Brown Butter Cadbury Egg Cookie Bars
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If you need a festive sweet treat for Easter, these Brown Butter Cadbury Egg Cookie Bars are a delicious way to give classic cookie bars a fun seasonal twist. Chopped Cadbury eggs add that signature Easter candy touch, making them perfect for spring baking, dessert trays, or holiday gatherings. Browning the butter takes them to the next level, adding a rich, nutty flavor that makes these bars taste extra special and so much better than ordinary cookie bars.
These cookie bars use both brown butter and butter-flavored shortening, and each one plays an important role in the final texture and flavor. The brown butter adds a deep, rich, nutty flavor that gives the bars a more homemade, bakery-style taste and makes them feel extra special. The butter-flavored shortening helps balance that richness by creating a soft, chewy texture and giving the bars enough structure to stay thick, tender, and easy to cut into neat squares.
I have to say, I like these bars even better than the Cadbury Egg cookies I’ve shared before. They have the perfect chewy texture, and the edges are my favorite part with their delicious mix of chewiness and just a little crunch. The Cadbury eggs create creamy pockets of milk chocolate throughout the bars, and the crisp candy shell adds an extra bit of sweet crunch that makes every bite so good.
Ingredients for Brown Butter Cadbury Egg Cookie Bars
- BUTTER
- BUTTER FLAVORED SHORTENING
- BROWN SUGAR
- GRANULATED SUGAR
- EGGS
- VAILLA EXTRACT
- ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
- BAKING SODA
- SALT
- CREAM OF TARTAR
- MINI CHOCOLATE CHIPS
- MINI CADBURY EGGS
Instructions for Brown Butter Cadbury Egg Cookie Bars
Start by browning the butter. Add the butter to a medium saucepan and melt it over medium heat. Once melted, let it continue to cook, watching it closely. The butter will begin to bubble, and a thick white foam will form on top. As it cooks, listen for the popping sounds to slow down and stop. At that point, remove the pan from the heat. Give the butter a stir, and you should see little brown bits at the bottom and notice a rich, nutty aroma.
Pour the browned butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the brown sugar while the butter is still hot and stir it together. This helps the sugar begin to dissolve and creates a rich base for the bars. Set it aside for a few minutes.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal and cleanup. I just spray the pan with non-stick spray.
Add the granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the mixture until it has cooled slightly. Add in the butter-flavored shortening and mix until smooth and well combined.
Next, add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until everything is fully incorporated.
Stop the mixer and add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar. Mix just until a soft dough forms, being careful not to overmix. Mix just until the flour disappears. Overmixing can make the bars less tender.
Place the Cadbury eggs in a large zip-top bag and gently crush them into smaller chunks using a rolling pin. Add 1/2 cup of the crushed Cadbury eggs to the dough along with the mini chocolate chips. Fold them in until evenly distributed.
Time to Bake the Bars!
Spread the dough evenly into the prepared 9×13-inch pan. Sprinkle the remaining crushed Cadbury mini eggs over the top and lightly press them into the dough so they stay in place while baking. Using some on top makes the bars look prettier and gives them that bakery-style finish.
Bake for 16 minutes, or until the bars are just set and lightly golden. Let them cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular butter instead of browning it?
Yes, you can use regular melted butter, but browning the butter adds a deeper, richer, nutty flavor that really makes these bars stand out.
How do I crush the Cadbury eggs without making a mess?
Place them in a large zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to gently break them into chunks. Be careful not to crush them too finely—you want small pieces and chunks.
Can I use other candy in place of Cadbury eggs?
Yes. Mini eggs, chopped chocolate eggs, pastel M&M’s, or even chocolate chips would all work well in this recipe.
How do I know when the bars are done baking?
The bars should look set and lightly golden around the edges. The center may still look slightly soft, but it will continue to set as the bars cool.
Can I make these cookie bars ahead of time?
Yes, these bars are great for making ahead. You can bake them a day or two in advance and store them in an airtight container.
How should I store these bars?
Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also refrigerate them if you prefer a firmer texture.
Can I freeze these cookie bars?
Yes. Once cooled, cut them into bars and place them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between the layers. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Tips and Tricks
- Watch the butter closely while browning it. Brown butter can go from perfectly golden and nutty to burnt very quickly. As soon as you see brown bits in the bottom of the pan and smell that rich, nutty aroma, take it off the heat.
- Use a light-colored saucepan if possible. A lighter pan makes it much easier to see when the butter solids have turned golden brown instead of too dark.
- Do not crush the Cadbury eggs too much. You want a mix of small chunks and larger pieces so you get little pockets of chocolate and candy shell throughout the bars.
- Do not overbake. For soft and chewy cookie bars, remove them when the edges are lightly golden and the center is just set. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Let the bars cool completely before cutting. This helps them set up properly and makes slicing much cleaner and easier.
- Use a plastic knife or a sharp knife for neat cuts. A plastic knife often works surprisingly well for cutting cookie bars cleanly.
- Store them in an airtight container. This helps keep the bars soft and chewy for several days.
FOR MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS, TRY:
- Homemade Peanut Butter Easter Eggs
- Sheet Pan Carrot Cake
- Carrot Cake Cookies
- Mini Fruit Cookie Tarts
Brown Butter Cadbury Egg Cookie Bars
Real Mom Kitchen
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup shortening
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- 9 oz pkg Cadbury mini eggs
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking until it foams and the popping sounds stop. Remove from the heat and stir. The butter should have brown bits on the bottom and a nutty aroma.
- Pour the browned butter into a medium glass bowl. Stir in the brown sugar and let it sit for a few minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.
- Add the browned butter mixture and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until slightly cooled. Mix in the shortening.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar. Mix just until a dough forms.
- Place the Cadbury eggs in a large zip-top bag and crush into chunks with a rolling pin. I just do it right in the package they come in. Fold 1/2 cup of the crushed Cadbury eggs and the mini chocolate chips into the dough.
- Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining crushed Cadbury eggs over the top and lightly press them into the dough.
- Bake for 16 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars. Makes 15 bars.
