This recipe for Rocky Ledge Bars (Crack Bars) is a brown sugar cookie base that’s full of three types of chocolate, marshmallows and toffee bits. The ultimate hand held dessert!
This is the absolute best bar cookie I’ve ever had, they’re gooey, sticky and decadent in the best possible way.
I have made these rocky ledge bars dozens and dozens of times over the years – maybe even 100 times by now. I make them for every potluck, every holiday and any time I’m in charge of dessert and they immediately get eaten. Who doesn’t love a cookie base loaded with three different kinds of chocolate, toffee and marshmallows? Almost every December I get together with some friends to do holiday baking. And every year we make at least 2 or 3 batches of these bars. One of my friends has dubbed them “crack bars” because they’re so addictive.
How do you make rocky ledge bars?
The premise is simple – make a brown sugar cookie dough and cram as many add-ins as possible into it, put it in a pan and bake.
Today I’m using a combination of white, milk and dark chocolate along with toffee chips and marshmallows but the combinations are really endless.
I usually just do whatever add-ins I happen to have in my baking pantry at the moment. I always use at least one type of chocolate and go from there – in the past I’ve used butterscotch chips, M&Ms, coconut, sliced almonds, caramels and mini peanut butter cups. Once I even made a s’mores version with milk chocolate, marshmallow and graham crackers. Just keep the total amount of add-ins to 4 and 1/2 cups and you should be fine with substitutions.
Half of the add-ins are stirred into the dough and the rest get sprinkled over the top to make the rocky ledge bars look pretty. I use a combination of chocolate chips and chunks because I think it looks nicer but if you just want to use all chips or chunks that’s totally fine too.
These crack bars are great for a crowd and they freeze beautifully too. This is a fun one to let the kids help with, my girls love to “sample” the chocolate and marshmallows as they sprinkle them over the top of the bars. Who can blame them?!
Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!
More great dessert recipes
Rocky Ledge Bars (aka "Crack Bars")
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar can use dark or light, I typically use light
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate can use chips, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup toffee bits
- 1/2 cup white chocolate can use chips, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides (you'll use the foil overhang as handles to lift the bars out of the pan). Spray the foil with cooking spray.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until well combined. Mix in flour mixture until combined. Fold in half of each of the marshmallows, chocolate and toffee chips.
- Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Scatter remaining marshmallows, chocolates and toffee on top. Bake until top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Lift out of pan, and transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes.
- Remove parchment, and cut into 20 squares. Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.
Sarah says
I’ve made these several times now and they’re delicious! People devour them and I always get requests for the recipes, this is one of my go-tos now!
B Didio says
I am going to try these, look delicious but wish someone would respond that has made them. A friend told me they had one like this and had coconut in it. Reminded them of Magic Cookie bars taste wise. Has anyone else out there made these. ? Thank You for sharing theses recipes.
Sara says
These are more like a chocolate chip cookie with add-ins, they don’t really taste like a Magic Cookie bar. Hope that helps!
B Didio says
Thank You Sara, sounds like a great recipe anyways and easy for the little one to try.
Brooke Knipp says
DEAR LORD those look good! And your photos are SO pretty and well done! 🙂
Laura says
I love bars like these–they look awesome. Also, at the risk sounding like a food blogger who overthinks such things, I love that you sliced them into triangles!
Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says
Wow do those look like the perfect treat or what!!
Michelle | A Latte Food says
You are killing me with these bars! Oh my goodness, these look to-die for! With all that chocolate and marshmallow goodness, I don’t think I could resist these!
Beth says
Oh yum! I want mine loaded with chocolate chips, coconut and pecans!
Chelsie says
One: These look delicious, fancy and classy without being too complicated-YES! That’s my kind of recipe! Two: Your food photography is stunning. I’m so inspired!
Lee Anne says
OH Yum!!! These look incredible. I’ll have to add them to my list!
xoxo
Lee Anne
http://www.lifeinatx.com/
Chastity says
Shut up! Wow, these look amazing.
AnneMohn says
These look absolutely delicious! I will try them for our next hiking trip! 🙂
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
Hundreds of times? I GOTTA MAKE THESE!
Kimberly Bonham says
Oh man! These looking AMAZING!!!
Lauren says
The look amazing.. I really want one right now!!!
Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says
I love baking and even though sometimes I cannot indulge in the creation, I love making items for other people. I cannot wait to make these for my husband’s coworkers!
Melissa says
Wow these look delicious! Would love to try to make these one day, thanks for sharing the recipe!
Marye says
Yep these would quickly become an addiction here.. They look dangerous!
Abigail says
Three kinds of chocolate? That means awesomeness to the highest level! Looks so good! Pinned. 🙂
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
This looks delicious, awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Shannon @ Dinner from the Heart says
I love the idea of cramming as many mix ins in as possible! These look so good. I’m sure they wouldn’t last long at my house. Great idea to freeze them to have some for later. I might have to freeze them at someone else’s house, though! 🙂