Recently, my husband had a birthday. I always make him a sweet treat to celebrate. He usually wants chocolate cake or brownies. I asked him this year which he would prefer and he said brownies. Then, I knew exactly what to make. I had been waiting to make these homemade Mississippi mud bars.
The base is a thin chew brownie followed by a layer of marshmallows. Next, you can add nuts if you want to. However, these are completely optional. Toasted pecans are the usual option for these bars. However, I used a Fisher nut topping found with the ice cream toppings. It includes a combination of nuts – peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, filberts, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, and macadamia nuts.
Last, is a chocolate glaze. It’s similar to what you make to go on Texas sheet cake. You bring some cocoa powder, milk, butter, and salt to a boil in a sauce pan. Then you remove it from the heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla. It should be the perfect consistency for drizzling. If not just add a little extra milk until it reaches the right consistency.
Here is what you need to make the
Homemade Mississippi Mud Bars
- FLOUR
- SUGAR
- BROWN SUGAR
- UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER
- BAKING SODA
- SALT
- BUTTER
- EGGS
- VANILLA EXTRACT
- MINI MARSHMALLOWS
- PECANS OR OTHER NUTS, TOASTED (OPTIONAL, I USED FISHER NUT TOPPING)
- MILK
- POWDERED SUGAR
Homemade Mississippi Mud Bars
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 (10 oz) pkg mini marshmallows
- 1 cup chopped pecans or other nuts, toasted (optional, I used Fisher nut topping)
Chocolate glaze:
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet (half sheet pan, about 12X18 inches) with parchment and lightly grease with cooking spray. You can line with foil and grease the foil or leave the pan unlined and grease the pan.
-
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the brown sugar to the melted butter and stir until the sugar is mixed in a softened. Add the melted butter mixture, eggs, and vanilla to the flour mixture. Stir together until combined (don’t overmix, just mix until no dry streaks remain and ingredients are evenly combined).
-
Spread batter evenly in a thin layer in the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the top is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch closely so the thin bars don’t overbake!
-
Remove from the oven, sprinkle the top evenly with marshmallows. Place back in the oven and bake for 3-5 minutes more until the marshmallows are softened.
-
If using nuts, sprinkle over the marshmallows and let cool to room temperature before glazing.
-
Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Thin with additional milk, if needed, until the mixture is thick but pourable and can easily be drizzled across the bars.
-
Drizzle the glaze in a crisscross pattern over the bars. Cut with a plastic knife to avoid the marshmallow sticking to the knife. Makes 24 bars.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café.