Layers of chocolate and toffee dotted with chopped pecans top a buttery crust in a classic bar cookie. Helen Rosner
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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.
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. Get the recipe for Classic Blondies »
A chocolate-, almond-, and coconut-enriched graham crust supports a dense layer of buttercream topped with a slick of semisweet chocolate. Get the recipe for Nanaimo Bars »
Lemon bars are a light, brightly-flavored dessert, best served with a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar. Get the recipe for Lemon 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. Get the recipe for Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars »
Pecan 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.
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. Get the recipe for Katharine Hepburn’s 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. See the recipe for Krystal’s Espresso Brownies
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.
