips in large bowl until chips soften, 60 to 75 seconds, stirring halfway through. Remove from microwave and stir mixture thoroughly, until white chocolate chips are melted and fully incorporated, about 2 minutes, pressing chips against side of bowl as necessary to melt fully. Stir in sour cream, vanilla, and salt.

        2. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip cream on medium-low until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Stir one-third of whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until combined. Fold remaining whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until just incorporated. Pour ice cream base into freezable container.

        3. FOR THE CHOCOLATE SWIRL: Lace chocolate in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Heat cream, corn syrup, oil, and salt in small saucepan over medium heat until mixture is steaming, about 3 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid scorching. Remove from heat and immediately pour over chocolate. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes, then stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.

        4. Slowly pour chocolate mixture into center of ice cream base. Dip butter knife through chocolate to bottom of container and lift up, swirling as you lift. Repeat about 10 times, until chocolate is evenly swirled through ice cream base, being careful not to overmix. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 2 weeks. Serve.

        Swirling Technique

        Pour the warm chocolate mixture into the center of the ice cream base. Dip a butter knife through it to the bottom of the container and then pull up while stirring until the swirl is evenly dispersed.

        Enjoy, everyone!

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