Cookie bars are a lazy baker’s dream come true. You can whip up an easy cookie dough, spread it into a pan, and bake everything all at once.

It’s the best way to get a bunch of cookies in the shortest amount of time.

Plus, you can cut the bars into large pieces for a big, indulgent dessert or slice them into smaller squares if you’re feeding a crowd or taking them to a cookie exchange.

Whether you’re making my sugar cookie bars, monster cookie bars, pecan bars, or these chocolate chip cookie bars – you really can’t go wrong.

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As you can probably guess, my team and I spend a lot of time at the grocery store. And we’ve all been noticing that fresh berries are starting to come back in stock.

In my mind, fresh berries are a sure sign that the seasons are changing, even if it’s still sweatshirt weather here in Ohio. And while peak strawberry season won’t hit my region for a little while yet, I love making recipes that allow even pre-season berries to sing.

From strawberry banana muffins to strawberry popsicles to these strawberry oatmeal bars, these recipes keep me going even when the weather isn’t so great.

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It’s almost time for cookie exchanges and I couldn’t be more excited.

I love a good cookie exchange. Whether it’s boxes of rum balls, piles of hot chocolate cookies, stacks of snowball cookies, or platters of ambrosia cookies, I love seeing and sampling what everyone brings.

Bar cookies are always a fun option for cookie exchanges because they’re so quick and easy to throw together, but can be cut into any size pieces you like. This year, I think these pecan bars are going to be my cookie exchange go-to.

They’re chewy, sweet, and have all of the flavors of pecan pie without any of the hassle! 

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We’re just over a month away from Halloween, but I feel like I’ve been seeing Halloween candy at the store for weeks now.

I’m not the only one, right?

With Halloween decorations appearing around the neighborhood and the new Hocus Pocus movie coming out, it’s time to start planning for that post-Halloween problem:

What do we do with all of this leftover Halloween candy?

These monster cookie bars are the perfect solution if you ask me. Whether you’ve got an excess of mini M&M’s or candy bars, you can toss just about anything in this recipe and count on it being delicious!

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We are a family of sugar cookie lovers. Chewy sugar cookies, soft sugar cookies, lemon sugar cookies – if it’s a sugar cookie, my family is going to love it.

But I am not always down with the time it actually takes to make sugar cookies, especially cut-out or frosted ones.

But these Sugar Cookie Bars? They hit our sugar cookie sweet spot and they’re quick to make.

I have made these countless times since I first shared this recipe back in the early days of My Baking Addiction and they have remained a favorite. They’re super versatile since you can top them with any seasonal sprinkles you like or color the frosting for everything from Halloween to the 4th of July.

I know your family will love these Sugar Cookie Bars just as much as mine does! 

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I feel like we’re pretty much stuck in an endless winter situation here in Ohio.

Yes, I know it’s only February. And yes, I also know that us midwesterners should be used to these dramatic weather changes, but it’s still annoying and I’m still going to whine about it.

Guys, it was 65 degrees 2 days ago and now we are expecting yet another winter storm.

One thing I do love about snow days is that Elle and I can get into the kitchen and whip up simple desserts that she can make almost entirely be herself.

Easy recipes like peanut butter pretzel bars, rice krispie treats and these raspberry bars are amongst some of our snow day favorites.

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I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but it seems like every September, right around back-to-school time, I get a serious craving for these peanut butter and jelly bars.

These bars are a tried and true Ina Garten recipe that I originally shared way back in the early years of my blog and I have made them countless times since then.

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Summer is just around the corner, and you know what that means – bathing suit and shorts season. I’m betting we’re all suddenly a little more conscious of what we toss into our mouths. It’s no secret that My Baking Addiction is full of sugary goodness, but I do try to maintain healthy eating habits. Although I could certainly stand to lose some unwanted pounds, I try to eat in moderation.

I typically eat a healthy breakfast, followed by a reasonable lunch, but my downfall is about 3:30. It’s when I’ve finished the work day and am settling in to my evening routine of blogging, laundry and preparing dinner. It’s the time of the day when not only do I get a little crabby, but I also get a seemingly insatiable craving for ridiculously sweet items like soda, Nerds and Fruit Roll-Ups. Don’t judge me, I have a full on addiction to Fruit Roll-Ups, they’re my vice. I love them.

If you have read My Baking Addiction for any length of time, you may be aware that I am not all that into chocolate. It’s not that I don’t enjoy it, it’s simply not my favorite. I’m more of a fruity type of girl that has an affinity for all things sour and chewy.

Recently, I started hearing good things about dark chocolate on talk shows. Ya know, one of those days when the TV was “on”, but I wasn’t really watching. It piqued my interest, so I started doing more research. Did you know that studies indicate that dark chocolate can do some pretty awesome things like improve your mood, stimulate endorphin production and it’s a great source for antioxidants. I can certainly use an improvement in my mood from time to time!

With all of the benefits, it certainly doesn’t hurt to work a little dark chocolate into your diet or your baked goods. These homemade granola bars are full of delicious flavor and have some pretty healthy ingredients like wheat germ, cherries, almonds and of course, dark chocolate. They couldn’t be easier – everything is made in one bowl…bonus! And they are the perfect 3:00 pm pick me up or little surprise snack in the kiddos’ lunch.

Homemade Granola Bars

Yield: 24 servings

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried sour cherries, chopped
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla.

3. Mix well using your hands, add in cherries, chocolate chips and almonds. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden around the edges. Cool on wire rack for about 30 minutes before cutting. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting because they will crumble.

Notes:

- Store granola bars is airtight container for up to three days.
- Recipe adapted from allrecipes.

All images and text © for My Baking Addiction

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Every once in a while I come across a recipe that stops me in my tracks and forces me to put all of the other “must make” recipes aside. Earlier in the week I came across a Facebook post from Fine Cooking that mentioned Honey Nut Bars.

In my opinion, honey and nuts go together like peanut butter and jelly and cookies and milk, so this recipe pretty much superceded everything else on my agenda. It’s also the combination of one of my favorite cereals. I’m kind of a cereal addict, but that’s a subject for another post, another time – maybe.

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], "recipeInstructions": [ "Make the crust:1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. Be sure to leave a a bit of foil extending on the shorter sides of the pan, the foil will act as “handles” when you remove the finished bars from the pan.2. In a food processor, finely grind the almonds and sugar. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until it's the size of small peas, 5 to 6 one-second pulses. Add the egg and pulse just until the dough begins to gather into large clumps.3. Using your fingertips, press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan and about 1 inch up the sides to form a 1/4-inch-thick side crust. Using the tines of a fork, dock the crust evenly all over.4. Bake until light golden brown on the edges and the center looks dry, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool the crust on a rack.Make the topping:1. Bring the sugar, butter, honey, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often. Slowly and carefully add the cream and return to a boil. Remove from the heat and carefully add the vanilla and nuts, stirring to coat.2. Pour the nut mixture over the crust and spread evenly with a spatula. Tilt the pan to help spread the liquid to the edges and corners. Bake until the topping has just started to bubble slowly in the center, about 20 minutes.3. Use the foil “handles” to remove the bars from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.4. Place bars onto a cutting board and cut into 16 bars with a sharp knife. Take care to peel the foil away from the bars before serving." ] }

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