Graduation Cookie Bars White Chocolate (Printable)

Chewy cookie bars with chocolate chips, candy-coated chocolates, and white chocolate drizzle.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
05 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Mix-ins and Toppings

09 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 - 1/2 cup colored candy-coated chocolates
11 - 4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
12 - 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
13 - Colored sprinkles for decoration, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing edges to overhang for convenient removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until thoroughly combined.
04 - Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture until just incorporated. Avoid overmixing.
05 - Stir in chocolate chips and colored candy-coated chocolates until evenly distributed.
06 - Spread dough evenly into prepared baking pan.
07 - Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean.
08 - Allow bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
09 - Melt white chocolate with vegetable oil in a microwave-safe bowl using 20-second increments, stirring until smooth.
10 - Drizzle melted white chocolate over cooled bars using a spoon or piping bag. Add sprinkles if desired.
11 - Allow drizzle to set completely before lifting bars from pan and cutting into 16 squares.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They come together in under an hour, which means you can make them the morning of without stress.
  • The candy-coated chocolates let you sneak in school colors or team pride without any fussing around.
  • Everyone eats them, from the five-year-olds to the grandparents pretending they're only having one piece.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step—cutting warm bars will make them crumble, which looks sad even if it tastes fine.
  • White chocolate seizes instantly if it touches water, so keep your bowl and spoon completely dry when melting it.
03 -
  • Brown the butter before cooling it slightly if you want an extra nutty depth that will make people ask what your secret ingredient is.
  • Press a few extra colored candies on top of the bars while the white chocolate drizzle is still soft—they'll stick and look intentional.
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