Funfetti Oreo Cookie Bars
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A mash of flours and Oreos makes cookie bars dense but tender. Butter whipped light, eggs added slow. White chocolate chips with rainbow sprinkles cut through sweetness. Baking’s a delicate balance—too long and edges crisp hard, too short and dough stays gummy. Breaking Oreos on top adds crunch contrast. Cooling is crucial. Use tactile and visual cues to find that sweet spot. Cake batter flavor swapped for vanilla almond extract for nutty depth. Split mixing of dry and wet cuts down overmix risk. Dust kitchen with sweet aroma, sprinkle colors pop. Hands-on pressing gets even thickness. The bars hold shape without toughness. Substitutions and fixes included for all kitchen mishaps.
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
18 min
Total:
Servings:
20 bars
#American
#cookies
#baking
#snacks
#rainbow sprinkles
#oreo cookies
Cold butter beaten with sugar till fluffy. Then eggs and almond vanilla, a personal twist for extra nutty punch. Flours measured carefully, including cornstarch to keep crumb tender but structure firm enough for bars. Oreos split between dough and topping; that crushed top adds crunch—a textural game changer in my experience. White chocolate chips and sprinkles bring sweetness and eye candy. The oven temp lowered a shade from original to avoid overly crisp edges. This isn’t about quick bake hustle but paying attention to how dough shifts and smells mid-bake. Loosened mixing steps reduce gluten formation, crucial for soft, chewy bars. Cooling is non-negotiable. Barely pressing, not packing dough for even rise and bake. It’s about trust in senses, not timers.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cake flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla almond extract
- 25 Oreo cookies divided
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles
About the ingredients
Flours can be tricky—cake flour lightens crumb, cornstarch adds tenderness but don’t skip it unless desperate. If no cake flour, use 2 cups all-purpose minus 2 tablespoons. Butter must be just soft, not melted; creaming fully incorporates air and dissolves sugar, key to rise and texture. Granular sugar good, but swapping half for brown sugar ups chewiness and depth. Vanilla almond extract swaps out regular to add warmth and subtle nuance, but pure vanilla extract works fine here. Oreos chopped go inside for pockets of crunch, some sprinkled whole on top for texture contrast. White chocolate chips optional, sub with butterscotch or milk chocolate chunks. Sprinkles add festive color but omit if you dislike artificial dyes or textures.
Method
- Preheat oven to 320°F. The slight temp drop slows browning for moist middle.
- In large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cake flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt until uniform. Sets up the structure; no clumps lurking.
- In stand mixer bowl fitted with paddle, cream butter and sugar on medium about 3 minutes. You want light, fluffy, no gritty sugar spots. Scrape down sides mid-creaming.
- Add eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla almond extract. Mix medium speed until merged but don’t overbeat or bubbles collapse. Use spatula to clear paddle blade and sides if buildup.
- Shift mixer to slow. Introduce flour mixture slowly, quarter cup increments. Mix until just combined after each addition. Overworking means tough bars; stop at streaks disappearing.
- Fold in 15 Oreos roughly chopped, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles by hand or brief low mix. Preserve bits intact for textural pops later.
- Spray 9x13 pan well with nonstick spray. Press dough evenly into pan using clean hands or flat measuring cup base. Uniform thickness means even baking.
- Crumble remaining 10 Oreos and press onto dough surface. Adds crunch contrast and visual appeal.
- Bake at 320°F for 18-20 minutes. Look for edges set but pale, center with moist crumbs clinging on toothpick. Listen for gentle crackling sounds and smell rich vanilla and baked sugar aromas.
- Let cool completely in pan. Bars firm up as they rest. Cut into squares when fully cool—cutting sooner leads to saggy mess.
- Store airtight at room temp up to 4 days or freeze wrapped for longer stash.
Cooking tips
Creaming butter and sugar well is foundation; rushing this leads to dense bars. Egg incorporation at medium speed ensures smooth batter; slow reduction for dry ingredients prevents overmixing which toughens bars. Gradual flour mix avoids flour clouds and overdeveloped gluten, key to tenderness. Folding Oreos and chips preserves bites, quick mixing prevents batter breaking down. Pressing dough evenly to pan thickness matters—thin spots burn, thick spots undercook. Crumbling remaining Oreos atop before baking bakes them slightly crunchy, adding sensory excitement. Oven set at 320°F instead of 325°F avoids edges darkening too fast—watch scent and edge change over time for cues. Teeth should grip crumbs, bit moist at center, no raw batter clumps. Cooling fully locks shape; cut too soon and bars crumble or smear. Wrap leftovers airtight, fridge speeds staling. Reheat slightly for warming softness, but avoid microwave melts chips wild.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Watch mixing speed closely; too fast in egg stage causes bubbles popping, bars deflate. Cream butter and sugar at medium—not fast or slow. Light, fluffy texture depends on fully creamed butter. Scrape bowl often. Overmix after flour addition toughens; add dry slow in quarters. Flour clouds? Stop, fold gently.
- 💡 Oven temp lowered from usual 325°F to 320°F. Avoid crunchy edges; subtle scent changes signal doneness. Smell threshold—rich vanilla aroma, baked sugar scent. Look for pale edges not browning. Toothpick with moist crumbs clinging—not wet batter. Crackling sound faint, then fades—start check at 18 minutes.
- 💡 Use spoon or hands to press dough evenly; uneven thickness burns or leaves gooey parts. Dough sticky but workable; light powdering on hands if needed. Ignore steel spatulas; they compress too much. Oreo topping crumbled, pressed down gently to embed—not flatten or chips disappear. Adds texture contrast mid-bite.
- 💡 Substitutions ok but affect texture—brown sugar ups chew, but moister dough slows bake time. Vanilla almond extract swapped for pure vanilla or mix both but adjust amounts downward. White chocolate chips optional; butterscotch or milk chocolate chunks work but alter sweetness. Skip sprinkles for cleaner bite; no dye.
- 💡 Cooling non-negotiable. Bars still warm slice gummy, smear messy edges. Cool fully in pan—knife cleans between cuts. Store airtight, room temp for days okay but fridge speeds staling. Freeze well wrapped. Reheat briefly to soften but no microwave or chips melt wild, lose structure.
Common questions
How to tell if bars done?
Edges pale, not browned, slight crackle fades. Toothpick with moist crumbs, no raw dough. Smell rich vanilla plus sugar baked. Sounds quiet then stop. Start checking at 18 min. Oven varies, watch cues.
Can I skip cake flour or cornstarch?
Cake flour lightens crumb; no cornstarch means firmer bars. Use 2 cups all-purpose minus 2 tablespoons instead. Texture less tender. Fine but not quite same. Keep powder sifted to avoid lumps.
What if bars turn tough?
Overmixing after flour addition main culprit. Speed too high or adding dry too quick. Fold gently. Also butter too soft or over-creamed. Keep mixing slow once wet/dry combined. Rest dough before baking helps gluten relax.
How to store leftovers?
Airtight container room temp fine for 4 days, fridge keeps longer but dry faster. Freeze well wrapped tight. Reheat slightly to soften cut edges but avoid microwave if possible—chips melt unevenly, mess up texture.
