Browse Tag by Brownies and Bars
Brownies and Bars

Gingerbread Cookie Bars

These bars. I adore them! Gingerbread Cookie Bars are a soft, holiday flavored treat. The milk chocolate and white chocolate chips are a great little compliment to the gingerbread flavor. These bars also paired so wonderfully well with cream cheese frosting! 

Gingerbread Cookie Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

The original recipe comes from the lovely ladies over at Six Sister’s Stuff.  Now, about that cream cheese frosting. Not that I have ever had a tendency to over-frost anything in my life ever, but I may have gone a little bit overboard on the Gingerbread Cookie Bar to cream cheese frosting ratio. Not to worry though, I will adjust my frosting recipe to reflect a little better proportions. The great thing about frosting is you are always welcome to use as much or as little as you want. Personally, I love having a little extra frosting in the fridge to eat with a spoon when occasion requires.

I whipped up these Gingerbread Cookie Bars while I was at my parent’s house last week. During my visit, my sister and I helped my Mom decorate for Christmas. Included in that decorating was picking out which Christmas dish sets to pull out. My mom has many sets of beautiful Christmas dishes, and this gold-tipped poinsettia set these bars are featured on just happens to be my most favorite set.  When I was a kid, my Mom always reminded me we couldn’t put the dishes with the gold tips in the microwave. She explained what would happen if I did, but sometimes you forget. I still remember the day I learned through practical, personal experience I should never EVER place them in the microwave.

Gingerbread Cookie Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Let’s just say my older sister RE-learned why she should never put the gold tipped plates in the microwave last week, in the same way I learned it as a kid. Aren’t older sisters a riot?

Gingerbread Cookie Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Gingerbread Cookie Bars not only taste like Christmas, but are a quick and easy way to feed a crowd. The recipe can be easily doubled for a regular sized cookie sheet.

I can’t believe how quickly Christmas is approaching and wish there was more time to share more recipes for your festivities! I hope you enjoy these bars!

Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Serves 16
A soft, holiday flavored cookie bar, stuffed with chocolate chips, and topped with cream cheese frosting.
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Cookie Bars
  1. 1/2 cup butter, melted
  2. 1/4 cup brown sugar
  3. 3/4 cup sugar
  4. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  5. 1/3 cup molasses
  6. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  7. 1 egg
  8. 2 cups flour
  9. 2 teaspoons baking soda
  10. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  11. 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  12. 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  13. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  14. 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
  15. 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Frosting
  1. 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  2. 1/2 cup butter, softened
  3. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  4. 2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  5. Christmas sprinkles, optional
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 pan. In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla and molasses. Beat until creamy. Add vanilla and mix. Add egg and mix.
  2. 2. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Gradually add to wet ingredients. Combine well. Add milk and white chocolate chips and mix. Place in greased pan and bake 15-18 minutes. Let cool.
  3. 3. To prepare the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth, at least 1-2 minutes. Add the vanilla and then mix. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all the ingredients are added, I turn the mixer on medium speed and let it beat the frosting for 3-5 minutes, until it turns from the off-white color to more of a stark white color. Beating it this long gives the frosting a much more fluffy, soft, and smooth texture. I always do this for my cream cheese frosting. Frost the bars as generously as you desire. Add Christmas sprinkles if desired! Enjoy!
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Brownies and Bars

Pumpkin Seven Layer Bars

As we near the close of pumpkin season, I am gearing up for Christmas desserts. The other day I wrote my list of all the things I hope to make this year. Before pumpkin season comes to an end, however, I have to share Pumpkin Seven Layer Bars with you! They were one of my favorite new pumpkin tries of the season.

Pumpkin Seven Layer Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

One of the first recipes I shared on this blog were these Seven Layer Bars. When I wrote that post, I promised I would be back with some of the other creative versions of these bars that I have tried. While I have not been overly timely on that promise, today I begin to fulfill it by sharing these Pumpkin Seven Layer Bars. 

Pumpkin Seven Layer Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Pumpkin Seven Layer Bars are so darn easy. Once you finish the graham cracker crust, you basically throw everything else in the pan and pop them in the oven. After the crust, you layer caramel bits, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, toffee bits, a pumpkin/condensed milk/spice mixture, and coconut. Together, these ingredients create a flavor packed dessert.

I also promise the ease of these bars does not interfere with the quality. We loved them! My Cowboy really enjoys pumpkin desserts, but after going through a few weeks in a row of pumpkin mania, he is ready for something different. However, he told me while you could taste pumpkin flavor, they were not overly pumpkin-y. He appreciated them for that.

Yes, pumpkin-y is totally a word.

Pumpkin Seven Layer Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Pumpkin Seven Layer Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Pumpkin Seven Layer Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Easy and tasty- two of my favorite things! Pumpkin Seven Layer Bars have a permanent place on my list of favorite fall desserts.

 

Pumpkin Seven Layer Bars
Serves 16
A simple gooey bar, bursting with flavors of fall.
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
50 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
50 min
Ingredients
  1. 9 whole graham cracker sheets, finely crushed
  2. 1/2 cup butter, melted
  3. 1 (11) oz bag Kraft caramel bits
  4. 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  5. 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  6. 1/2 cup toffee bits
  7. 1 cup pumpkin puree
  8. 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  9. 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  10. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  11. 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 pan. Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into the prepared pan. I like to press it into the pan with the bottom of a cup to ensure it will stay together.
  2. 2. Sprinkle caramel bits on top of the crust. Next, sprinkle milk chocolate chips, then white chocolate chips, then toffee bits.
  3. 3. In a medium sized bow, combine pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Pour on top of the layers. Top with shredded coconut. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until edges begin to brown and the middle is set. Serve warm or cooled. Enjoy!
Adapted from Six Sister's Stuff
Adapted from Six Sister's Stuff
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Brownies and Bars

Pumpkin Brookies

Pumpkin Brookies are another great compliment to fall. A pumpkin bar bottom with a fudge-y brownie on top equals delicious. Oh and don’t let me forget to mention the chocolate glaze! My Cowboy and I both agreed that the chocolate glaze really made the bars, so don’t go skimping the bars by leaving them without it :). 

I sure love pumpkin everything when it comes to dessert, but I have really grown to love chocolate and pumpkin together the last few years. So it was no surprise to me that these two main layers that make up Pumpkin Brookies were the perfect combination. 

Pumpkin Brookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

 

Like I already said, don’t go thinking they don’t need glaze :D. It really completed them. And for once in my life, I didn’t drench them with topping, I actually did a fairly thin covering-fairly being the key word. Seriously though, this was holding back for me. These Pumpkin Brookies proved to me they didn’t need much glaze, but they did need a little dab.

 

Pumpkin Brookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Pumpkin Brookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Pumpkin Brookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo,

Hannah

Recipe adapted from Crazy for Crust.

Pumpkin Brookies
A perfect compliment to fall. Pumpkin Brookies have a pumpkin bar bottom and a fudge-y brownie top. Don't forget the chocolate glaze!
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
For the Pumpkin Layer
  1. 1/2 cup butter, melted
  2. 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  3. 3/4 cup brown sugar
  4. 1/4 cup sugar
  5. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  6. 1 egg
  7. 1 3/4 cups flour
  8. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  9. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  10. 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  11. 1/2 cup chocolate chips
*For the Brownie Layer
  1. 1 box brownie mix
  2. 1/2 cup butter, melted
  3. 1/3 cup buttermilk or milk (regular milk will work, but I prefer buttermilk)
  4. 2 eggs
  5. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  6. 1 cup chocolate chips
For the Chocolate Glaze
  1. 3 cups powdered sugar
  2. 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  3. 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  4. 1/2 cup cream (again milk totally works, but you won't need as much, but a glaze made with cream is much more flavorful. It may take more or less liquid, depending on how thick you like your glaze. I always eyeball this.)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 pan.
For the Pumpkin Layer
  1. Place melted butter, pumpkin puree, and sugars in a large bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined. Add vanilla and mix well. Add egg and mix well. In a separate medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Gradually add to pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Press into your greased 9x13 pan.
For the Brownie Layer
  1. In a large bowl, place brownie mix, melted butter, buttermilk or milk, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour on top of the pumpkin base. Bake 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For the Chocolate Glaze
  1. Whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, melted butter, and cream. Whisk until very well combined and smooth. Pour over top of Pumpkin Brookies and enjoy! These would even be great served with ice cream!
Notes
  1. *Of course any homemade brownie recipe works too, but this is a super simple way to vamp up a brownie mix!
  2. In the future, I may try the brownie layer on the bottom and pre-bake it a while before adding the pumpkin layer on top, because the brownie layer took longer to cook through than the pumpkin layer did.
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Brownies and Bars

Caramel Chip Bars

Oh boy is this recipe a doozy! Caramel Chip Bars are about as tasty as it gets. This is another recipe from my sister Jessie. So many of both My Cowboy’s and I’s favorite recipes come from her. She is just a whiz in the kitchen. This is a brownie-like bar that is one of my main picks when it comes to making a dessert to take and share.

Caramel Chip Bars are as easy as they are delicious and come together in a cinch. The brownie part of this dessert comes from a simple cake mix, oil, eggs, AND plenty of chocolate chips! The caramel layer is semi-homemade, but tastes so great. Honestly it’s a filling I use in a lot of different recipes now. If I am too short on time to do a homemade sauce, I will even serve it as caramel sauce for ice cream or dip for fruit.

Caramel Chip Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

 

Caramel Chip Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Caramel Chip Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Caramel Chip Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Caramel Chip Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

 

This is a side shot, and it’s really not the prettiest, but I really wanted you to get a better glimpse of all that caramel!

Caramel Chip Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com
Caramel Chip Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Go on and give ’em a whirl 🙂

Caramel Chip Bars
An ooey-gooey brownie bar bursting with chocolate chips and oozing with caramel
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 1 box chocolate cake mix
  2. 1/2 cup oil
  3. 2 eggs
  4. 2 cups milk chocolate chips
  5. 1 cup white chocolate chips
  6. 1/3 cup toffee bits (optional)
  7. 1 11oz bag caramels
  8. 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
  9. 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven at 320 F. Mix the cake mix, oil, and eggs until combined. Add milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and optional toffee bits. Combine by hand. Press half of the dough into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for twelve minutes. Cool for ten minutes before adding caramel.
  2. 2. While the first cake layer is baking and cooling, unwrap the caramels and place in a medium size saucepan with the sweetened condensed milk and butter. Melt over medium-low heat until well-combined, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture is mostly melted, I like to whisk it long enough to ensure there are no chunks.
  3. 3. Pour caramel over the first cake layer. Top with remaining cake batter by sprinkling it over the caramel in teaspoon-fulls Bake an additional 20-25 minutes. These bars are great warm or cold, but I usually let them cool an hour or two.
Notes
  1. If you're looking for a less chocolate-y option, use a yellow cake mix. I really, really, REALLY love them as is though 🙂
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Brownies and Bars

Breakup Brownies

Breakup Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com
By | On April 19,17 | 0 Comment

These brownies. Where do I begin? Breakup Brownies are an outrageous mixture of two of my most favorite things in this world- chocolate and peanut butter. Wait, wait, wait! Breakup Brownies have FOUR of my most favorite things in this world- chocolate, peanut butter, Oreo’s, and Reese’s. You will literally want to eat these ’til the cows come home!

Breakup Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

These bad boys have become one of my most loved brownie recipes. On top of that, they are pretty simple. In between layers, there is some required cooling, but like I said, they are simple. 

There are various recipes for these bars and a lot of recipes entitle them “Crack Brownies”. I’ve got no beef with that name, but I have my reasons for liking the other. Some may scoff that when I married My Cowboy, I literally married one of the first guys I met when I went off to college, but I never had the heartbreak of a bad breakup. Score! Seriously though, I think if I were going through a breakup, my recovery would call for these. Therefore, I still dub them, “Breakup Brownies”.

Breakup Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

We begin with a boxed brownie mix. Sure you can be fancy and use the real thing, your own homemade recipe. However, if you add a few simple ingredients to a brownie mix you can end up with something practically like the real, homemade deal. 

Next, we add a full covering of Reese’s and Oreo’s.

To top it off, we melt milk chocolate chips and peanut butter, mixed with Rice Krispy’s and Oreo’s for a generous layer of deliciousness.

Breakup Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

So tasty. Let me repeat- SO TASTY!

Breakup Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Get a load of that!

Another note is that I have made these in both a 8×8 inch pan and a 9×13 inch pan. If you use the former, be ready for a SUPER thick brownie, like the ones in these photos. If you use the latter, they are a pretty standard brownie size.  I don’t know that I liked either way better so I guess it would just depend how many people I was trying to stretch the brownies for.

Breakup Brownies
An outrageous combination of chocolate, peanut butter, Oreo's, and Reese's- all in one delicious brownie!
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
For the Brownies
  1. -1 box brownie mix
  2. -1/4 cup milk
  3. -2 eggs
  4. -1/2 cup butter, melted
For the second layer
  1. -12 Reese's peanut butter cups, cut into quarters.
  2. -10 Oreo's, in chunks
For the topping
  1. -2 cups milk chocolate chips
  2. -1 cup peanut butter
  3. -1 tablespoon butter
  4. -1 teaspoon vanilla
  5. -1 cup Rice Krispie's Cereal
  6. -3/4 cup Oreo's, in small chunks
For the brownies
  1. *1. Preheat oven at 325 F. Grease an 8x8 inch pan. Combine the brownie mix, milk, eggs, and butter. Pour into greased pan. Bake for 50-52 minutes.
For the second layer
  1. 2. When you pull the brownies out of the oven, immediately place the Reese's peanut butter cups and the 10 chunked up Oreo's on top of the brownies. After 3-5 minutes, spread the melted Reese's and Oreo's with a knife. Let brownies cool completely.
For the topping
  1. 1. Place chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave using increments of thirty seconds. Stir between each thirty seconds. Continue until melted and smooth. Add vanilla and combine.
  2. **2.Add Rice Krispie's and Oreo's to the chocolate chip and peanut butter mixture.
  3. 3. Spread topping over cooled brownies and let set up completely. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
  1. *You can make this same recipe in either a 9x13 inch or 8x8 inch pan. The 8x8 inch pan will yield a very thick brownie like in these photos. Just make sure you adjust the baking temperature and time in correlation with the size of pan you use, according to the instructions on whichever brownie mix you have.
  2. **You can skip the 3/4 cup of Oreo's and just use 1 3/4 cup of Rice Krispies instead. Using the Oreo's makes for a pretty rich brownie but they are so good!
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Brownies and Bars

Seven Layer Bars

I have been searching the internet high and low for all sorts of variations on Seven Layer Bars. They are so versatile! The unique combinations and spin-offs of these original bars are endless! Now, before I move onto some of those more unique combinations, let me focus on the original.  Even the original bars can be adapted to suit anyone’s taste.
 
Seven Layer Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com
Seven Layer Bars are a simple, tried-and-true kind of treat. They are super quick and easy to throw together. Most recipes tell you to let the bars cool completely before digging in. Well I will tell you, in the words of ‘Mater, ” to not to.” We only wait as long as is absolutely necessary before serving these up. If you are too impatient, which is the category I tend to fall into, you may serve up a gooey mess. That, in my opinion, isn’t all bad, BUT, for the sake of easy-serve, give them fifteen minutes to cool off.

Seven Layer Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Seven Layer Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Like what you see? Then don’t forget to subscribe!

 

7 Layer Bars
Yields 9
A deliciously gooey and easy, classic dessert recipe that is ready to throw in the oven in minutes.
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 4.5 full graham cracker sheets, crushed
  2. 4 tablespoon butter, melted
  3. 1 tablespoon sugar
  4. *1/2 cup butterscotch chips
  5. 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  6. 1 cup peanut butter chips
  7. 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  8. 1/2 cup toffee bits
  9. 1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
  10. 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place crushed graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter into a greased 8x8 pan. Combine well, mixing by hand, and press into the pan to form the crust.
  2. 2. Next, layer all of the chips, in the order listed. Layer the toffee bits, then the coconut.
  3. 3. Evenly spread sweetened condensed milk over bars. Bake 25-28 minutes.
  4. 4. Let cool 15 minutes.
Notes
  1. *I'm not a big fan of butterscotch so I usually replace these with peanut butter chips.
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/