Cookie bars are so easy, we’re not sure why we ever bake anything else…
From the enduring Toll House pan cookies and rocky road bar cookies to oatmeal scotchies and magic cookie bars, these vintage recipes are sure to transport you back in time.
Cookie bars first gained popularity in the US during the 1950s and 60s as a quick and easy way to bake cookies without having to chill and slice or form individual dough balls. This made them a popular choice for increasingly overcommitted home bakers, who could simply mix up the dough, spread it into a pan and bake it all at once… not to mention the relative ease of cleanup!
To this day, pan cookies remain a popular treat, and they’re extra special when you can source vintage pan cookie recipes that take you back to your own childhood! Not all of them even require baking.
Grab your mixing bowl and mix up a batch of these delicious treats today — we have a recipe for every taste and occasion.
ALSO SEE: 31 essential cookie baking supplies for a very merry Christmas in the kitchen
These delicious chocolate chip cookie bars – Toll House pan cookies – are an easy and delicious way to get an old-fashioned chocolate fix. Whether you call them 7-layer bars, magic cookie bars or something else, It’s just layer after layer of delectable ingredients, spread on top of the other right in the baking pan. No mixing! These delicious pumpkin cookie bars are sort of like pumpkin bread, and have a delicous orange-flavored cream cheese frosting. In these lemon bar recipes (also called lemon squares), a tangy citrus mixture bakes on top of the buttery cookie crust, making it all into some rich, sweet and delicious bar cookies. Temptation squared: Classic cookie bars recipe from 1987 Try these Triple Treat holiday bars: A vintage bar cookie recipe from 1973! They’re easy to make. Take one pan, bake one base, then top 3 different delicious ways. The basic idea behind these Scotcheroos is to deliciously combine the sweet and luscious flavors of chocolate, butterscotch and peanut butter. Homemade with love! These deliciously luscious pumpkin cheesecake bars don’t take long to make when you start with this classic recipe from the 80s! Here’s an easy recipe for no-bake chocolate-butterscotch candy bar cookies! They have a luscious layer of butterscotch flavor (mixed in with Cheerios cereal and marshmallows), which is then topped with a delicious layer of chocolate. Remember the great taste of graham crackers, toasted marshmallows and real milk chocolate with this retro recipe for Indoor S’mores! This holiday chocolate nut squares recipe makes a delicious vintage cookie bar – filled with chocolate, pecans or walnuts, plus coconut on a sweet cookie dough base! Made on a base of slice n bake cookie dough, these indulgent Rocky Road bar cookies are topped with chocolate frosting, marshmallows & nuts. Here’s the recipe from 1973! Nothing draws a full house like the great taste of Oatmeal Scotchie bar cookies! All you need is a pan and these ingredients for the perfect treat. Choco-peanut butter bar cookies, made with semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped peanuts, are all chewy and crunchy at the same time. This delicious date-walnut double decker bar cookie has a buttery, pastry layer topped by a moist, chewy layer filled with dates and walnuts. Find out why it’s been a favorite since the ’70s Everyone loves Toll House Cookies -- which is why they’re so popular. Now there’s a new twist to these cookies. That’s Toll House Marble Squares. Give them something made with love, like these deliciously indulgent rocky road bars and a sweetheart fudge pie!
Toll House pan cookies recipe: Classic chocolate chip cookie bars from 1982
Old-fashioned 7-layer bars recipes: 7 ways to make deliciously decadent magic cookie bars
Classic pumpkin cookie bars recipe (1987)
Classic lemon bar recipes: 6 retro ways to make these delicious treats
Classic cookie bars: Chunky chocolate cookie squares (1987)
Triple Treat holiday bars recipe: Retro 3-in-1 pan cookies (1973)
Scotcheroos: Chocolate & butterscotch on peanut butter cookie bars (1965)
Pumpkin cheesecake bars: A classic fall dessert recipe from the 80s
No-bake chocolate-butterscotch candy bar cookies made with Cheerios (1980)
Indoor S'mores recipe: No-bake chocolate dessert bars made with Golden Grahams cereal
Holiday chocolate nut squares retro bar cookie recipe (1997)
Rocky Road bar cookies, made with slice & bake cookies, marshmallows and chocolate
Oatmeal Scotchie bar cookies recipe from 1982
Choco-peanut butter bar cookies (1972)
Date-walnut double decker bar cookie recipe (1972)
Toll House Marble Squares bar cookies (1960s)
Sweetheart fudge pie & Rocky road bar recipes (1982)
Made from chip-resistant earthenware, this mixing bowl is perfect for stirring up bread and cookie dough, as well as cake batter, pastries and pudding mixes. Intricately embossed with scenes of whimsical forest animals, the pattern is designed to help you maintain a secure grip on the bowl while mixing - and it's really pretty, too!
