fudge bars

these fudge bars are a perfect collision of worlds: a soft, chocolate chip cookie base meets a luxuriously smooth fudge centre, with crumbled cookie bits and a sprinkle of chocolate chunks on top for the perfect, chewy, gooey bite.

these fudge bars wrap you in the cozy warmth of a chocolate chip cookie base, leading into a heart of thick, creamy, chocolate. topped with crumbled cookie and melty chocolate chunks, these bars blend the nostalgia of freshly baked cookies with a rich, classic fudge, making each bite a chewy, chocolate-laden delight.

why you will love this chocolate fudge bars recipe:

• nostalgic and comforting flavours and textures: the blend of chocolate chip cookies and chocolate fudge brings together two classic comfort foods, with the chewy cookie layer contrasting beautifully with the dense, fudge middle.

• easy recipe with simple ingredients: this fudge bar recipe looks complicated but it’s actually very simple! it also ingredients that you probably already have at home, making it easy for bakers of all levels. the best part is that there is no chilling required for this recipe, so you can quickly whip this up whenever you’re craving something sweet and you’ll have a delicious, homemade treat in no time.

• great for preparing in advance – these fudge bars keep well and stay soft and chewy for days, so you can easily make them ahead for a gathering (or just for yourself) and store them in the fridge.

• customisable – while i love these chocolate fudge bars as they are, you can easily customise them to your preference by adding various mix-ins like nuts or add oats to your cookie base for fudge oatmeal bars or swap out the fudge layer for something like caramel or cheesecake!

how to make these fudge bars:

to make these fudge bars, we’re going to start off by making our cookie base by creaming together butter and sugar. add an egg, vanilla, a splash of heavy cream and dry ingredients to make a dough, then load it up with chocolate chips or chopped chocolate pieces. for the fudge we’ll mix chocolate, butter, condensed milk and vanilla and heat up until thick and smooth. layer these in a baking tray, bake until crisp and golden, and we’re done!

chocolate fudge bars ingredients:

• butter – i like to make these fudge bars with salted butter as the salt balances out the sweetness perfectly. you are welcome to use unsalted butter as well, but i would recommend adding a little bit of salt to the dry ingredients to balance out the flavours. we’re going to be creaming the butter with sugar to create a thick, chewy cookie base. we’ll also be using some butter for the fudge layer.

• brown sugar – i’m using light brown sugar for this recipe. this is what helps gives the cookie base its soft, chewy texture and gives it a nice flavour.

• granulated sugar – this recipe uses a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar.

• vanilla extract – optional, but will add a nice, subtle vanilla flavour.

• egg – this recipe only uses one large egg.

• double cream/heavy cream – my secret ingredient for an extra chewy cookie base! i like to add just a tablespoon of cream to keep the base soft and gooey.

• flour – we’ll be using plain flour/all purpose flour for this recipe

• baking powder and baking soda – for this fudge bars recipe, we’re going to use a mix of baking powder and baking soda – this will increase chewiness but also give them a bit of rise.

• chocolate – i like to chop up a bar of milk or dark chocolate to add to the cookie dough and to scatter on top before baking – this will give us melty pockets of chocolate all throughout the cookie base. i’m also going to melt down chocolate in this fudge bar recipe for the fudge layer.

• condensed milk – i’ll be combining sweetened condensed milk with chocolate and butter to create our smooth and rich fudge layer for these fudge bars.

tools:

• 8×8 inch baking tray – we’ll be baking these fudge bars in an 8×8 inch tray.

• a pan/microwave-safe bowl for making the fudge – we’re going to heat up chocolate, butter and condensed milk until combined to make the fudge layer. for this, we’ll need a pan to use over the stove or a microwave-safe bowl if you’re going to be using the microwave.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: in a large bowl, add butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. cream together the butter and sugars until soft and creamy.

step two: to this, add an egg, vanilla extract and a splash of heavy cream. mix until everything is combined.

step three: in another bowl, add flour, baking soda and baking powder, and mix these together. add this to the rest of the batter and gently fold it in with the rest of the mixture. then, add chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and mix into the batter.

step four: at this point, a dough will have formed. set this aside.

step five: begin making the fudge layer. in a pan, or microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, dark chocolate, and condensed milk. heat up over low heat, and keep stirring until the fudge is thick, glossy and smooth. then, remove from heat. in the case of using a microwave, heat up in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the fudge is smooth and thick. then, add vanilla extract and stir that in. set this aside to cool a little.

step six: preheat oven and line an 8×8 inch baking tray with baking paper/parchment paper. add about 3/4 of your cookie dough to the tray until the bottom of the tray is covered.

step seven: add the fudge on top and spread it out into a thick layer until smooth and even. make sure it’s not too hot when you add it to the tray.

step eight: add small sections of the leftover cookie dough on top of the fudge layer as well as some extra chocolate chunks or chocolate chips.

step nine: bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove from the oven and leave to cool before slicing up. the fudge layer will look wobbly when you take your fudge bars out of the oven but it will set as it cools.

step ten: slice up, pour yourself a glass of milk, and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• for this fudge bar recipe, room temperature ingredients will be easier to work with, so try to have your butter, egg and cream at room temperature before using. they will combine with the rest of the ingredients better and create a smoother batter.

• use high quality ingredients! try to use higher quality chocolate for the chocolate topping on your cookie as well as for the fudge layer. better chocolate means a richer flavour and smoother texture in your fudge bars.

• for clean, evenly cut fudge bars, dip your knife in hot water and wipe it dry between slices – the warm knife will cut through the layers more smoothly.

• store these fudge bars in an airtight container at room temperature . they can also be stored in the fridge if you don’t mind them being on the firmer side.

• chill the fudge bars in the fridge for about an hour after baking if you prefer a firmer fudge layer. this will give you a denser, more fudge-like consistency rather than the softness of a room temperature fudge bar.

• i personally recommend serving these at room temperature! if you do decide to store these fudge bars in the fridge, let the cold, refrigerated fudge bars come to room temperature before serving, especially if you want the fudge to be perfectly soft and rich and the cookie base to be nice and chewy.

• adjust baking time as needed. every oven is different, so i recommend keeping an eye on your fudge bars as they bake. over baked fudge bars means dry cookie and overly firm fudge. for perfectly baked fudge bars, try to remove them from the oven when the edges are set but the fudge middle still looks a bit soft and wobbly – this will set properly as the fudge bars cool. a toothpick inserted into the centre wouldn’t come out clean at this stage because of the fudge, but it still shouldn’t look completely wet.

• when you line your baking tray, let the baking paper/parchment paper hang over the sides. this will make it easier to lift the fudge bars out of the tray once they’re out of the oven.

• use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. while i add both metric and cup measurements for this recipe, i always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients for most accurate results.

• if you plan to use a microwave for making the fudge layer, make sure to stir frequently and microwave in intervals to ensure even melting. microwave in 30 second intervals, and stir the mixture in these pauses until everything is combined. once the fudge is thick and smooth, stir the vanilla in.

• let your fudge cool slightly before adding to the tray on top of your cookie dough. it should still be slightly warm so that it’s easy to spread, but too much heat can melt the dough and the chocolate.

frequently asked questions

1. can i use any type of chocolate for the fudge layer in this fudge bar recipe?

   – while i used dark chocolate for the fudge layer, you can absolutely use dark, milk or semi-sweet chocolate for the fudge, depending on your preference. bear in mind that dark chocolate will result in a richer, less sweet fudge and milk chocolate will make it sweeter and creamier. we are also using sweetened condensed milk for the fudge so we don’t want it to be too sweet!

2. can i use unsalted butter in this fudge bars recipe?

   – yes, you can use unsalted butter. if you use unsalted butter for your fudge bars instead of salted, i would recommend adding around 1/4 tsp of salt to the cookie dough with the rest of the dry ingredients just to balance out the sweetness of the sugar and chocolate.

3. do i have to use vanilla extract to make these fudge bars?

   – the vanilla extract in this fudge bar recipe is optional. i like the subtle vanilla flavour it gives to the cookie dough and fudge, but if you would prefer not to use it or don’t have it, that’s also completely fine.

4. my chocolate doesn’t melt, how do i get the melted pools of chocolate in my fudge bars?

   – use chopped up chocolate in your cookie dough over chocolate chips if you’re looking for pools of chocolate. chocolate chips often come with stabilisers and emulsifiers that help them keep their shape, so they are actually designed not to melt in the oven. for the perfect combination of chewy bite and melty chocolate, you could even use a mix of both chocolate chips and chopped chocolate in these fudge bars.

5. why did my fudge layer come out hard?

   – if your fudge layer is too hard or stiff, it might be that it was cooked for too long in the microwave. i recommend taking it out frequently and stirring in between (every 30 seconds) until the mixture is combined.

   – another reason could be that your fudge bars were baked for too long in the oven. you should remove them from the oven while the fudge layer still looks soft as it will firm up and set as it cools.

6. the fudge layer in my fudge bars is too soft, what did i do wrong?

   – an overly soft fudge layer can be due to not baking the fudge bars for long enough or not letting them cool properly once removing from the oven. the fudge layer should look soft but not wet when you take the fudge bars out of the oven. make sure it cools completely before you try to pick them up or slice them. you can also consider letting them chill in the fridge once baked to firm up the fudge layer.

7. do i have to use brown sugar to make these fudge bars?

   – brown sugar is recommended for these fudge bars, as it helps gives the cookie base its chewy texture and rich flavour. however, if you don’t have brown sugar, you can substitute it with granulated sugar. bear in mind, that using all granulated sugar for the cookie base might result in a fudge bar that is crispier, less chewy and maybe even a little drier. for best results, use a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar as stated.

8. do i have to use heavy cream for this fudge bars recipe?

   – the use of heavy cream in this recipe adds some extra richness and moisture to the cookie base. if you’re looking for substitutes for the heavy cream, add the same amount of full fat milk. alternatively, you can skip the heavy cream altogether if you’re okay with your fudge bars being a little less chewy and rich.

9. can i double this fudge bar recipe?

   – you can absolutely double this recipe for double the amount of fudge bars. make sure to double all of the ingredients in this recipe and bake in a 9×13 inch tray. remember that doubling the recipe does not mean doubling the baking times so keep an eye on your fudge bars once they’re in the oven to make sure that they don’t over bake.

10. what if i don’t have baking powder/baking soda?

    – although both baking powder and baking soda are leavening agents, they both serve different roles in baking and are not interchangeable. leaving one out or exchanging one for the other might alter the taste and texture of your fudge bars so i wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re okay with these differences in taste/texture.

11. how long do these fudge bars last?

    – you can store these fudge bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. for longer storage, you can keep these fudge bars in the fridge for up to two weeks.

recipe