Cadbury Mini Egg Cookie Bars
Soft, chewy cookie bars packed with Cadbury Mini Eggs and chocolate chips, topped with pastel frosting for an easy Easter dessert that looks special but is simple to make.
Ingredients
For The Bars
- 2 cups Cadbury Mini Eggs chocolate candies roughly chopped, or half M&Ms for the dough
- 3/4 cup butter salted, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips semi-sweet
For The Frosting
- 3/4 cup butter salted, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar also called confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk room temperature
- 2 drops food coloring pink, blue or another pastel color
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder optional decoration, unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon warm water optional decoration
Instructions
Making And Baking The Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper (or foil sprayed with cooking spray). Set aside.
- Roughly chop the Cadbury Mini Eggs and set aside. It’s easiest to crush them slightly with the side of a wide chef’s knife.2 cups Cadbury Mini Eggs chocolate candies
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Mix on medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, then mix again on medium until combined.3/4 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup white sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a second bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a spatula until just combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on medium with an electric mixer until a dough forms.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Mix the chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped Cadbury Mini Eggs into the dough on low speed until just combined. Set the remaining 1 cup chopped mini eggs aside. Add the cookie dough to the pan and spread evenly with a spatula.1 cup chocolate chips
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 21–24 minutes, until the edges are light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the cookie bars cool completely in the pan before lifting out using the parchment paper or frosting.
Making The Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing on low then medium between each addition with an electric mixer. Mix for 2–3 minutes total, until light in color and fluffy.3/4 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar
- Add the vanilla and milk, then mix with an electric mixer until creamy. The frosting should spread easily with a knife and be smooth and creamy.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons milk
- Add a few drops of food coloring at a time and blend until you reach your desired color.2 drops food coloring
Decorating The Cookie Bars
- Spread the frosting evenly over the cookie bars with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mini Cadbury Eggs over the top.
- (Optional) In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water and cocoa powder, then set aside. This gives the frosting a “speckled egg” look like Cadbury Mini Eggs.1 teaspoon cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon warm water
- (Optional) Dip the end of a dry pastry or silicone brush into the cocoa mixture. Hold over the frosting, pull back the bristles, and release to speckle the frosting and candies. Repeat until decorated to your liking.
- Slice the cookie bars, serve, and enjoy. See notes for tips on cutting clean slices.
Notes
If the frosting isn't quite creamy enough, you can add milk a tablespoon at a time until it feels creamy. Usually 1-2 tablespoons does the trick. If the frosting becomes too thin, add more powdered sugar a half cup at a time until the frosting is the right level of creamy.
You can also mix and match half M&M candies with the eggs, which I did because I already had M&Ms in the house. I put the M&Ms in the dough, and used the candy eggs to decorate the top of the bars.
Chilling the bars in the refrigerator before slicing for at least 30 minutes but up to overnight can help to firm up the bars so both the bar and the frosting slices cleanly.
Using a large serrated bread knife or a large chef's knife can help you to cut the bars cleanly and evenly. Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan, then firmly push the knife directly down where you want to slice. Pull up on the knife, wipe the knife clean if necessary, reposition and then use the same downward motion.
Dragging the knife through the bars, especially a small knife like a steak knife, can cause you to have slices that are a little more ragged. They will still taste delicious, but may not be cut as cleanly.
Found on: onmykidsplate.com/mini-egg-cookie-bars/