Recipes and Ideas for Baking Kid-friendly Bars
Tasty, Quick Alternatives to Cookies for Children of All Ages
Nov 11, 2009
Kids love to eat cookies, but baking them isn’t always the most convenient task for moms—especially those who don’t have a lot of free time. Bars are a quick and easy alternative to cookies that can be just as satisfying for children. Not any bar will do, though. A kid-friendly bar has to contain kid-friendly ingredients, like chocolate and other goodies. Here are some recipes and ideas for making bars that are sure to please kids and moms alike.
Rice Krispie Bars With Chocolate Inside
Cereal, peanut butter, and butterscotch—this bar has them all, plus a rich layer of chocolate in the middle. Even better, it’s simple to assemble.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 4 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
Directions:
- Melt the butterscotch chips with peanut butter in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the Rice Krispies.
- Press half the cereal mixture into a buttered 8-inch square pan. Chill.
- Combine the chocolate chips, sugar, butter, and water in a double boiler and stir until melted. Spread over cereal mixture.
- Top chocolate layer with remaining cereal mixture.
Brownie Candy Bar Bars
Candy bars and brownies are a tasty combination that kids can’t resist.
Ingredients:
- Family-size brownie mix
- 3 eggs
- 3 extra-large chocolate candy bars (approx. 5 ounces)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven according to the directions on the box of brownie mix.
- Prepare the brownie mix as directed, but use 3 eggs instead of 2.
- Pour half the batter into a 9 x 13 pan. Lay the three candy bars over the batter. Pour the remaining batter on top.
- Bake as directed on the box.
Cookie Bars
Baking chocolate chip cookie bars is a convenient way to duplicate the taste of an all-time kid favorite, chocolate chip cookies. And it takes half the time. Just use a favorite chocolate chip recipe or one from the back of a 12-ounce package of chocolate chips. Make the dough as directed in the recipe, spread in a jelly roll pan, and bake for approximately 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
For an even simpler version, use a store bought cookie mix (17.5 ounces). Prepare the mix, spread the dough into an 8 x 8 pan, and bake until set. Feel free to experiment with other varieties of cookies mixes, too.
Whether prepared with homemade or pre-packaged dough, cookie bars taste even better with add-ins. Toss chopped nuts, colored baking pieces, or coconut into the dough before baking. Or, use different flavored chips, like mint or white chocolate. Another idea: Substitute chocolate chunks for chocolate chips. Be creative!
For a time-saving alternative to making cookies, try any of these simple bar recipes. They’re just as tasty and fun to eat as cookies. Ask any kid!
For quick and easy pie crust recipes and ideas, see Recipes for Basic Pie Crusts and How to Fill Them.
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