For the gooey cookie people, the chewy edge people, and anyone who knows the underbaked middle is the best part.
Hi folks! If you like your cookies soft, chewy, chocolatey, and a little dramatic in the middle, this is your bar.
These Gooey Malted Cookie Dough Chocolate Chunk Bars are slightly adapted from Ella Quittner’s Gooey Malted Cookie Dough Chocolate Chunk Bars from her cookbook, Obsessed with the Best. They are not your average chocolate chip cookie bar. They are richer, softer, maltier, and more fun in the middle.
The parchment overhang makes it easy to lift the bars out of the pan once they are chilled and ready to slice.
Stop scrolling, this is the one
I’m sharing these bars the Sunday before Father’s Day, so you have time to find malted milk powder, check your chocolate stash, and stop wondering what to make. Aside from tracking down the malted milk powder, there is nothing fussy here. Butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, and chocolate do most of the work.
Whether you are celebrating Dad, heading to a cookout, or planning the next summer get together, these bars may be the thing everyone talks about. Other than Dad, of course.
And if Father’s Day is not your thing this year, these bars are still very much your thing. There is always a Fourth of July table, a birthday, a porch night, or one of those “I should bring something” moments coming fast.
Served warm from the pan, these bars turn into a gooey chocolate dessert that belongs in a little bowl with a spoon.
How the gooey stays gooey
Instead of scooping cookie dough, you spread the batter into a square pan. So, every slice gives you chewy edges, soft centers, and big pockets of chocolate.
The malted milk powder gives them that old school chocolate malt flavor. It is toasty, rich, and just different enough to make people pause after the first bite. Meanwhile, chopped chocolate melts into little puddles, especially if you use chocolate bars instead of chips.
Most importantly, do not panic when the center looks soft. Ella designed these to have the texture of the middle of an underbaked chocolate chunk cookie. Once chilled, they slice cleanly and stay wonderfully gooey.
Malted milk powder, vanilla paste, and chopped milk and dark chocolate bars give these Gooey Malted Cookie Dough Chocolate Chunk Bars their toasty flavor and melty pockets.
Before you bake
Use chopped chocolate bars. This is the move. Chopped chocolate melts into soft pockets and little puddles that help create the gooey center. Chocolate chips will work in a pinch, but they are made to hold their shape, which is great in regular chocolate chip cookies and not really what we are after here. For the best texture, buy the bars. A milk and dark chocolate mix is great, and a chocolate bar with toffee, pretzel, or something crunchy tucked inside would not be wrong either.
Cream the butter and sugar for the full 10 minutes. A stand mixer makes this easy, but a hand mixer can do it too. Do not rush this step. It helps give the bars their pale, fluffy dough and soft, gooey center.
Serve them cold, room temp, or warm. Cold bars are firm enough to pick up and walk around with. Room temp bars are softer, gooier, and still handheld, but handle with care. Warm bars are plate or bowl territory, especially with ice cream.
This is the finished malted cookie dough before it goes into the pan. It is supposed to be very thick, not pourable. The full 10 minute butter and sugar whip helps make it pale, fluffy, and ready for all that chopped chocolate.
PSA: Make an extra batch for the freezer. Wrapped and tucked away, these bars come out one or two at a time like little gold bars from a secret dessert stash. And when the last one appears, people may start bargaining. Possibly flipping coins. We do not need a dessert dispute, so consider this prevention.
Slice these bars small, large, or somewhere in between. They are rich, gooey, and very ready for Father’s Day or the next summer get together.
The right tools for the job
My dad always said, “You gotta have the right tools for the job,” and he was not wrong here. A stand mixer or hand mixer, 9-inch square pan, parchment paper, offset spatula, and a sharp knife all help. A 9-inch pie pan can work in a pinch, especially if you plan to serve these warm with a spoon. But if you want clean bars, the square pan is the way to go.
I made several batches, tucked them into the freezer, and now they come out one or two at a time whenever we need a gooey chocolate moment. These are easy enough for beginner bakers, fun enough for kids, and special enough to bring anywhere this summer.
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Gooey Malted Cookie Dough Chocolate Chunk Bars
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on two sides so you can lift the bars out later for easier slicing.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, malted milk powder, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed for about 10 minutes, until very pale, fluffy, and doubled in volume, scraping down the sides as needed.
- With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated, then add the vanilla. Scrape down the sides. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, adding most of the chopped chocolate with the second addition. Reserve about 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped chocolate for the top. Mix on low until just combined.
- Using an offset spatula, transfer the batter to the prepared pan and roughly smooth the top. Scatter the reserved chocolate over the top and sprinkle lightly with flaky salt.
- Bake until the edges are maple colored and the center is golden, with a soft, quaking core that still leaves wet residue when a toothpick is inserted into the center, 26 to 28 minutes.
- If you want to serve these right away, spoon them warm from the pan like a sticky, gooey pudding into a sundae glass or small bowl. For clean bars, let cool in the refrigerator or freezer until cold to the touch. Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan, then slice into squares. I like a mix of small and larger bars because these are rich. Serve at room temperature for a super soft, doughy texture, or cold for a firmer chewy bar.
Notes
More recipes to bring to summer gatherings
How to Make Quick and Flavorful Creamed Corn
A creamy, sweet corn side with butter and cream that still lets the fresh corn flavor shine. It pairs beautifully with BBQ or anything grilled.
Summer Strawberry Cornbread
A sweet, nutty cornbread with brown butter, spelt flour, and strawberries. Serve it warm with butter, or add the strawberry maple topping if you want to make it feel more like dessert.
Cauliflower Couscous Salad with Almonds, Herbs, and Cherries
A bright cauliflower salad with toasted almonds, vinegar-soaked cherries, and fresh herbs. The cauliflower turns into couscous-like crumbles, so it tastes fresh, colorful, and a little unexpected.
If you’d like to see more, come find me on YouTube, 𝕏, and Instagram. You can also follow James T. here on the blog and on Instagram at @WarpSpeedWags.
If you make these Gooey Malted Cookie Dough Chocolate Chunk Bars, I’d love to hear how they turned out. Tell me how you served them: cold and chewy, room temp and gooey, or warm with a spoon and ice cream. Your comments and shares help more people find these recipes, and I appreciate every one.
7 responses to “Gooey Malted Cookie Dough Chocolate Chunk Bars”
Looks delicious 😋
Thank you, Michael. Really appreciate it.
😋🍪🍪🍪
Thank you, Nancy!
You’re welcome, Robin.
Looks delicious
Yum!!!