Food

15 Brownies and Bar Cookies Perfect for Last-Minute Baking

It's hip to be a square-shaped cookie

By SAVEUR Editors

August 4, 2013

Richer than a cookie but more portable than cake, brownies and bar cookies make for the ultimate convenient, satisfying dessert (or snack) that's appropriate at any time of the day. From classic nut-studded chocolate brownies to tangy lemon bars on a shortbread crust, these 15 simple treats show off the versatility of the beloved bar.

Chocolate Toffee Bars — Layers of chocolate and toffee dotted with chopped pecans top a buttery crust in a classic bar cookie.Helen Rosner

Classic Blondies — Like a brownie in shape and texture, blondies are packed with all the brown sugar and butterscotchy goodness of chocolate chip cookies, but are softer and more substantial.Todd Coleman

Rocky Road Brownies — These cakey brownies are loaded with gooey caramels and marshmallows, crunchy nuts, and melty shards of chocolate.Noah Fecks

Nick's Supernatural Brownies — Fudgy brownies make an ideal base for a decadent ice cream sundae.Helen Rosner

Nanaimo Bars — A chocolate-, almond-, and coconut-enriched graham crust supports a dense layer of buttercream topped with a slick of semisweet chocolate.Penny De Los Santos

Lemon Bars — Lemon bars are a light, brightly-flavored dessert, best served with a sprinkling of confectioners' sugar.Noah Fecks

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars — Sweetened with ripe persimmons and dates, and coated with a tart, toothsome, lemon-sugar glaze, these bars are a wonderful celebration of late-fall fruits.Noah Fecks

Pecan Squares — Walnuts may be substituted for pecans in these soft, rich, and chewy cookies.Farideh Sadeghin

Hazelnut Raspberry Linzer Squares — These exceptionally pretty, nut-flecked bars have a peanut-butter-and-jelly appeal, but the addition of fragrant vanilla and bright orange zest dresses up the classic pairing.Noah Fecks

Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies — A version of this recipe accompanied an interview with the actress Katharine Hepburn in the August 1975 issue of The Ladies' Home Journal. This brownie recipe, which calls for the smallest amount of flour, produces incredibly chewy bars with a full but mellow chocolate flavor.Helen Rosner

Krystal’s Espresso Brownies — Instant espresso powder and chocolate-covered espresso beans gives SAVEUR staffer Krystal Stone's iced brownies a concentrated flavor and a zingy, caffeinated boost.Helen Rosner

Cardamom-Ginger Crunch — These shortbreads get their spicy kick from ground cardamom and ginger.Todd Coleman

Maple Squares with Walnuts — Serve these chewy dessert squares in shallow bowls, with a pitcher of cream to be poured over the top.Todd Coleman

Chewy Fruit and Nut Granola Bars — These sweet, satisfying granola bars (which just so happen to be vegan and can be made gluten-free) are as good for breakfast as they are as a mid-afternoon snack.Anna Stockwell

caramel crumb bars — These shortbread bars, with their extravagant double-layered topping—rich caramel and a crumbly butter streusel—are the perfect dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth.Todd Coleman

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