S'mores are a campfire treat enjoyed in the summer and fall in North America. There are three key ingredients to perfect s'mores: graham crackers, chocolate (traditionally Hershey's milk chocolate), and marshmallows (preferably toasted).

To make s'mores, you need a campfire, which most of us city people don't have access to (and in my case, it's actually illegal to build a fire in the city). So this version of the classic dessert is s'mores for city people, in bar form, for people like me who don't have access to a campfire. Another s'mores-inspired dessert are these no-bake milk chocolate pots de crème which are topped with toasted marshmallows and graham cracker crumble.

I used to make these with a baked graham cracker crust, but the base was not super sturdy. So I've updated this recipe and switched the base to very sturdy, soft and chewy graham cracker blondies (which are blondie bars made with graham cracker crumbs and brown butter). The resulting s'mores bars are easier to serve and less messy (though it's still a pain to slice through the marshmallow layer if we are being honest. C'est la vie!

Ingredients

The beauty of making s'mores indoors is that you need the same basic ingredients with a few extras to make the s'mores bars more sturdy. Here's what you need:

• butter—the graham crackers blondie base for these s'mores is made with browned butter to enhance the nutty, buttery flavour of the graham cracker layer. The brown butter was enhanced with milk powder to increase flavour
• sugar—use dark brown sugar if you can to create a more flavourful base to go with the milk chocolate and toasted marshmallows, but any sugar will work (granulated or light brown)
• egg—use large eggs. I added an egg to the base to ensure that these bars are sturdy and hold together well, unlike a graham cracker crust that can be more crumbly
• flour—another key ingredient to help the base hold together, use either all-purpose or whole wheat (which would enhance the flavour of the graham cracker layer in these s'mores)
• Graham cracker crumbs—either store-bought crumbs or grind your own in a food processor. You can also use homemade graham crackers if you prefer!
• leavening—a little baking powder added to the dry ingredients opens the crumb of the blondies so that the graham cracker base is not so dense
• vanilla—I bake with real vanilla extract (from Costco or homemade vanilla)
• salt—the salt in the graham cracker cookie crust is very important to balance out the sweetness of s'mores. I use Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt. If using table salt, add half the amount to avoid the bars being too salty.
• chocolate—for the sake of nostalgia and tradition, I used classic milk chocolate Hershey's chocolate bars for the chocolate layer. For a more sophisticated dessert, try Alunga milk chocolate by Cacao Barry, which is a dark milk chocolate and less sweet.
• marshmallows—I used mini marshmallows for a thinner marshmallow layer. Just enough to toast and add flavour without overwhelming the other components of the s'mores. Use more or less depending on how you like your s'mores

Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and substitutions.

Substitutions And Variations

• chocolate—I used Hershey's milk chocolate, which is what I would use for s'mores outdoors with a campfire. You could replace it with dark chocolate or white chocolate if you prefer. Dark chocolate would be a nice contrast to the sweet marshmallows!
• graham cracker crumb crust—I opted for a graham cracker blondie base, but I've also tested a baked graham cracker crust (with graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter and salt). Make sure to bake the crust so it's more sturdy, but also because you need the residual heat of the base to melt the chocolate. You could replace the graham cracker crumbs with crushed speculoos cookies, chocolate wafer crumbs, or even ground social tea biscuits.
• marshmallows—some people like to use colourful marshmallows in their s'mores. I would not go this route, but to each his own! If you have access to a fancy candy maker who makes gourmet flavoured marshmallows (like maple marshmallows, cinnamon marshmallows, or coconut marshmallows!), I'd definitely opt for those in this dessert!

How To Make S'mores Without A Campfire

Step 1—Start by whisking the dry ingredients in a small bowl (image 1) to ensure they are well mixed. Then, mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl (image 2) until smooth (image 3).

Step 2—Pour the dry ingredients on top of the wet ingredients, switching to a wooden spoon (image 4) and stir them together (image 5) until you have a clumpy cookie dough that is very thick (image 6).

Step 3—Transfer the dough for the graham cracker blondies to a prepared brownie pan (image 7) and spread it out into an even, smooth layer (image 8). Bake until set and the edges are golden brown (image 9).

Step 4—Take the graham cracker blondie bars out of the oven and place them on a cooling rack, then layer the chocolate on top of the hot base to create an even layer (image 10). After a couple of minutes, use a mini offset to smear the chocolate and smooth it out (image 11). Scatter the mini marshmallows over the melted chocolate when it is still warm to anchor them in place (image 12).

Step 5—When the bars have cooled completely and the chocolate has set, unmould the bars, removing the parchment paper. Set the bars on a board and use a kitchen torch to toast the surface of the marshmallows (image 13) to your liking. I like mine quite well done, as you can see, but I leave some that are less toasted (image 14).

Tip: Unmould the bars from the pan and remove any parchment paper if you used it to avoid setting the paper on fire. Keep the torch moving constantly at a distance from the marshmallows to toast them more evenly.

Top Baked S'mores Tips

If you don't have a kitchen torch, you can broil the tops of the marshmallows instead. If you choose this option, do not line the pan with parchment paper that overhangs. Instead, just line the bottom. Otherwise, the paper will catch fire under the broiler.

Make sure that your pan is heat-safe at 500 °F if you decide to use the broiler to toast the marshmallows, or else you may damage your pan. Some non-stick pans (like the OXO pan I use) are not safe at such a high temperature. If you are unsure, heat the bars at a lower temperature for longer to brown the marshmallows.

Cutting the bars is tricky because of the marshmallows, which are very sticky. I like to warm the knife up under hot water, pat it dry, and then brush it with a very thin layer of neutral oil (like canola oil) to prevent the mini marshmallows from sticking to the blade. Clean the blade if anything sticks (use hot water, and again, oil the blade after wiping dry). If any mini marshmallows stick to the blade, simply return them to their original position. All you can do is do your best to make it work!

Other Summer Baking Recipes

S'mores are a classic summertime treat and fairly easy to make, even if you don't have a campfire! Here are a few other desserts to try:

• raspberry shortcake
• ice cream strawberry shortcake
• fruit tart
• strawberry cream tart

If you tried this recipe for the best s'mores bars(or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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S'mores Bars

Learn how to make the best s'mores bars with this easy recipe: graham cracker blondies with milk chocolate and toasted mini marshmallows on top. These are s'mores for city people without a campfire!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Calories 208kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• OXO balloon whisk
• 9x9-inch pan
• Kitchen torch

Ingredients

• 150 grams graham cracker crumbs
• 65 grams bleached all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
• 2.5 mL baking powder
• 1.25 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
• 85 grams browned butter cooled, made from 80 grams unsalted butter browned with 15 grams of milk powder
• 100 grams dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg(s)
• 5 mL pure vanilla extract
• 225 grams Hershey’s milk chocolate bars broken into squares
• 100 grams mini marshmallows more or less

Metric - US

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Line a square 9x9 pan with parchment paper with overhangs. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whick together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powdr, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the cooled browned butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.
• Pour the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and stir them together until a cookie dough forms.
• Transfer the graham cracker cookie dough to the prepared pan and press it out evenly until smoothed out from edge to edge.
• Bake until set and the edges begin to brown (about 20 minutes).
• Take the pan out of the oven and set it on a cooling rack. Carefully place the pieces of chocolate over the hot blondies, scaterring them across in an even layer. Let them sit for a few minutes, then use an offset spatula to smear the chocolate across the entire surface of the blondies.
• Scatter the marshmallows over the melted chocolate in an even layer.
• Let the bars cool completely then unmould them from the pan, removing the pachment paper and setting them on a cutting board.
• Use a kitchen torch to toast the tops of the marshmallows as much or as little as you like.
• Use an oiled knife to cut into 16 equal squares.

Notes

• To make the brown butter for this recipe, I melted and browned 80 grams (⅓ cup) of unsalted butter in a small saucepan, then stirred in 15 grams (0.5 ounce) of non fat milk powder and continued stirring the mixture on low heat until the milk powder browns too. Then I let it cool slightly in my mixing bowl before adding the egg so it doesn't cook.
• For the sugar in the blondie bars, you can use any brown sugar (light or dark). I chose dark brown sugar to maximize the flavour
• For the graham cracker crumbs, you can use store-bought or homemade, or replace them with ground speculoos cookies or Teddy Grahams, or even chocolate wafer crumbs (for a different flavour).
• I bake with Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt. If using table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty. 
• For the chocolate, I went with the classic Hershey's milk chocolate bars, like I would use in campfire s'mores. You could replace it with dark milk chocolate (like Alunga by Cacao Barry) or if you prefer dark chocolate or white chocolate for a different take on this dessert.
• You can also make these s'mores bars with a baked graham cracker crust. 
• If you don't have a blow torch for the marshmallow layer, you can set your oven to broil and brown the marshmallows this way. If you opt for this method, be sure that your bakeware is oven safe at a high temperature (500 °F) and also, when you line the pan with parchment paper, do not use a parchment overhang because it will burn in the oven. Just line the bottom of the pan in this case.

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 140mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 148IU | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Easy S'mores Bars (Without A Campfire) appeared first on The Bake School.

Ingredients

This recipe has a couple more ingredients than the Classic Rice Krispies treats recipe to create a more complex flavour that even adults will love. Here's what you need:

• butter—I like to make Rice Krispies treats with salted butter, but unsalted will also work
• milk powder—it's optional, but powdered milk enhances the flavour of the butter creating a more flavourful brown butter. I used fat-free milk powder for this recipe
• vanilla—use pure vanilla extract for a more refined complex flavour
• salt—I use Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using table salt, add half the amount
• marshmallows—I prefer to use mini marshmallows because I find they melt more easily and faster without overheating them.
• puffed rice cereal—I prefer to use name-brand Rice Krispies, but honestly any brand will work.

Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

Instructions

These puffed rice bars are so easy to make! If you've never made it, please read about how to make brown butter before attempting this recipe. Here's how you make perfect Rice Krispie treats every time:

Step 1—Place the butter in a large saucepan (image 1) and melt it on medium heat, continuing to cook it until the milk solids begin to turn golden brown (image 2). The butter will smell nutty at this stage.

Step 2—Add the milk powder (image 3) and continue cooking the mixture on low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a golden brown colour (image 4).

Step 3—Take the pan off the heat and add the vanilla and salt (image 5) and then the marshmallows (image 6). Stir the marshmallows in, which will gradually melt (image 7). Continue stirring until the melted marshmallow and butter mixture is fairly uniform and smooth (image 8).

Tip: it's very important not to overheat the mixture once you've added the marshmallows. If you overcook them, they will become crunchy and hard, making the Rice Krispies treats hard to bite through.

Step 4—Place the puffed rice cereal in a large bowl (image 9) and add the melted marshmallow mixture (image 10). Stir everything together with a spatula, gently, until combined and evenly mixed (image 11). Fold everything together being sure to lift the Rice Krispies from the bottom of the bowl to the top to ensure they are all coated in marshmallow.

Step 5—Transfer the mixture to a square pan lined with parchment paper (image 12). Press the mixture lightly to even it out from edge to edge (image 13). Let the pan sit for one hour at room temperature until firm (image 14).

Step 6—Lift the Rice Krispie treats out of the pan and set them down on a cutting board to cut them into 16 equal squares (image 16).

Hint: Use a ruler or measuring tape to cut the pan of bars into equal squares after unmoulding them from the pan.

Storage

Store homemade Rice Krispies treats in an airtight container in a cool dry place.

The Secret To Gooey Rice Krispies Treats

If you want soft, chewy, gooey Rice Krispies Treats, turn off the heat of the stove and melt the marshmallows off the heat, using only the residual heat of the pan of melted (browned) butter. This residual heat is sufficient to melt all the marshmallows without overcooking them.

Overcooked marshmallows cause crunchy, overly hard Rice Krispies treats that are hard to bite and chew. This can happen if you keep the pan on the stove and continue to heat the mixture of marshmallows and butter (or heat them too high) which creates a more crunchy, brittle marshmallow texture that isn't very pleasant to bite.

Related

If you'd like to see more gluten-free desserts, try these:

If you tried this recipe for salted brown butter Rice Krispies treats (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats

Learn how to make perfect Rice Krispies treats with this easy recipe. These gluten-free puffed rice bars are made with flavourful salted brown butter and marshmallows for the ultimate nostalgic treat that adults and kids enjoy!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Set time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 16 bars

Calories 156kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• 8x8-inch pan
• GIR spatula

Ingredients

• 115 grams salted butter
• 25 grams nonfat dry milk powder
• 5 mL pure vanilla extract
• 1.25 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
• 300 grams mini marshmallows
• 160 grams puffed rice cereal I like Kellog's Rice Krispies

Metric - US

Instructions

• Prepare a square 8x8-inch (20x20-cm) pan by lining it with parchment paper in both directions, creating overhangs. You can clip them in place with small binder clips. You can also lightly butter the parchment paper to ensure no sticking. Set aside.
• Place the butter in large saucepan and heat it on medium to melt it and then brown the milk solids.
• Add the milk powder to the browned butter and continue heating on low heat stirring constantly until the additional milk powder turns golden brown.
• Take the pan off the heat and add vanilla, salt, and marshmallows. Stir to melt the marshmallows completely, creating a smooth, even mixture.
• Pour the marshmallow mixture over the Rice Krispies in a very large mixing bowl and fold everything together to combine as evenly as possible. You want all the cereal to be coated in melted marshmallow.
• Immediately transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press it down from edge to edge to even it out and smooth it out a little. You can do this with the palm of your hand and a piece of parchment or leftover butter wrapper (the marshmallow sticks to the paper a bit, but it's not too bad).
• Let sit for 1 hour to firm up before unmoulding onto a cutting board and cutting into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

• There are a few ways to modify this recipe:
  • Add nut butter: replace half the butter with ½ cup of smooth peanut butter to create peanut butter Rice Krispie treats, adding it after the butter has browned to melt it in.
  • Change the cereal: replace puffed rice with the same weight of puffed wheat or your favourite puffed cereal (like Corn Puffs)
  • Add chocolate: you can fold chocolate chips or chopped Mini Eggs at the end before transferring the mixture to the pan to create Easter Rice Krispies treats
  • Add berries: fold in freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries before transferring to the pan to create berry Rice Krispies treats
  • If using regular table salt, add half the amount to avoid the treats being too salty.
• Use an 8x8x2-inch pan if you can - shorter pans don't necessarily have enough height to accommodate all the Rice Krispies treat mixture.
• This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
•  

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 214IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 0.3mg

The post Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats appeared first on The Bake School.

This recipe for lemon bars is different than most because you bake the crust separate from the filling, which contains no starches or flour and is cooked on the stove.

With this method and recipe, the thickened filling is much less likely to seep between the edge of the crust and the side of the pan. It makes it almost impossible for you to end up with upside-down lemon bars, which is a common problem with many recipes.

For this recipe, you need to know how to make lemon curd and shortbread cookies.

Cooking Lemon Bar Filling On The Stove

I much prefer this recipe and method for lemon bars where the filling is made from a lemon curd cooked on the stove, without thickeners because:

• the thickeners in lemon bar fillings mask the bright citrus flavour, mellowing it out or even muting it.
• the lemon filling without thickeners has a brighter, tart lemony flavour.
• the thickeners, especially flour, give the filling a whiter, more opaque appearance, which isn't as appealing for a lemon dessert.
• when lemon bar filling is baked on the crust, the liquid filling is poured over the shortbread base when it is very fluid and liquid, and this can lead to it seeping: the filling leaks under the crust. The lemon bar layers may end up reversed!
• the uncooked filling is whisked, which makes a foam that rises to the top of the bars as they bake, leading to a bubbly texture on top that has a white cast, so the lemon bars appear white, not yellow. Cooking the lemon filling on the stove eliminates the foam.

There are a couple of drawbacks to this method:

• there's a risk that the eggs cook to the point of being hard if you cook the filling on the stove. The hard cooked eggs are strained out then, which means there's a risk that the bars won't set properly.
• hard-cooked eggs can cause an eggy taste in the curd.

To avoid the eggs hard-cooking in the lemon filling, constant whisking is essential for a smooth, creamy, glossy result.

What You Need to Make Lemon Squares

• all-purpose flour for the crust to make a firm base for the lemon filling so that you can easily cut and serve them
• sugar—use granulated sugar (white sugar), not brown sugar because we don’t want the flavour of the sugar to mask the brightness of the lemon
• salt—I use Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt but table salt will work. Use half if you make this change.
• butter—preferably unsalted butter though salted butter could work, especially in the crust. Omit the salt from the recipe if using salted butter.
• lemon juice—I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice doesn’t have a great flavour and we want these bars to shine!
• egg yolks and eggs—use large eggs as recommended, otherwise your filling may not set properly and the texture may be affected.

Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

The base for these lemon squares is a shortbread cookie crust. You could also opt for a graham cracker crust, made from either store-bought or homemade graham crackers. I have a friend who actually makes the crust for her lemon squares using saltines (salted soda crackers) instead of graham crackers! There's room for creativity here.

How to Make Lemon Bars

To make lemon bars, there are 2 components: a base and a lemon filling. Once baked, the bars are cut into squares and dusted with powdered sugar.

For the base, you can easily fall back on the classic shortbread ingredient ratio of 1:2:3 of sugar/butter/flour, by weight. If you can remember some of the common baking ratios, you could make the base without a recipe! Baking ratios make it easy to scale up and down recipes. We assemble the crust in the food processor to make this recipe really easy.

Pre-cooking the lemon curd filling on the stove also means that you actually don't have to bake the bars a second time. The second baking step is actually optional but it can help the edges of the bars set more firmly, making it easier to separate them from the parchment paper when cutting.

Step 1—Mix the flour, sugar, and salt for the crust in the food processor (image 1) before adding the cold butter (cubed) (image 2). Pulse the mixture until it has the texture of fine, crumbly sand (image 3).

Step 2—Transfer the mixture to a square pan that has been buttered and lined with parchment paper (image 4) and spread it out evenly, pressing it into place with your hands or the flat bottom of a glass (image 5). Bake until set and golden brown (image 6).

Tip—Bake the crust to ensure the base is solid and has good flavour. Underbaked shortbread crust doesn’t taste good and may lead to a soggy bottom on these lemon bars.

Step 3—While the shortbread base is baking, heat the lemon juice with half the sugar in a saucepan on the stove (image 7) until very hot, while you whisk the eggs and yolks with the rest of the sugar (image 8). Whisk until lightened in colour and foamy (image 9) before pouring the hot lemon syrup over top (image 10). Whisk well.

Step 4—Transfer the lemon filling back to the saucepan (image 11) and cook until thick and bright yellow (image 12). Take the pan off the heat immediately.

Step 5—Slowly add the cubes of butter, whisking them in progressively (image 13), then strain the lemon filling (image 14) and pour it on the hot, freshly baked shortbread base (image 15). Immediately after pouring the filling, use a mini offset spatula to smooth it out.

Tip—To make lemon bars foolproof, I prefer to cook the lemon curd filling separate from the shortbread base, cooking it on the stove, just like for lemon curd, cooking it between 170 ºF and 180 °F or 77–82 ºC.

After pouring the lemon card over the base, you may want to bake the bars briefly in the oven because the heat of the oven can help smooth out the top just a little, creating a more smooth, even surface (see images below). This last step is entirely optional and the difference is subtle.

Tip: If you find that your bars sweat a little and have a thin layer of water on the surface after refrigerating, simply blot it with a paper towel gently. Do this right before dusting with powdered sugar and serving.

I used the same filling recipe to make this orange pie recipe, but instead of baking the curd in the pie shell, I added gelatin to help it set firm.

Top Tip For Baking With Lemon

With desserts made with lemon juice and citrus that tend to be particularly acidic, it’s important to use non-reactive bakeware. Use an OXO whisk that is made with high quality stainless steel, for example, and bake the bars in a glass square baking dish or a non-reactive metal pan (either made of anodized aluminum, aluminized steel, or a pan coated with a non-stick finish, like this one from USA pans). If you use a regular aluminum pan for this recipe, the edges of the filling may react with the metal, which will give the bars an unpleasant metallic taste.

Beware of vintage or antique metal brownie pans, which are most definitely made of reactive aluminum. They are great at conducting heat but they will impart a metallic flavour to baked goods like these!

Serving Suggestions

Store these lemon bars in the fridge and keep them refrigerated. Serve them cold. Usually, they aren’t served with ice cream or anything more than a dusting of powdered sugar, though a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream would be lovely to make these lemon squares into a plated dessert.

Lemon Bar Baking FAQs

Other Desserts With Lemon and Citrus

If you'd like to bake lemon cookies instead of bars, try these soft lemon crinkle cookies made with ricotta cheese, glazed lemon shortbread cookies, or these chewy lemon poppy seed cookies (a cream cheese cookie recipe flavoured with lemon zest and poppy seeds). Or take advantage of citrus season to make these other citrus dessert recipes:

If you tried this easy recipe for lemon bars (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Lemon Bars

Learn how to make lemon bars with this easy recipe, made from a shortbread cookie crust and lemon curd.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Chill time 8 hours hours

Total Time 9 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 16 squares

Calories 263kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• 8x8-inch pan
• Food processor
• OXO balloon whisk
• ChefAlarm thermometer

Ingredients

Shortbread cookie crust

• 156 grams bleached all-purpose flour
• 50 grams granulated sugar
• 1.25 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
• 115 grams unsalted butter cut into cubes, cold

Lemon curd filling

• 250 mL fresh lemon juice
• 300 grams granulated sugar
• 8 large egg yolk(s)
• 2 large egg(s)
• 115 grams unsalted butter cut into cubes, room temperature

Metric - US

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Butter and line an 8x8-inch (20x20 cm) with parchment paper, making sure that you leave overhangs on all sides. You can use metal binder clips to secure the parchment overhangs to the edge so that they stay upright and in place. Set aside.

Shortbread cookie crust

• In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Let it run so they are well mixed.
• Drop in the cubes of butter, and then pulse to form a coarse sandy mixture.
• Dump the mixture in the prepared pan and press it well into the corners and edges. You can use a flat-bottomed glass to even out the surface and to help you press down the crust firmly.
• Bake the crust on the middle rack for 20 to 30 minutes. The edges should be golden brown. If you like a blonder shortbread crust, bake it for 20 minutes, for a more caramelized cookie crust, bake it for 30 minutes.

Lemon curd filling

• While the crust is baking, cook the lemon curd filling.
• Prepare a fine-mesh sieve and place it over a 4-cup liquid measuring cup with a pouring spout or a bowl with a pouring spout. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the lemon juice with half the sugar. Heat it on medium–high.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, and the rest of the sugar until light in colour.
• When the lemon juice begins to steam and is almost simmering, turn the heat off, and pour it over the whisked eggs and sugar, while whisking. Combine everything together and when the filling is well mixed, transfer it back to the saucepan.
• Turn the stove back on to medium heat and whisking constantly, heat the filling until it's 77–82 °C (170–180 °F). The lemon curd should be thick, creamy and coat the back of the spoon.
• Immediately take the curd off the stove and incorporate the cubes of butter while still whisking.
• Once the butter has all been incorporated, pour the curd through the strainer into the measuring cup.
• When the crust has baked sufficiently, take it out of the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack.
• Pour the curd over the hot crust and smooth the surface with an offset spatula if needed. Make sure the curd covers the entire surface, from one edge of the pan to the other.
• Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes more. The edges of the curd will appear set but the centre will still be wobbly. Note that this baking step is optional but it can help the edges of the bars set more firmly, making it easier to separate them from the parchment paper when cutting.
• Set the pan on a wire rack to let it cool completely for a few hours. Once cooled to room temperature, chill in the fridge overnight. You may want to leave the pan unwrapped to avoid any condensation, but if any water forms on the surface of the lemon curd, you can easily blot it with a paper towel.
• Once chilled overnight, you can lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment overhangs. Carefully peel off the parchment from the edges of the bars, and place on a cutting board to cut into 16 equal bars. Decorate with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

• The base for these lemon squares is a shortbread cookie crust. You could also opt for a graham cracker crust, made from either store-bought or homemade graham crackers. I have a friend who actually makes the crust for her lemon squares using saltines (salted soda crackers) instead of graham crackers! There's room for creativity here.
• Please use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Do not use bottled lemon juice because the flavour isn't great.
• This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
• Use a hand-held probe thermometer or a hands-free model for fast temperature reading so you don't overcook the filling.

Nutrition

Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 520IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Easy Lemon Bars appeared first on The Bake School.

There was a scandal years ago when the New York Times shared a photo of Nanaimo bars, where the filling-to-crust-to-topping ratio was off, and Canadians let them know! My best Nanaimo bars recipe has roughly equal parts crust and filling with a thin, but not too thin chocolate layer on top. I hope my fellow Canadians will approve!

There are many variations for classic Nanaimo bars. If you'd like to try my favourite twist on this classic Canadian dessert, try these white chocolate Nanaimo bars which have a dark chocolate custard filling and a sweet graham cracker coconut base.

Ingredients

There are a few key ingredients that make Nanaimo bars standout. Here's what you need to make this recipe:

• dark chocolate—use good quality dark chocolate that you like to eat. Dark chocolate chips are fine, but I much prefer to use 70 % dark chocolate with a more complex flavour.
• butter—unsalted butter is preferable in this recipe because I find the crust can be too salty if you use salted butter
• graham cracker crumbs—you can either make your own crumbs from graham crackers or buy the crumbs.
• coconut—sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut work here, interchangeably
• nuts—I prefer walnuts in my Nanaimo bar crust recipe
• egg—I bake with large eggs and if you use a smaller (or bigger) egg, the crust may have a slightly different texture
• cocoa powder—I used Dutch-processed cocoa powder, specifically Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder which is a rich cocoa powder with a reddish tint (around 22 % fat)
• sugar—use icing sugar for the smoothest filling and granulated sugar for the base
• cream—you need to use milk or cream to create a smooth, spreadable filling. I prefer to use whipping cream (35 % fat)
• custard powder—I used Bird's custard powder
• vanilla—I used pure vanilla extract
• salt—most Nanaimo bars have no salt added. I like to add a very small amount of salt to the filling to help it pop. I use Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount because it's saltier.

Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

Instructions

There are three components to Nanaimo bars: a crust, a filling (sometimes called icing) and a chocolate topping. Here's what you need to do to make perfect Nanaimo bars

Step 1—Prepare the base for the Nanaimo bars by first melting the butter with cocoa powder (image 1) before stirring in the egg and vanilla off the heat (image 2). Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl or a food processor before mixing them into the saucepan (image 3). The crust mixture will form a somewhat greasy crumble (image 4).

Step 2—Line a metal 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang and transfer the crust mixture to the pan (image 5). Press it out using a flat-bottomed glass until smoothed out from edge to edge (image 6). Bake it until the crust is no longer glossy (image 7).

Note: I like to use metal binder clips to secure the parchment paper in place as the crust bakes. Do not use plastic as it may melt or break down.

Step 3—While the crust is cooling down, you can make the Nanaimo bar custard filling by first creaming the butter until smooth and creamy (image 8) then sift in the dry ingredients (image 9) and add the cream and vanilla (image 10), mixing everything together until smooth and thick (image 11).

Step 4—Spread the custard filling over the cooled crust using an offset spatula (image 12). Make the filling as smooth as possible (image 13). Freeze the bars at this stage to set the filling and to create a cold surface for the chocolate.

Note: Make sure the crust is completely cooled before topping with the custard icing. I like to pop the crust in the freezer before topping with the custard to ensure it is cold so the custard won't melt.

Step 5—Melt the butter with the dark chocolate over a double boiler (image 14), stirring until smooth and emulsified (image 15), then pour it over the chilled pan of bars and spread it with a mini offset spatula (image 16). You can use the offset spatula to make a swirly design on top if you'd like (image 17). Chill until almost completely set before scoring and cutting into squares.

Step 6—Use a ruler and a pastry cutter or a large chef's knife to score through the chocolate topping before cutting into squares (image 18; then, you can cut through the bars completely and cleanly along the score lines. Clean the bench scraper or knife with every cut to ensure you get clean layers. Run a thin knife along the edges to release the bars from the pan sides with no parchment paper.

Hint: Sometimes I am too lazy to unmould the bars before scoring, but as you can see, my squares are not as even as they could be. It's much easier to make even, clean cuts if you remove the bars from the pan using the parchment paper overhang, then place them on a cutting board to score and cut them evenly. Trust me!

If you tried this recipe for Nanaimo bars (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Nanaimo Bars

Learn how to make the classic Canadian Nanaimo bars with this easy recipe! These bars have a chocolate graham cracker and coconut crust with a sweet vanilla custard filling and dark chocolate topping.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Canadian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Chill time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 16 squares

Calories 346kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• 9x9-inch pan
• Food processor
• Mini offset

Ingredients

For the crust

• 115 grams unsalted butter melted
• 50 grams granulated sugar
• 30 grams Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder chopped
• 1 large egg(s)
• 5 mL pure vanilla extract
• 200 grams graham cracker crumbs
• 75 grams sweetened shredded coconut
• 60 grams walnuts chopped

For the vanilla custard Nanaimo bar filling

• 115 grams unsalted butter softened
• 250 grams icing sugar
• 30 tablespoon Bird's custard powder
• 45 mL whipping cream (35 % fat)
• 5 mL pure vanilla extract
• 1.25 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt

For the dark chocolate topping

• 175 grams dark chocolate (70 % cocoa content) chopped
• 15 grams unsalted butter

Metric - US

Instructions

For the chocolate graham cracker coconut crust

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175 °C). Prepare a 9×9-inch (23x23-cm) pan by lining it with parchment paper leaving an overhang. Use all-metal binder clips to secure in place if necessary or alternatively you can butter the pan to help keep the paper in place. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the cocoa powder, then the egg and vanilla
• Meanwhile in a medium bowl or in the bowl of the food processor, combine the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and walnuts. Stir in the melted butter mixture and mix to combine.
• Press the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and use a flat-bottomed glass to flatten the crust into an even layer.
• Bake the crust until it looks dry and no longer glosser (about 15 minutes). Place the pan on a wire rack to let the crust cool completely.

For the vanilla custard filling

• When the crust is cooled, make the vanilla custard filling by creaming the butter first before sifting in the icing sugar and custard powder. Add the cream and vanilla also.
• Beat the mixture until smooth and continue whipping for about 5 minutes. This will lead to a less powdery/grainy filling with a smoother texture. You can adjust the consistency of the filling with either more icing sugar (if it's too soft) or more cream (if it's too firm). The filling should be very thick.
• Spread the custard filling over the cold graham cracker crust. Place it in the refrigerator to set for at least 1 hour or in the freezer for 15 minutes.

For the dark chocolate layer

• When the filling is completely cold and firm, make the chocolate topping by melting together the dark chocolate with the butter over a pan of simmering water (double-boiler) or in the microwave. Make sure to stir often so nothing burns.
• Pour the melted chocolate over the filling and spread it out quickly with an offset spatula.
• Refrigerate the pan for about 15 minutes to partially set the chocolate, then with a sharp knife, cut through the white chocolate top layer into 16–25 squares to make cutting easier later on.
• Refrigerate for another hour or so, until the chocolate is completely hardened.
• Cut the squares along the score lines to serve. Wipe the knife between cuts for the cleanest edges.

Notes

• For the dark chocolate, I used Cacao Barry 70 % dark chocolate
• For the cocoa powder, I used Cacao Barry extra brute, which you can buy on Amazon
• For the graham cracker crumbs—you can replace the graham cracker crumbs with vanilla wafer crumbs or crumbs made from social tea biscuits. The flavour will be different but still pleasant. You can enhance the crust with a little cinnamon if using vanilla cookies instead to mimic the spices in graham crackers.
• For the custard powder—I always have a box of Bird's custard powder on hand for Nanaimo bars. If you can't find custard powder, your best bet would be to replace the custard powder with vanilla pudding mix. It's not quite the same as custard powder has egg in it, but it's close enough!
• For the nuts—I used walnuts for the crust, but you can use any nuts. Pistachios, almonds, or pecans would be really lovely (though more expensive). Make sure to chop them finely.
• This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
• I cut my pan of Nanaimo bars into 16 big squares, but sometimes I cut the squares into 32 bars, or even 64 bite-size squares. It's up to you how big or how small you make them. 
• Mint Nanaimo bars—for mint Nanaimo bars, replace the vanilla in the filling with up to 10 mL (2 teaspoons) of mint or peppermint extract. You may also want to skip the custard powder for this variation. Up to you! Some will also add green food colouring the the mint filling, but I do not.
• Chocolate Nanaimo bars—for an all-chocolate version, use the dark chocolate custard filling from the reversed Nanaimo bars with the chocolate base and dark chocolate topping below.
• For a nut-free version—replace the nuts with extra coconut or incorporate pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds in their place. Use the same volume.

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 457IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Nanaimo Bars appeared first on The Bake School.

A typical Canadian Nanaimo bar is made up of a dark chocolate/graham cracker crumb/coconut/walnut crust with a sweet, thick vanilla custard filling and a dark chocolate top. The reversed Nanaimo bars are kind of opposite to that, so a white chocolate/graham/coconut/almond crust with a deep dark chocolate custard filling and a white chocolate top.

Honestly, I think I like the reversed Nanaimo bar variation better than the original. It's still got the flavours of the classic Canadian dessert but somehow this version seems less sweet! Try them and let me know what you think?

Ingredients

Just like the classic Canadian Nanaimo bars, these white chocolate Nanaimo bars are made from simple ingredients that you likely have on hand. Here's what you need to make these:

• white chocolate—use good quality white chocolate that you like to eat. White chocolate chips are actually not chocolate, so I prefer to use real white chocolate made with cocoa butter
• butter—unsalted butter is preferable in this recipe because I find the crust can be too salty if you use salted butter
• graham cracker crumbs—you can either make your own crumbs from graham crackers or buy the crumbs
• coconut—sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut work here, interchangeably
• nuts—I like sliced almonds in the crust recipe
• egg—I bake with large eggs and if you use a smaller (or bigger) egg, the crust may have a slightly different texture
• cocoa powder—I used Dutch-processed cocoa powder, specifically Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder which is a rich cocoa powder with a reddish tint (around 22 % fat)
• sugar—use icing sugar for the smoothest filling
• cream—you need to use milk or cream to create a smooth, spreadable filling. I prefer to use whipping cream (35 % fat)
• custard powder—I used Bird's custard powder
• vanilla—I used pure vanilla extract
• salt—most Nanaimo bars have no salt added. I like to add a very small amount of salt to the filling to help it pop. I use Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount because it's saltier.

Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

The beauty of Nanaimo bars is that you have some flexibility when it comes to the ingredients, whether you are making the classic or this reversed version. Here are some suggestions of where you can deviate:

• Graham cracker crumbs—you can replace the graham cracker crumbs with vanilla wafer crumbs or crumbs made from social tea biscuits. The flavour will be different but still pleasant. You can enhance the crust with a little cinnamon if using vanilla cookies instead to mimic the spices in graham crackers.
• Custard powder—I always have a box of Bird's custard powder on hand for Nanaimo bars. If you can't find custard powder, your best bet would be to replace the custard powder with vanilla pudding mix. It's not quite the same as custard powder has egg in it, but it's close enough!
• Nuts—I used sliced almonds for the crust, but you can use any nuts. Pistachios would be really lovely (though more expensive). Make sure to chop them finely.
• Coconut—you can use sweetened or unsweetened coconut, but I find the base is a little more flavourful with sweetened coconut. Use a finer shred coconut to make cutting the bars easier.
• For a nut-free version—replace the nuts with extra coconut or incorporate pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds in their place. Use the same volume.

Step 1—Prepare the base for the Nanaimo bars by first melting the butter before stirring in the white chocolate (image 1) while you combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor (image 2) or a medium bowl, then stir in the melted butter mixture to form a somewhat greasy crumble (image 3). You can do this step either in the food processor or a bowl by hand.

Step 2—Line a metal 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang (image 4) then transfer the crust mixture to the pan and press it out using a flat-bottomed glass until smoothed out from edge to edge (image 5). Bake it until the crust is no longer glossy (image 6). I like to use metal binder clips to secure the parchment paper in place.

Note: Do not use plastic binder clips of any kind because they may melt or break down in the oven. Use all-metal clips.

Step 3—While the crust is cooling down, you can make the dark chocolate Nanaimo bar filling by first creaming the butter until smooth and creamy (image 7) then sift in the dry ingredients (image 8) and add the cream and vanilla (image 9), mixing everything together until smooth and thick (image 10).

Step 4—Spread the dark chocolate custard filling over the cooled crust using an offset spatula (image 11). Make the chocolate filling as smooth as possible (image 12).

Step 5—Melt the butter with the white chocolate over a double-boiler (image 13), stirring until smooth (image 14), then pour it over the chilled pan of bars and spread it with a mini offset spatula (image 15). You can use the offset spatula to make a swirly design on top if you'd like. Chill until almost completely set before scoring and cutting (image 16).

Tip: Make sure the chocolate layer is properly chilled before topping with melted white chocolate.

Step 6—I prefer to unmould the bars from the pan at this stage so that I have more room to neatly cut the bars into squares. You will need to run a knife along the edges without parchment to release them. Then, use a ruler and a pastry cutter or a large chef's knife to cut out the squares. Start by scoring the white chocolate layer and then you can use the pastry cutter to cut through cleanly to the bottom (image 17). Clean the bench scraper and knife with every cut to ensure you get clean layers.

Nanaimo Bar FAQs

Other Bar Recipes to Try

Looking for other bar recipes like this to bake? Try these:

If you tried this recipe for the best reversed Nanaimo bars (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Reversed Nanaimo Bars with White Chocolate

Learn how to make reversed Nanaimo bars with white chocolate! These are like the opposite of the classic Canadian Nanaimo bars and have a dark chocolate custard filling and white chocolate topping all set over a coconut graham cracker crumb crust.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Canadian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Chill time 1 hour hour

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 16 squares

Calories 445kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• 9x9-inch pan
• Food processor
• Mini offset

Ingredients

For the crust

• 115 grams unsalted butter melted
• 60 grams white chocolate chopped
• 200 grams graham cracker crumbs
• 75 grams sweetened shredded coconut
• 60 grams sliced almonds
• 1 large egg(s)
• 5 mL pure vanilla extract

For the filling

• 115 grams unsalted butter softened
• 220 grams icing sugar
• 90 grams Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder
• 30 tablespoon Bird's custard powder
• 45 mL whipping cream (35 % fat)
• 5 mL pure vanilla extract
• 1.25 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt

For the white chocolate layer

• 175 grams white chocolate chopped
• 5 grams unsalted butter

Metric - US

Instructions

For the crust

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175 °C). Prepare a 9×9-inch (23x23-cm) pan by lining it with parchment paper leaving an overhang. Use all-metal binder clips to secure in place if necessary or alternatively you can butter the pan to help keep the paper in place. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, melt together the butter and the white chocolate.
• Meanwhile in a medium bowl or in the bowl of the food processor, combine the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and almonds. Stir in the melted butter and white chocolate and mix to combine, then stir in the egg and vanilla.
• Press the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and use a flat-bottomed glass to flatten the crust into an even layer.
• Bake the crust until it looks dry and no longer glosser (about 15 minutes). Place the pan on a wire rack to let the crust cool completely.

For the filling

• When the crust is cooled, make the dark chocolate custard filling by creaming the butter first before sifting in the cocoa powder, icing sugar, and custard powder cream. Add the cream and vanilla also.
• Beat the mixture until smooth and continue whipping for about 5 minutes. This will lead to a less powdery/grainy filling with a smoother texture. You can adjust the consistency of the filling with either more icing sugar (if it's too soft) or more cream (if it's too firm). The filling should be very thick.
• Spread the dark chocolate filling over the cold graham cracker crust. Place it in the refrigerator to set for at least 1 hour or in the freezer for 15 minutes.

For the white chocolate layer

• When the filling is completely cold and firm, make the white chocolate topping by melting together the white chocolate with the butter over a pan of simmering water (double-boiler) or in the microwave. Make sure to stir often so nothing burns.
• Pour the melted chocolate over the filling and spread it out quickly with an offset spatula.
• Refrigerate the pan for about 15 minutes to partially set the chocolate, then with a sharp knife, cut through the white chocolate top layer into 16–25 squares to make cutting easier later on.
• Refrigerate for another hour or so, until the chocolate is completely hardened.
• Cut the squares along the score lines to serve. Wipe the knife between cuts for the cleanest edges.

Notes

• For the white chocolate, I used Cacao Barry white chocolate, which you can find on Amazon
• For the cocoa powder, I used Cacao Barry extra brute, which you can buy on Amazon
• For the graham cracker crumbs—you can replace the graham cracker crumbs with vanilla wafer crumbs or crumbs made from social tea biscuits. The flavour will be different but still pleasant. You can enhance the crust with a little cinnamon if using vanilla cookies instead to mimic the spices in graham crackers.
• For the custard powder—I always have a box of Bird's custard powder on hand for Nanaimo bars. If you can't find custard powder, your best bet would be to replace the custard powder with vanilla pudding mix. It's not quite the same as custard powder has egg in it, but it's close enough!
• For the nuts—I used sliced almonds for the crust, but you can use any nuts. Pistachios would be really lovely (though more expensive). Make sure to chop them finely.
• For a nut-free version—replace the nuts with extra coconut or incorporate pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds in their place. Use the same volume.
• This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
• Note a version of reversed Nanaimo bars was originally published in Canadian Living Holiday Special Baking Edition. It was where I got the idea, but I adapted the method and ratios I used for my classic Nanaimo bars recipe for this one.

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 191mg | Potassium: 344mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 489IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Reversed Nanaimo Bars with White Chocolate appeared first on The Bake School.

I am a sucker for any fruit dessert that has a crumble topping. These apple crisp bars are one of my top fall desserts! These are very much like date squares with their crumbly oat base and topping, but instead of a date filling, they have an apple filling made from apple sauce and diced apple.

Apples, brown sugar and oats are a killer combination that is always appreciated, like in this apple butter cake and this apple crumble cake.

Ingredients

These applesauce oatmeal bars are easy to make. You probably have all the ingredients you need in your pantry and fridge! Here's what you need to make these apple squares:

• large flake oats, also known as rolled oats, provide texture to the crumble layer, which doubles as the bottom crust for these squares. Don't use minute oats or steel-cut oats for this recipe. These are not good substitutions for rolled oats, though the minute oats will likely work if that's all you've got.
• all-purpose flour is needed to bind all the ingredients together and give the bars structure. If you don't use enough flour, your bars will be too soft, and too much flour will make the crumble dry and powdery.
• brown sugar, light or dark, will add both sweetness and a molasses flavour that pairs nicely with the apple filling.
• butter—use unsalted or salted butter! Salted will work great and balance out the sweetness.
• cinnamon is optional, but pairs really nicely with apple desserts
• salt—this recipe was developed with Diamond Crystal Fine Kosher salt. If using table salt, add half the amount or the bars may be too salty
• apple sauce—use unsweetened so you can control the sweetness of the apple filling
• apples—use an apple variety that can withstand heat without breaking down, like Cortlands.
• cornstarch—as a thickener for the apple sauce so that you can slice and serve the bars more easily.

Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

• oats—use large flake oats, also called rolled oats or old-fashioned oats. These are thicker and have a more coarse texture. Do not use minute oats or quick oats which are too fine and will break down too much in the food processor. Do not use steel-cut oats either.
• apples—use a baking apple like Cortland, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp apple varieties that can be cooked and baked and hold their shape well.
• sugar—use light brown sugar which adds a little flavour but not too much. Dark brown sugar will lead to a darker filling and crumble with more molasses character. Another good option would be granulated maple sugar.
• spices—I kept this recipe simple and used a small amount of cinnamon to add a little flavour without overpowering the apples or the buttery oat crumble topping. You can also use apple pie spice blend or a pumpkin pie spice mix instead.
• vanilla bean paste would make a lovely addition to the apple filling

How To Make Apple Crisp Bars

There are two components to these apple crumble bars: a cooked apple filling made from apples and applesauce and an oat crumble that serves as the base and topping for these bars.

Step 1: Whisk the apple sauce with the brown sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon (image 1) until there are no lumps. Set it aside.

Note: The apple filling is thickened with cornstarch, helping to gel the extra water/juice in commercial apple sauce, which is sometimes quite "loose," and too wet for a filling like this. The cornstarch helps the filling set so that you can cut these bars neatly once they've cooled.

Step 2: Sautée the diced apple in a large skillet (image 2). Once the apples are cooked through and translucent, add the apple sauce mixture to the pan (image 3). Heat the mixture until it boils and let it simmer for about 5 minutes until it is very thick (image 4).

Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients for the oat crumble in a food processor (image 5) and pulse to combine them (image 6), then add cubed cold butter (image 7) and work it in to create a crumbly mixture that holds when pressed together (image 8).

Step 4: Scatter half of the crumble mixture on the bottom of the square metal baking pan (image 9) and press it in place with a flat-bottomed glass (image 10) to create a compact, firm base (image 11).

Tip: Use a flat-bottomed glass or mug and take the time to press and tighten the crumbly base to lock it in place and create a firm base that you will be able to slice with ease.

Step 5: With a mini offset spatula, smear the apple filling over the compacted crumble base from edge to edge (image 12). Make sure to spread it in an even layer from edge to edge (image 13).
Step 6: Scatter the remaining crumble over top (image 14).

Step 7: Gently press the topping into the apple filling very lightly to anchor the topping in place (image 15). Bake until golden brown and set (image 16). Let the bars cool completely before slicing.

Tip: Use a big Chef's knife and a ruler to slice the date bars into equal squares. If the bars are too warm and/or soft, you can briefly freeze them so that they cool down faster and firm up enough to cleanly slice into equal squares.

Top Baking Tip

Lining pans with a longer strip of parchment paper creates an overhang on either side that makes lifting the bars out of the pan easy! This way you can place them on a cutting board to cut them cleanly and neatly, without the edges of the pan getting in the way (and to avoid ruining the finish on your bakeware too!).

To anchor the parchment paper overhang so that it doesn't fall onto your baked goods as they bake, butter the pan and use small binder clips to secure the overhang edges in place.

Dessert Bar Baking FAQs

Other Apple Desserts to Bake

If you tried this recipe for the best apple crisp bars (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Apple Crisp Bars

You are going to love these apple crisp bars, which are like the apple pie version of date squares but better: an apple filling between layers of oat crumble. These apple squares make an excellent dessert or snack.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 16 squares

Calories 289kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• 9x9-inch pan
• Food processor
• Mini offset

Ingredients

Apple Filling

• 500 grams unsweetened applesauce
• 100 grams light brown sugar
• 30 grams cornstarch
• 2.5 mL ground cinnamon
• 28 grams unsalted butter
• 2 Cortland apple(s) peeled, cored, and diced (each apple weighed approximagely 200 grams)

Oat Crumble

• 225 grams rolled oats (or large flake oats)
• 125 grams bleached all-purpose flour
• 150 grams light brown sugar
• 2.5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
• 1.25 mL ground cinnamon
• 230 grams unsalted butter cold, cubed

Metric - US

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175 °C). Prepare a 9-inch square pan by lightly greasing it, and lining the base and sides with parchment paper. Set aside.

Apple Filling

• In a bowl, whisk together the apple sauce, light brown sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon until there are no lumps. Set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter, then add the diced apple and cook them until translucent. Add the apple sauce mixture and continue heating, stirring often, until the mixture comes to a boil, then cook until it thickens (about 5 minutes). Take the pan off the heat and transfer the filling to a bowl to cool.

Oat Crumble

• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the oats, sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon. Add in the cold butter and pulse it with the flour/oat mixture to form a crumble. You can also do this by hand like the topping for a fruit crisp

Assembly & Baking

• Sprinkle half the crumble mixture in the base of the lined pan, and using a flat-bottomed glass, press it firmly so that the crust is even from edge to edge. Be sure to get into the corners too!
• Smear the apple filling over the bottom crust and smooth it out evenly using a mini offset spatula, then scatter the rest of the crumble over top, patting it in gently just to secure it.
• Bake the squares for about 45–55 minutes or until the edges begin to recede and the top is golden.
• Let cool completely before cutting or it might be a little messy (but oh so good!).

Notes

For this recipe,

• This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
• Use large flake or rolled oats, not quick or minute oats because we want to retain some texture even though we are using a food processor for the crumble.
• Use unsweetened apple sauce that is made from apples, water, and may contain ascorbic acid (to prevent browning and help with preservation). Do not use sweetened apple sauce because we are adding sugar to the filling or else, reduce the sugar in the recipe.
• Please let the bars cool down completely before cutting them or they will be too delicate and fall apart. You can freeze them briefly to speed up the cooling process and to help them firm up quickly.

Nutrition

Calories: 289kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 425IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Apple Crisp Bars appeared first on The Bake School.

This is my go-to recipe for the best date squares because they are all about the dates: there is no lemon or orange zest here to interfere with the sweet, earthy character of the dates. These bars cut perfectly, store well, and they are sturdy enough that you can wrap them and eat them without creating a crumbly mess!

Date squares are a famous Canadian treat, along with classic Nanaimo bars and butter tarts.

If you love date squares, be sure to check out these apple sauce oatmeal bars, made with the same oat crumble base and topping, with a lightly-spiced filling of apple sauce and diced apple.

What Date Squares Are Made Of

If you want to make the best date squares from scratch, you will need the following ingredients:

• dates, pitted dried dates (the cheap kind) are perfect for this recipe. I have also made these with Medjool dates, which are meatier and much more expensive. It's definitely a splurge to use Medjool dates, but I don't think it's necessary here.
• water is needed to hydrate the dried dates, which will absorb it all. The dates will soften and break down with the water and heat, so that you can have a thick, sweet purée that is the perfect texture to fill these bars.
• large flake oats, also known as rolled oats, provide texture to the crumble layer, which doubles as the bottom crust for these squares. Don't use minute oats or steel-cut oats for this recipe. These are not good substitutions for rolled oats, though the minute oats will likely work if that's all you've got.
• all-purpose flour is needed to bind all the ingredients together and give the bars structure. If you don't use enough flour, your bars will be too soft, and too much flour will make the crumble dry and powdery.
• brown sugar, light or dark, will add both sweetness and a molasses flavour that pairs nicely with the dates.
• butter, preferably unsalted butter because you will add salt to the dough, but if you have salted, it will work. Just adjust the salt in the recipe accordingly otherwise your bars may be too salty.
• cinnamon is optional but added to the crumble, it adds a lovely warm taste that makes the crumble and base more flavourful.
• salt is really important to balance out the sweet molasses flavour. Don't skip it. I like to use Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt, but table salt will work, though the bars will be saltier and you may want to halve the salt in that case.

Please see recipe for complete details on ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions And Variations

• Dates—I prefer to make date squares with dates only, but some bakers like to combine dried prunes and dates to make the filling. You can replace part of the weight of dates with prunes.
• Filling flavours—I'm a purist and I like the flavour of the dates to shine in the filling, but you can also explore adding orange juice instead of the water and even some lemon or orange zest to the filling.

How To Make Date Bars That Aren't Too Crumbly

Date squares are easy! Here's how to make them

Step 1: Combine the dried dates with the water in a small saucepan.

Step 2: Heat the mixture on the stove until the dates begin to break down and absorb the water.

Step 3: Purée the cooked dates in a food processor to create a smooth, thick paste.

Step 4: Combine the crumble ingredients in a food processor and pulse to create a crumbly mixture that holds when pressed together. Press the crumble mixture on the bottom of the pan with a flat-bottomed glass to compact it into a firm base.

Tip: Use a flat-bottomed glass or mug and take the time to press and tighten the crumbly base to lock it in place and create a firm base that you will be able to slice with ease.

Step 5: With a mini offset spatula, smear the date purée over the compacted crumble base.

Step 6: Scatter the remaining crumble over top.

Step 7: Gently press the topping into the date paste, very lightly. The date purée will anchor the topping in place, again, making it easier to cut these bars and serve them.

Step 8: Bake until golden brown and set. Let the bars cool completely before slicing. You can even pop them into the freezer just before cutting to make sure they are firm!

Step 9: Use a big Chef's knife and a ruler to slice the date bars into equal squares.

Adding Baking Soda To Date Filling

The beauty of date squares is that they are made from the cheaper dates at the grocery store, the kind that look the driest (they look like they will never recover). Heating dried dates with a little water transforms them into a sweet, aromatic paste. Initially, when you are rehydrating dry dried pitted dates from the baking aisle, it seems like the dates and the water will never mingle. But then, with some patience, stirring, and a little heat, the dates come together to make a rich filling.

Some will add baking soda to the pan in order to help the dates break down, to soften the skins, and to speed up the process, but I don't think it's necessary. In the end the hydrated date paste can be blended in the food processor to smooth it out if need be. No need for baking soda.

The baking soda may also neutralize some of the tannins which can lead to an astringent taste or mouthfeel. I've honestly never noticed any astringency without the baking soda, so I skip it altogether these days.

Special Equipment To Make This Recipe

This recipe calls for a food processor for:

• puréeing the rehydrated dates to make the date paste
• mixing the oat crumble topping which is also used for the crust of the date bars

You will also need a baking pan, like a brownie pan, that is a square pan with 9-inch sides that is about 2 inches tall. I like this pan, which is heavy-duty and has a non-stick coating.

Whether the pan you use is non-stick or not, I do line the bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two of the sides. This is extra insurance so your bars unmould clean without sticking or breaking. I also recommend buttering any of the pan where the parchment doesn't cover, just in case.

Making date squares without a food processor

Though this recipe does call for a food processor, it's not essential. If you don't have one:

1. use your fingers to make the crumble as you would a pie dough or any other fruit crisp, working the cold butter into the dry ingredients in a big bowl until you get the right texture.
2. use a fork to mash the dates really well as they heat up with the water. Also, try adding a little baking soda to them to help them break down.

The resulting date squares made without a food processor will definitely have a more "rustic" look and feel to them, but they will be just as yummy to eat!

Storage

Store date squares in the pan, covered, for up to one week. For long-term storage, cut the bars into squares and freeze them on a parchment-lined sheet pan until frozen solid, then slide them into a freezer bag to store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

To defrost these, you can take them out of the bag and set them on a sheet pan to defrost overnight in the fridge. I like to keep a stash in the freezer and take one bar out at a time when I’m craving them. I defrost the date bar in the microwave on a small plate at power level 5 for up to 1 minute. They get nice and soft and warm!

Serving suggestions

This recipe for date squares also makes a great no-fuss weeknight dessert and you can make it fancy by serving these à la mode, with vanilla bean ice cream, for example!

Date Square Recipe FAQs

Other recipes to bake with dried dates

If you love dates as much as I do, here's a list of other recipes you can bake with dates:

• date scones
• date bran muffins
• salty sweet date and chorizo loaf cake

If you tried this recipe for date squares (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Date Squares

Date squares are easy with an oat crumble topping that doubles as the base for these bars.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Chill time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 16 squares

Calories 318kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• Food processor
• 9x9-inch pan
• Mini offset

Ingredients

Date filling

• 550 grams dates such as Jaffa brand
• 250 mL water
• 5 mL pure vanilla extract

Oat crust and crumble topping

• 225 grams rolled oats (or large flake oats)
• 150 grams light brown sugar
• 125 grams bleached all-purpose flour
• 2.5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
• 0.625 mL ground cinnamon
• 230 grams unsalted butter cubed, very cold

Metric - US

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175 °C).
• Prepare a 9×9-inch brownie pan (I use a metal pan) by greasing it and fitting a square of parchment at the bottom.

To make the date filling

• Place the dates with the water in a saucepan. Stir over medium–low heat. After 5–10 minutes, the dates will absorb all the water, soften, break open, and form a paste. Transfer the paste to a food processor, and blend until smooth (this is not absolutely necessary, but this will chop up the dates skins nicely giving a more even texture to the paste). Add the vanilla and blend for a few seconds more. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate to cool it down fast.

To make the oat crust and crumble topping

• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the oats, sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon. Add in the cold butter and pulse it with the flour/oat mixture to form a crumble. You can also do this by hand like the topping for a fruit crisp.
• Pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan. Press it down (with your fingers or the flat bottom of a glass). Be sure to get into the corners. You want a good tight base for your squares.
• Top the base with the date paste, smearing it carefully to coat the base evenly with a small offset spatula.
• Top with the rest of the crumble, scattering it evenly over the date filling with your hands. You can gently press the crumble very lightly into the date paste to anchor it in place.
• Bake the squares for 45 to 55 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Colour is flavour and the longer baking time ensures the bottom crust is properly baked.
• Remove the pan from the oven and set on a rack to cool completely. Once the bars are room temperature, refrigerate them for at least 1 hour until really cold so that cutting them is easier. Cut into 16 squares and serve.

Notes

• This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
• For the date purée, some will add baking soda to the pan in order to help the dates break down and to soften the skins, but I don't think it's necessary. Blend the filling in a food processor to smooth it out. No need for baking soda.
• The baking soda may also neutralize some of the tannins which can lead to an astringent taste or mouthfeel. Again, I don't think it's necessary and I've never detected any astringency from the date filling without baking soda.
  Use a flat-bottomed glass or mug and take the time to press and tighten the crumbly base to lock it in place and create a firm base that you will be able to slice with ease.
• Store date squares at room temperature for a few days, covered with plastic wrap or foil or stored in an airtight container. If you plan to store them for a full week, keep them in the fridge. For longer storage, you should freeze them.

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 301mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 363IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Date Squares appeared first on The Bake School.

I think people have very strong opinions about what the best brownie is. My favourite brownie is chewy, with a pronounced chocolate flavour. I love the edges and the corners the most and I could live without the centrepieces, which is why I dream of this brownie pan from Baker's Edge available on Amazon. I often bake brownies in mini muffin pans to maximize the number of edges (for example, these 3-ingredient brownie bites and these gluten-free peanut butter brownie bites). I suppose my ideal relationship would be with a guy who likes the squares in the middle. We'd never argue over who gets the corners. Our relationship would be perfect, and we'd share pans of brownies, happily. Or, maybe he prefers the corners, but he always lets me have them because he knows I love the corners too and he always wants to make me happy. Have I put too much thought into this?

This popcorn brittle brownie recipe is not so much about the broken popcorn, but more about the brittle. This recipe would definitely work with any brittle you have.

The brittle added to this brownie recipe provides a little extra chewiness and tiny bursts of salty caramel flavour where the brittle didn't completely melt and disappear into the brownies. If you feel like making popcorn brittle, awesome! If not, just use brittle from your local candy shop.

Tip for making extra chewy brownies

To make chewy brownies, one option is to use less butter in the brownie butter, add a lot of sugar, and also use a little more flour than you might with fudgy brownies. This is what I did for these brownies with raspberries.

Because I like really chewy brownies, I like to cut them ahead of time and leave them out, uncovered, to dry for the day. Then at night, I pack them into a container to store them, which softens them back up a bit.

You end up with quite the chewy brownie this way, which is exactly how I like them. Skip the drying step if you like your brownies more fudgy, or if you can't wait that long.

📖 Recipe

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Chewy Popcorn Brittle Brownies

Throw brittle into your brownies and you will make the best brownies ever with a lovely chewy texture. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 16 squares

Calories 259kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• 9x9-inch pan
• 5-quart KitchenAid Artisan mixer
• Cake tester

Ingredients

• 173 grams unsalted butter
• 175 grams dark chocolate (70 % cocoa content)
• 94 grams bleached all-purpose flour
• 45 grams Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder
• 1.25 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
• 3 large egg(s) room temperature
• 200 grams granulated sugar
• 5 mL pure vanilla extract
• 100 grams popcorn brittle finely ground
• 60 grams popcorn brittle chopped

Metric - US

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Butter a 9x9 brownie pan, fit the base with parchment, and sprinkle the sides with cocoa powder.
• Melt the chocolate with the butter in a small saucepan, then set aside to cool.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Add the sifted dry ingredients, then the melted chocolate mixture.
• Dump in the ground and chopped brittle (or fold it in to avoid crushing the chunks of popcorn brittle). Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared pan.
• Bake the brownies in the centre of the oven until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out quite clean (about 30 to 40 minutes).
• Let cool 10 minutes before unmolding.
• Cut into 16 squares to serve.

Notes

• This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
• I bake with either 70 % or 58 % dark chocolate, like this Cacao Barry chocolate
• I always bake with Cacao Barry Cocoa Powder - Extra Brute, a Dutch-processed cocoa powder.

Nutrition

Calories: 259kcal | Vitamin A: -1IU

The post Chewy popcorn brittle brownies appeared first on The Bake School.

How do you like your brownies? Do you prefer fudgy brownies or chewy brownies? Do you like to eat the centrepiece or an edge? The trouble is there's no such thing as perfect.

What I would call the perfect brownie might be your least favourite iteration. The fact is that I cannot come up with a brownie recipe that will please everyone because we all like different things.

This recipe makes brownies that I think are the perfect brownie: a brownie with chewy edges and a fudgy middle. It's a variation on the recipe for classic brownies with walnuts and one I've jazzed up for Easter, topping the brownies with Mini Eggs. I've even used this base recipe to make gluten-free brownies with millet flour and a peanut butter swirl!

What You Need to Make Raspberry Brownies

Most every brownie recipe you'll come across all have the same basic ingredients, but a few are key to achieving the desired texture:

• Fat: I prefer to bake with butter, melting it with the chocolate. The water in the butter will help dissolve the sugars, which in turn contributes to a shiny crust on top. Butter also provides more flavour.
• Chocolate, preferably semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate with at least 70 % cocoa solids. If you use chocolate chips, these have a lot of sugar and you may need to adjust this recipe
• Sugar (granulated and/or brown sugar): choose granulated sugar if you like to have that shiny paper-thin flaky crust on top of brownies and use more sugar to make sure it forms. Superfine sugar dissolves even faster and will help you achieve a shiny top
• Eggs: in brownies, you often see little to no leavening agents used and so the moisture from the eggs acts as a leavening agent here but also helps dissolve the sugar to make a shiny top
• Flour: the less flour you use, the more fudgy the brownies will be, but I find too little can lead to a brownie that is too dense and too greasy. I like to add enough flour to brownie batter so that it can absorb the fat and lead to a more chewy texture that's not so moist
• Cocoa powder—use Dutch-processed cocoa powder to give the brownies a deeper chocolate flavour that dark chocolate alone can't
• Leavening agents: classic brownies don't have leavening agents, but like with cookies, you can add just a little baking powder so that the brownies rise taller yielding a slightly less dense, more open texture.
• Other flavour ingredients: you may see vanilla extract and even espresso powder to further enhance the flavour. Bitter coffee notes are known to enhance the chocolate flavour.
• Raspberries: I used fresh raspberries, which I sprinkled over top. Be careful if you want to use frozen brownies, they may be too wet in this recipe, leading to a gummy texture!
• White chocolate: invest in better quality white chocolate made from cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids, as opposed to white baking chips which aren't actually chocolate.

Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions

After a few attempts and many, many brownies consumed, I ended up with this recipe, where some of the cocoa in a typical brownie recipe is replaced with dark chocolate. If you need help making baking substitutions, check out my guide for how to replace the cocoa powder with dark chocolate (and vice versa).

Brownies are made from a simple list of ingredients and your substitution options are limited. Here are some places where you can deviate:

• dark chocolate: I used 70 % dark chocolate from Cacao Barry. This is a semi-sweet chocolate verging on bittersweet. If you don't have access to this brand of chocolate, feel free to use a Lindt dark chocolate bar or any high-quality chocolate with at least 50 % cocoa content. If you are unsure, read about the different types of chocolate for baking.
• cocoa powder: I used a Cacao Barry brand cocoa powder called Extra Brute. It is a Dutch-processed cocoa powder that is a dark colour with a reddish tint and higher in fat. You can replace it with any brand of Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but a lower-fat cocoa powder will have an impact on the texture of the brownies.
• sugar: I used granulated sugar (white sugar), but feel free to use a combination of brown sugar and white sugar if you prefer. Do not use icing sugar. Superfine sugar works very well in this recipe and creates a shinier brownie crust on top.
• raspberries: I used fresh raspberries—frozen raspberries may work but could also lead to a wet layer on the surface of the brownie if they release too much water. Proceed with caution!
• nuts: Feel free to add chopped walnuts to the brownie batter if you like nuts in your brownies!

Types of Chocolate For Brownies

When you make brownies with chocolate, ideally you should use the best chocolate for baking you can get, specifically dark chocolate that has a deep, dark flavour and that isn't overly sweet.

To make these one-bowl brownies, I used Ocoa chocolate from Cacao Barry, which is a 70% cocoa dark chocolate with a rich chocolate flavour. You can find it at IGA grocery stores in Quebec in 1-kilo resealable bags.

If you don't live in Quebec, you can order this chocolate online (and many other Cacao Barry products) via the Vanilla Food Company website. They ship across Canada and to the United States! This means that we all have access to professional quality chocolates at the click of a button. They also carry two types of Cacao Barry cocoa powders, which I highly recommend.

How to Make One-Bowl Brownies

The beauty of these white chocolate raspberry brownies is that the brownie batter is mixed in the same bowl you use to melt the butter and chocolate. This means fewer dirty dishes and an easier way of assembling the ingredients without any fuss.

Step 1: Combine the butter and dark chocolate in a large bowl set over a pan of water (image 1). Heat the water on the stove until it simmers and let the butter and chocolate slowly melt together until smooth and glossy (image 2).

Step 2: Take the pan off the heat and add the sugar to the bowl of melted chocolate and butter (image 3). Then whisk in the eggs one at a time (image 4), adding the next egg only when the previous one is completely mixed in.

Step 3: Sift the dry ingredients together (image 5) because cocoa tends to create lumps, then add the dry ingredients to the bowl of brownie batter and stir it in (image 6). Fold in the white chocolate chunks (image 7).

Step 4: Spread the brownie batter in a square brownie pan using a mini offset spatula (image 8), then scatter a few raspberries and extra white chocolate chunks (image 9). Bake until the edges and top of the brownies are set, but the centre will still be a little fudgy (image 10). Let cool before cutting into squares.

Tip: Got leftover brownies? Make homemade chocolate brownie ice cream!

Brownie Baking Tips

Please use a metal pan to bake brownies. The bars will have a better texture if you bake them in a metal pan. If you use a glass pan, they may be more dense. Read all about the different types of baking pans to understand the difference.

Don't overbake your brownies! These white chocolate brownies are moist and have a fudgy middle, but they aren't too dense. The edges are a little chewy. I baked these brownies for 35 minutes to ensure chewy edges with a fudgy middle because that's how I like them. Feel free to bake them even less for a gooey centre.

If you overbake these, the top will be less shiny and the brownies may be dry.

Serving Suggestions

Brownies are greatly enjoyed as is, but you can also eat them "à la mode," topped with vanilla bean ice cream or dark chocolate ice cream. Another favourite of mine is to serve these with Oreo ice cream or mint chocolate chip.

Brownie Baking FAQs

Other Berry Recipes

If you like these brownies with raspberries, here are more desserts you can make with berries:

If you tried this recipe for the best raspberry white chocolate brownies (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

📖 Recipe

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Raspberry White Chocolate Brownies

These easy raspberry white chocolate brownies start with a one-bowl brownie recipe made with melted chocolate and cocoa powder, with white chocolate mixed into the batter and topped with fresh raspberries for a super chocolaty treat!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Calories 251kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• OXO balloon whisk
• 9x9-inch pan
• Mini offset

Ingredients

• 115 grams unsalted butter
• 175 grams dark chocolate (70 % cocoa content) or your favourite semi-sweet or bittersweet dark chocolate
• 250 grams granulated sugar
• 3 large egg(s)
• 95 grams bleached all-purpose flour
• 45 grams Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder or your favourite Dutch processed cocoa powder, sifted to remove lumps
• 2.5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
• 100 grams white chocolate plus a little extra for garnishing, coarsely chopped

Metric - US

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175 °C). Butter a 9x9-inch (23x23-cm) brownie pan. Line the bottom with parchment. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, melt together the butter and the chocolate. You can do this over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave at power level 5, pausing from time to time to stir a little so that the mixture heats evenly.
• Add the granulated sugar to the bowl of melted chocolate and butter, and stir it in.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Dump in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt, and stir it in.
• Fold in the chopped white chocolate.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a mini offset spatula. Sprinkle with extra chopped white chocolate and fresh raspberries.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or for however long it takes to achieve your perfect brownies. I like my brownies chewy so I bake them for 35 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares using a plastic knife. Don't use a metal knife because it will stick.

Notes

• This brownie recipe fits in a metal 9x9" square pan.
• Use a metal pan which is a better heat conductor than glass. Brownies baked in a glass pan may take longer to bake but also may overbake after removing them from the oven as the glass retains the heat for longer.
• For the dark chocolate, I used Cacao Barry Ocoa 70 % dark chocolate. If you don't have access to this brand of chocolate, feel free to use a Lindt dark chocolate bar or any high-quality chocolate with at least 50 % cocoa content. If you are unsure what the cocoa content means, read about the different types of chocolate for baking.
• For the cocoa powder: I used a Cacao Barry brand cocoa powder called Extra Brute. It is a Dutch-processed cocoa powder that is a dark colour with a reddish tint and higher in fat. You can replace it with any brand of Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but a lower-fat cocoa powder will have an impact on the texture of the brownies.
• For the sugar, I used granulated sugar (white sugar), but feel free to use a combination of brown sugar and white sugar if you prefer. Do not use icing sugar. Superfine sugar works very well in this recipe and creates a shinier brownie crust on top.
• Raspberries: I used fresh raspberries—frozen raspberries may work but could also lead to a wet layer on the surface of the brownie if they release too much water. Proceed with caution!
• Nuts: Feel free to add chopped walnuts to the brownie batter if you like nuts in your brownies!
• Salt—This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
• To cut the brownies easily and cleanly into squares, use a plastic bowl scraper or a plastic knife! Don't use a metal knife because it may stick. Chilling the brownies before cutting helps.

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 96mg | Potassium: 159mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 230IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg

This post is sponsored by Cacao Barry. I was compensated monetarily and with product. Thanks for supporting the companies that allow me to create content . As always, please know that I wouldn’t work with a sponsor nor recommend a product if it wasn’t worth it.

The post Raspberry White Chocolate Brownies appeared first on The Bake School.

This recipe for brownies with walnuts is actually a variation on a brownie recipe I like because it yields very chewy edges. If you like fudge-y or gooey brownies, this might not be the ideal recipe for you. I've used this same recipe to make these brownies with raspberries and even these gluten-free chocolate peanut butter brownies made with millet flour!

Ingredients to Make Brownies with Walnuts

If you want to make a batch of brownies with walnuts from scratch, you will need the following ingredients:

• butter, preferably unsalted butter because you will add salt to the batter, but if you have salted, it will work. Just adjust the salt in the recipe accordingly, otherwise, your bars may be too salty
• dark chocolate, like a 70 % semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate. Bake with a good quality chocolate and don't use chocolate chips
• granulated sugar gives these brownies crispy/chewy edges
• large eggs, don't use smaller eggs because your cookie dough may be too dry and your brownies may be crumbly but don't use extra large eggs because they could cause the batter to separate
• all-purpose flour is needed to bind all the ingredients together and give the brownies structure, contributing to the chewiness of the bars as well. If you don't use enough flour, your brownies may be overly fudgy and dense
• cocoa powder—use Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Most grocery stores sell it and it might not even be marked as such, but it probably is. This recipe hasn't been tested with natural cocoa powder, so proceed with caution if that's what you bake with
• baking powder is a leavening agent and it helps open up the crumb of the brownies so they aren't so dense. Do not use baking soda, which isn't the same as baking powder. Read up on baking soda vs baking powder if you are unsure
• salt is really important to balance out the sweet chocolate flavour. Don't skip it. I like to use Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt, but table salt will work, though the bars will be saltier and you may want to halve the salt in that case
• chopped walnuts add a lot of flavour and texture to these bars
• hot espresso and vanilla are optional ingredients but they can help enhance the flavour and bitter notes of the chocolate.

Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.

Types of Chocolate For Brownies

Most brownies are made with cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate. The type of chocolate you use will have a big impact on both the flavour and the texture. Dark chocolate will bring both cocoa butter and sugar to your brownies, while cocoa powder is pretty much fat-free and virtually sugar-free (except for the natural sugars from the cocoa bean).

Replacing cocoa powder with dark chocolate in a brownie recipe can lead to results that are too dense or overly sweet, depending on the chocolate you use and if you don't adjust the recipe to compensate for the differences between the two ingredients.

In this recipe, I combine both melted dark chocolate (70 % cocoa solids) and cocoa powder, and you'll notice the recipe has a little less butter than most brownies because dark chocolate and the type of cocoa powder I use both contribute some fat.

The resulting brownies have a very chewy edge and a fudgy, but not raw middle. The crust has a chewy/crisp texture.

How to Make One-Bowl Brownies

I like to use the one-bowl mixing method to make brownies because it's easy, but in order to compensate for the lack of air incorporated into the batter, I include a small amount of a chemical leavener, specifically baking powder, to help open up the brownie crumb just a little so that it's not so dense.

Step 1: Melt the butter with the dark chocolate. You can do this over a pan of simmering water to avoid burning the chocolate as I do (image 1), or you can melt the butter first, then add the chocolate off the heat to melt it. The melted chocolate and butter should be smooth and glossy (image 2).

Step 2: Add the sugar to the bowl of melted butter and chocolate (image 3), and whisk it in until it disappears, then add the eggs one at a time (image 4) along with the vanilla or espresso (if using).

Step 3: Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt to the brownie batter (image 5) and then fold in the walnuts using a spatula (image 6).

Tip: Traditionally brownies do not contain any leaveners, but I like the texture better with some baking powder. It makes the brownies less dense. Feel free to skip it if you don't want to use it.

Step 4: Spread the brownie batter in a greased brownie pan lined with parchment paper, scattering a few extra walnuts on top (image 7) and bake until the edges are set (image 8).

Note: Brownies baked in a glass pan may take longer to bake. Remember that not all baking pans behave the same and you need to account for the material of the pan when adjusting baking times.

Serving Suggestions

Brownies are great enjoyed as is, but you can also eat them à la mode, topped with vanilla bean ice cream or dark chocolate ice cream. Another favourite of mine is to serve these with Oreo ice cream or mint chocolate chip.

Brownie FAQs

More Bar Recipes

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Brownies With Walnuts

The easiest brownies you can make are these one bowl brownies with walnuts. These brownies have a thick chewy edge and a fudgy centre.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Calories 227kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• OXO balloon whisk
• 9x9-inch pan

Ingredients

• 115 grams unsalted butter
• 175 grams dark chocolate (70 % cocoa content)
• 250 grams granulated sugar
• 3 large egg(s)
• 95 grams bleached all-purpose flour
• 45 grams Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder
• 2.5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
• 0.625 mL baking powder optional but can help open up the crumb
• 120 grams chopped toasted walnuts

Metric - US

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175 °C). Butter a 9x9-inch (23x23 cm) brownie pan. Line the bottom with parchment. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, melt together the butter and the chocolate. You can do this over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave at power level 5, pausing from time to time to stir a little so that the mixture heats evenly.
• Add the granulated sugar to the bowl of melted chocolate and butter, and stir it in.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Stir in the hot espresso. Dump in the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder, and stir it in. Fold in walnuts.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or for however long it takes to achieve your perfect brownies. I like my brownies chewy so I bake them for 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares using a plastic bowl scraper. Don't use a metal knife because it will stick.

Notes

• This brownie recipe fits in an 9x9" square pan. Make two-thirds of the batter if you want to bake these in an 8x8 pan.
• Sometimes I add 15 mL (1 tbsp) of hot espresso to the brownie batter after the eggs to intensify the flavour of them.
• Baking powder is optional but it can help open up the brownie crumb so that they are less dense.
• For the dark chocolate, I used Cacao Barry Ocoa 70 % dark chocolate. And for the cocoa, I use Cacao Barry Extra Brute, a Dutch-processed cocoa powder with a higher fat content.
• This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
• I prefer the flavour of toasted walnuts in these brownies. You could also use pecans if you prefer.
• Use a metal pan which is a better heat conductor than glass. Brownies baked in a glass pan may take longer to bake.
• To cut the brownies easily and cleanly into squares, use a plastic bowl scraper or a plastic knife! Don't use a metal knife because it will stick.

Nutrition

Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 132mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 152IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 2mg

Fun fact: the opposite of a brownie is a blondie. Try these easy bar recipes, including toffee blondies and these raspberry and white chocolate blondies.

How to make shiny brownies with a paper-thin top

For many bakers, the shiny paper-thin layer that forms when brownies bake and that cracks when you cut into them is the ultimate brownie goal.

There are a few ingredients and techniques that influence whether or not you end up with shiny brownies:

1. the amount of sugar: if you use less sugar, it's likely that the shiny top won't form.
2. the type of sugar: brownies baked with brown sugar are less likely to form a shiny top than brownies made with granulated sugar. Use granulated sugar if you want shiny brownies
3. the amount of water: remember box brownies are made with water, which will help dissolve the sugars, leading to a shiny top. Home bakers often add more eggs to brownies from scratch than box mixes, and those eggs contribute some water to dissolve the sugars, as does the butter if you are baking with butter.
4. the way the sugar is added: adding the granulated sugar to the warm mixture of melted chocolate and butter helps the sugar melt into the batter, and this improves the shiny top. Whipping the sugar with the eggs can also help develop the thin crust on brownie tops. Again, it involves dissolving the sugar.
5. grating some of the chocolate: I've seen it mentioned in a few recipe that part of the chocolate is melted and part is grated and added to brownie batter just before baking and that this is the secret to the shiny top. This seems like a lot of work and grating chocolate means chocolate flies everywhere (because of static). Others have mentioned that stirring chocolate chips into the brownie batter before baking can also lead to a shiny top.

Clearly, there are a lot of opinions about how to bake brownies with a shiny top. But we know that boxed mixes consistently yield brownies with a shiny top. I suspect that, with boxed brownies, which often indicate adding water to the mix, a higher proportion of granulated sugar and dissolving that sugar is what leads to the shiny top.

And if all else fails and you don't get the shiny crust you were going for, remember you can cover the top with a rich chocolate fudge frosting, and nobody will know the shiny top is missing!

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