Chewy Easter Malted Cookie Bars
Chewy Easter Malted Cookie Bars are a delightful seasonal treat that blend the nostalgic flavors of malt with crunchy Cadbury eggs and Biscoff bits, baked into a slab that’s easy to slice and share.
Ingredients
For the cookie bars
- 2 sticks Unsalted Butter Melt 2 sticks for the dough; 1 stick reserved for frosting.
- ¾ cup Brown Sugar Can use dark brown sugar for more caramel notes.
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 large Large Eggs Use room temperature eggs.
- 1.5 tsps Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Ovaltine Malt Powder Use good-quality malt powder for flavor.
- 2 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2.25 cups All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
- ¼ cup Milk Chocolate Chips
- 8.08 oz Biscoff Cookies Roughly chopped, about one sleeve.
- 10 oz Cadbury Milk Chocolate Mini Eggs Crushed and reserved.
For the frosting
- ¼ cup Cream Cheese Full fat, room temperature.
- 1 stick Unsalted Butter Room temperature.
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 pinch Salt For balance in frosting.
Instructions
Make the frosting
- Cream 1 stick of room-temperature butter with 1/4 cup full-fat cream cheese until light and fluffy.
- Add a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 3 cups powdered sugar.
- Beat on high for about 3 minutes until the frosting is smooth, whipped, and spreadable.
- Chill the frosting in the fridge while you bake the bars so it firms slightly.
Melt the butter and combine sugars
- Melt 2 sticks of butter in a medium saucepan or microwave-safe bowl.
- Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the melted butter until fully combined and glossy.
- Let the butter-sugar mix cool slightly so it won’t scramble the eggs in the next step.
Add wet flavorings and eggs
- Whisk in the 2 large room-temperature eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup Ovaltine malt powder, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- Whisk until the batter is smooth, glossy, and slightly thickened from the eggs.
Fold in dry ingredients
- Sift or whisk together 2.25 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon baking powder.
- Fold the dry mix into the wet batter until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Prep and add the mix-ins
- Roughly chop the entire sleeve of Biscoff cookies.
- Place Cadbury mini eggs in a sealed bag and crush most of them with a rolling pin; reserve some crushed eggs for topping.
- Stir the Biscoff chunks, most of the crushed mini eggs, and both kinds of chocolate chips into the dough.
Bake the bars
- Press the dough evenly into a parchment-lined 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Bake in a 350°F oven for 20–22 minutes, until the edges are set.
- Remove from oven and cool for at least 45 minutes at room temperature.
Frost and finish
- Spread the chilled cream cheese-butter frosting over the cooled bars.
- Top with the remaining crushed Cadbury eggs.
- Slice into 16 squares with a sharp knife.
Notes
Store frosted bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To freeze unfrosted bars, cut them into squares, flash-freeze them, and transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.