Red White and Blue Chocolate Chip Bars

Ahhh…I’m so happy!  Memorial Weekend will be coming up before you know it…(like a week and half from now!) and I need to get to crackin’ on sharing some patriotic treats with you that I know anyone in your circle will love!

So, these Red White and Blue Chocolate Chip Bars are these wonderful, chewy, buttery cookie bars that have just the right balance of vanilla milk chips and chocolate chips.  A delicious layer of tempting vanilla buttercream and some high-spirited red, white and blue accessories to make it red, white and blue ‘official’!

You don’t know how hard it was for me to make these with vanilla frosting versus chocolate frosting on these, but I’m glad I went with vanilla buttercream.

It goes with the theme of course, (red, white and blue) but there’s just something about vanilla buttercream that is just so classic

…and I like salt in my frosting.

Especially vanilla buttercream.

It really brings out intense flavors of the vanilla extract and butter.  I usually add just a touch more to chocolate chip cookies and bars when I bake them on any given day.

For flavor in food, whether it’s savory or sweet, a little salt can take flavors to another level.  It cuts the sweetness a bit.  Like this Best Home-made Salted Caramel Sauce.  A lot of salt, is not good.  But you know this already right?

But tell me, do you love it when you can taste a tinge of salt in your cookies and vanilla frosting like me?

So, this past weekend our son moved out, so I made these for him as a going away  ‘yummy’ to take along with him.

I’m going to hate that he’s not here to eat the sweets now, but I’m hoping he stops by often so he can take them off of our hands.  I don’t want these staring me in the face for any number of days because you know why.

These are sincerely, the most perfect sweet treat to share when you’re having a picnic, a barbeque or those family gatherings for your weekend for sure!

And remember the red, white, and blue accessories!  For more red, white and blue ideas, check out 20 Red, White & Blue Patriotic Desserts to Proudly Hail!!  

Print Recipe

4 from 4 votes

Red White and Blue Chocolate Chip Bars

These are sincerely, the most perfect sweet treat to share with your circle of friends for the holidays of red, white and blue! 

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bars, chocolate chip, cookies, vanilla frosting

Servings: 18 bars

Author: Kim Lange

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup mini choc chips
• 1/2 cup vanilla milk chips

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

• 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter softened
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a bowl, whisk together the  flour, baking soda and salt, set aside
• Using mixer, add butter and sugars together in a mixing bowl and mix on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy about 2 minutes.
• Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined, about 1 minute.
• Add in the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix together until combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.
• Press cookie dough evenly into pan. (I lightly spray my finger-tips with cooking spray to make it easier or you can do it with a rubber spatula.
• Bake for 30-35 mins.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
• While cooling, make the frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

• Using mixer, mix all the ingredients together until creamy and frosting consistency you like. You can add more powdered sugar if you need it to be a little stiffer or add in more cream if you need it more creamier.
• Frost cooled cookie dough bars with frosting and add decoratives immediately after frosting, because the top of the frosting will firm up, so they won't stick.
• Cut into small squares.

Notes

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting frosts a 9x13 pan, about 1 1/4 cups of frosting.

 

 

These bars can also be found here:  16 Simple and Delicious Red, White, and Blue Recipes