Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Instructions
- Chop the extra candy that will be used for decorating the tops of the bars into small pieces and place it in the freezer. Keep this separate from the 1 1/4 cups of chopped candy that will be mixed into the cookie dough.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8x8-inch square baking dish and line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt until evenly combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk again until smooth.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until combined. Fold in the 1 1/4 cups of chopped candy until evenly distributed.
- Spread the cookie dough evenly into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the dark chocolate chips evenly across the top. The chocolate will melt while baking and help hold the additional candy decorations in place.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the center is set.
- Immediately after removing the bars from the oven, take the reserved chopped candy from the freezer and press it gently into the melted chocolate chips on top.
- Sprinkle the top generously with flaky sea salt. Refrigerate the pan for about 30 minutes, or until the bottom of the baking dish is no longer hot.
- Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the cooled bars from the pan. Slice into 16 squares and serve.
Notes
Cut the candy into small bite-sized pieces so it distributes evenly throughout the cookie bars.
Freezing the candy used for topping helps prevent it from melting too quickly when pressed into the warm bars.
For the best texture, avoid overbaking. The bars should be lightly golden around the edges while remaining soft and chewy in the center.
Allow the bars to cool before slicing so they hold their shape cleanly.