Decadent Swiss Miss Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars: Your Favorite Hot Cocoa in a Chewy Treat

Imagine the cozy comfort of a warm cup of hot cocoa, now transformed into an irresistible, chewy cookie bar. These **Swiss Miss Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars** are a dream come true for hot chocolate lovers! Crafted with genuine hot cocoa mix, soft mini marshmallows, and rich chocolate chips, this unique **cookie bar recipe** delivers a delightful flavor that perfectly captures the essence of your favorite winter beverage. They’re soft, gooey, and packed with that nostalgic hot chocolate taste, making them an instant family favorite.

Why You’ll Adore These Hot Cocoa Cookie Bars

There are countless reasons why these incredible hot cocoa-infused cookie bars will become a staple in your baking repertoire. They’re not just delicious; they’re also incredibly convenient and fun to make!

• Effortless Preparation – No Individual Scooping Required! While we cherish classic cookies, the task of scooping out individual portions and rotating multiple baking sheets can be time-consuming. Cookie bars simplify the process immensely. Simply press all the dough evenly into a single baking pan and bake it all at once. This saves valuable time and makes cleanup a breeze, perfect for busy bakers or when you need a quick dessert for a crowd.
• Utilize Everyday Kitchen Staples. You won’t need to embark on a scavenger hunt for exotic ingredients to create these delightful treats. This recipe relies on common pantry items that you likely already have on hand, minimizing your grocery list and making it an accessible baking project whenever a craving strikes. It’s surprising how much flavor can come from such basic components!
• Instant Gratification – No Chilling Necessary! Forget about recipes that demand hours of dough chilling before baking. Our Swiss Miss cookie bars allow you to go straight from mixing bowl to oven, requiring absolutely no waiting time. This means you can whip up a batch on a whim and be enjoying warm, fresh cookie bars in under an hour. Perfect for spontaneous dessert cravings or last-minute potlucks.
• A Guaranteed Crowd-Pleaser. The comforting and familiar flavors of hot cocoa combined with the universal appeal of chocolate chip cookies make these bars a hit with all ages. Whether you’re serving them at a party, a school event, or just as a special treat for your family, expect rave reviews and requests for the recipe. They’re truly a dessert that brings smiles.
• Perfectly Portable. Unlike delicate cookies, these sturdy cookie bars are ideal for transport. Once cooled and cut, they hold their shape beautifully, making them excellent for lunchboxes, picnics, or gifting to friends and neighbors. Their resilience ensures they arrive at their destination looking as good as they taste.

Expert Tips for Baking the Best Hot Cocoa Cookie Bars

Achieving perfectly soft, chewy, and flavorful cookie bars is simple with these essential tips. Follow these guidelines to ensure your Swiss Miss Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars turn out wonderfully every time:

• Thoroughly Cream Wet Ingredients. Don’t rush this crucial first step! Take an extra few minutes, as indicated in the recipe, to cream together the butter, sugar, and eggs until they are light and fluffy. This process incorporates air into the mixture, resulting in a lighter, more tender crumb and significantly improving the overall texture and consistency of your cookie bars.
• Avoid Overmixing Dry Ingredients. Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix them just until they are fully incorporated. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tough, dense cookie bars rather than the desired soft and chewy texture. Stop mixing as soon as no streaks of dry flour remain.
• Always Preheat Your Oven. Baking success starts with a properly preheated oven. Placing your cookie bar dough into an oven that hasn’t reached the correct temperature can lead to uneven baking and a less-than-ideal texture. A hot oven ensures the bars start baking immediately, rising correctly and achieving that perfect golden-brown edge.
• Embrace Parchment Paper for Easy Removal. This is a game-changer for cookie bars! Lining your 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides, makes removing the entire slab of cookie bars incredibly simple. Once baked and cooled, you can lift them right out of the pan, making slicing effortless and neat.
• Do Not Overbake! This is perhaps the most important tip for achieving soft, chewy cookie bars. Keep a close eye on your oven, and remove the bars as soon as the edges begin to turn a light golden brown. The center might still look slightly soft, but they will continue to set as they cool. Overbaking, even by a minute or two, can quickly lead to dry and hard bars. When in doubt, it’s always better to slightly underbake for a chewier result.
• Cool Completely Before Cutting. Patience is a virtue when it comes to cutting perfect cookie bars. Allowing them to cool completely in the pan ensures they firm up properly, preventing crumbling and mess when you slice them. For best results, let them cool at room temperature, or even pop them in the refrigerator for a bit to speed up the process and achieve cleaner cuts.

Key Ingredients for Your Hot Cocoa Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Creating these delightful Swiss Miss Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars requires a simple list of ingredients, each playing a vital role in achieving their irresistible hot cocoa flavor and perfectly chewy texture. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need:

• All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our cookie bars. Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly to provide structure. While cake flour can also be used for an even softer crumb, all-purpose flour offers a fantastic balance of chewiness and tenderness.
• Baking Powder: Our essential leavening agent! Baking powder helps the cookie bars rise and become tender. Always ensure your baking powder is fresh and active for the best results; expired powder won’t give your bars the lift they need.
• Salt: Just half a teaspoon of salt is enough to enhance all the other sweet flavors in the recipe. It balances the sweetness of the sugar and chocolate, making the overall taste more complex and satisfying.
• Unsalted Butter: You’ll need 1½ sticks (or ¾ cup) of softened, real butter. Softened butter creams beautifully with sugar, creating a light and airy base for the dough. Using real butter is crucial for the rich flavor and proper texture of these bars. Make sure it’s at room temperature for optimal creaming.
• Brown Sugar: This provides moisture and contributes to the chewy texture and a subtle caramel note. For the best gooey results, ensure your brown sugar is fresh, soft, and moist. If it’s hardened, a quick trick is to place it in a microwave-safe bowl with a damp paper towel and microwave for 10-20 seconds until soft.
• Large Eggs: Two large eggs act as a binder, holding all the ingredients together and adding richness to the dough. They also contribute to the bar’s overall structure and moisture.
• Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Mix: The star ingredient that gives these bars their signature hot cocoa flavor! You’ll use 4 individual packets of Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Mix, or approximately 2/3 cup if you’re using a large canister. Feel free to experiment with different varieties or flavors of hot cocoa mix for unique twists!
• Mini Marshmallows: You can’t have hot chocolate without marshmallows! These mini marshmallows melt slightly during baking, creating gooey pockets of sweetness throughout the bars. If you prefer, dehydrated marshmallows can be used, but note that they won’t yield quite the same level of gooeyness.
• Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: While regular-sized chocolate chips certainly work, mini chips distribute more evenly throughout the dough, ensuring a chocolatey bite in every square. Don’t hesitate to customize! Mint chips, white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chunks, or even a mix of different chocolates can be fantastic variations.

How to Create These Delightful Swiss Miss Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ready to bake a batch of pure comfort? Follow these straightforward steps to create your own irresistible Swiss Miss Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:

1. Preheat Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures your bars bake evenly from the moment they enter the oven.
2. Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and eggs for at least 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined. This step is crucial for the bar’s texture.
3. Incorporate Hot Cocoa: Add the Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Mix to the creamed butter mixture and continue to mix until it’s fully incorporated, distributing that rich chocolatey flavor throughout.
4. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This ensures the leavening agent is evenly distributed.
5. Mix Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry flour mixture into the wet butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until everything is combined and no dry streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
6. Fold in Add-ins: Gently fold in the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and mini marshmallows using a spatula. Distribute them evenly throughout the dough.
7. Prepare Baking Pan: Lightly spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the longer sides. This will make removal and cutting much easier.
8. Spread Dough: Carefully drop the cookie dough into the prepared baking pan. Using a spatula or your hands (lightly floured if sticky), gently spread the dough evenly to fill the entire pan.
9. Bake: Bake the cookie bars in your preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remember, the center might look slightly undercooked, but they will continue to set as they cool.
10. Cool Completely: Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cookie bars to cool completely on a wire rack before attempting to cut them into squares. This ensures they firm up and prevents them from crumbling.

Swiss Miss Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Soft and chewy cookie bars made with hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, and chocolate chips, tasting just like a warm cup of hot chocolate!

Course: Cookie Bars

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Swiss Miss Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Hot Cocoa Cookie Bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 20 servings

Calories: 211 kcal per serving

Author: Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup butter, softened (1 ½ sticks)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 4 packets Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Mix OR 2/3 cup of hot cocoa mix
• ¾ cup mini marshmallows
• ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and eggs for at least 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate Mix and mix until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix just until well combined, being careful not to overmix.
5. Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips and mini marshmallows using a spatula.
6. Lightly spray a 9×13 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Drop the dough onto the baking sheet and spread it evenly to fill the entire pan.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan before cutting them into squares.

Notes

Ingredient Note: For an extra gooey texture, stick with mini marshmallows. You can use dehydrated marshmallows, but the cookie bars won’t be quite as soft and gooey. Experiment with different hot cocoa flavors for a personalized touch!

Storage: Store these delicious cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the refrigerator for up to five days for extended freshness. They also freeze well for longer storage.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

Mastering the Art of Cutting Perfect Cookie Bars

Have you ever found yourself frustrated, trying to extract the first few pieces from a freshly baked pan of brownies or cookie bars, only to have them crumble or lose their shape? It’s a common baking dilemma! The secret to achieving perfectly cut, uniform cookie bars every single time lies in a simple kitchen staple: parchment paper.

By lining your 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the edges to extend slightly over the sides, you create a convenient “sling.” Once your Swiss Miss Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars have fully cooled (this step is non-negotiable for clean cuts!), you can simply lift the entire baked slab out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang. This allows you to place the whole block onto a cutting board, where you can easily slice it into neat, precise squares without any hassle or damage to the first row. It’s an invaluable trick that will elevate your baking presentation.

If you don’t have parchment paper on hand, don’t worry! You can still bake these delicious bars by greasing your pan as usual. Just be prepared that your first few cuts might not be quite as picture-perfect. Thankfully, these hot cocoa cookie bars are quite forgiving and tend to hold their shape better than many other delicate desserts, making them one of the easier recipes to master when it comes to cutting.

How Long Do Hot Cocoa Cookie Bars Stay Fresh?

These delightful Swiss Miss Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are so good, they might not last long! However, if you manage to have some leftovers, proper storage will keep them fresh and delicious for several days. Once completely cooled, store the cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. This method preserves their soft, chewy texture perfectly. If you live in a particularly warm or humid climate, or simply prefer them chilled, you can also store them in the refrigerator for up to five days. Just be sure to bring them back to room temperature or warm them slightly before serving for the best flavor and texture. For longer storage, these bars also freeze exceptionally well in an airtight container for up to 2-3 months. Simply thaw at room temperature when you’re ready to enjoy a sweet treat!

Discover More Irresistible Cookie Bar Recipes

If you’ve fallen in love with the convenience and deliciousness of these Swiss Miss Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, you’re in for a treat! Cookie bars are an incredibly versatile dessert, offering all the joy of cookies with less fuss. Explore some of our other fantastic cookie bar recipes that are sure to become new favorites:

• PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE BARS
• PUMPKIN SNICKERDOODLE COOKIE BARS
• BUTTERFINGER COOKIE BARS
• FUDGY OATMEAL COOKIE BARS
• TAGALONG COOKIE BARS
• OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS
• MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS
• SNICKERDOODLE COOKIE BARS
• SUGAR COOKIE BARS
• CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIE BARS
• LEMON SUGAR COOKIE BARS
• PEPPERMINT COOKIE BARS
• S’MORES COOKIE BARS

These **Swiss Miss Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars** truly offer the best of both worlds: the comforting warmth of hot cocoa and the chewy satisfaction of a classic chocolate chip cookie. Loaded with hot cocoa mix, soft marshmallows, and delightful chocolate chips, they’re a simple yet extraordinary dessert that will evoke sweet memories and create new ones. Prepare a batch today and savor the unique flavor experience!

On a more personal note, my oldest daughter has always been an exceptionally artistic and creative soul. Even from a very young age, her drawing skills were remarkable, and she consistently possessed that innate “artist’s eye.” Her talents span across various mediums, from intricate paintings and detailed sketches to skilled sewing projects – she genuinely excels at them all. It’s quite a mystery where she inherited such gifts, as both her father and I would be hard-pressed to draw even a passable stick figure! Over the past couple of years, she has independently delved into the world of digital art, teaching herself to master various software programs to create stunning digital images and photographs. She created a beautiful digital portrait of us a couple of years ago, and it remains one of my most cherished possessions.

Having her around the house is an absolute joy. Anytime I need a beautifully addressed card, a custom-designed gift tag, or anything that requires a touch of elegant aesthetics, she’s my go-to person. Her creative flair and willingness to help are simply amazing. It’s wonderful to see her passions grow and develop, bringing so much beauty and unique artistry into our lives and this baking journey. I’m truly grateful for her talent and the special bond we share, often over a fresh batch of these very cookie bars!