This cookie dough bark recipe combines edible chocolate chip cookie dough with melted chocolate for an easy no-bake treat everyone will love.
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The Viral Cookie Dough Bark I Can’t Stop Eating
If you’ve ever snuck a spoonful of dough while making chocolate chip cookies, this recipe is for you. My cookie dough bark keeps the viral treat simple with just pantry staples.
A soft cookie dough layer gets pressed into a pan, topped with melted chocolate, and frozen until firm. Then you break it into pieces just like traditional bark.
This no-bake recipe is perfect for hot days when I don’t want to turn on the oven. My kids go crazy for it, and it disappears faster than a batch of my edible cookie dough. I love to keep a stash in the freezer so a sweet treat is always ready when a cookie craving hits.
Ingredients Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Old fashioned oats: Blending the oats creates a fine oat flour that gives the dough its classic texture. Stick with old fashioned oats here, since quick oats blend into a denser flour and the dough loses that soft cookie texture.
- Maple syrup: Adds sweetness and helps the dough hold together. Honey works as a substitute in a pinch.
- Brown sugar: Most cookie dough bark recipes skip the brown sugar, but I think it’s a must for true cookie flavor. That hint of molasses is what makes it taste like real cookie dough instead of a granola bar.
- Vanilla extract: Don’t skip it! Vanilla is what gives cookie dough that bakery-style flavor.
- Mini chocolate chips: Minis distribute better through the thin dough layer than regular chips. They’re the same ones I use in my mini chocolate chip cookies.
How to Make Cookie Dough Bark
Start by pulsing the oats in a food processor until you get a fine powder. Don’t rush this step! If the flour is gritty, the dough will be too. You want it as fine as store-bought flour, which takes about a minute.
Next, stir the oat flour, melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt together in a bowl until a soft dough forms. It should feel like real cookie dough. Fold in the mini chocolate chips last so they don’t melt into the warm butter.
Press the dough into an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 1/4 inch thick. I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to smooth it out. Then pop the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes so the chocolate doesn’t melt into the dough when you pour it on.
While the dough chills, microwave the chocolate chips and coconut oil in 20-second intervals, stirring between each. Stop as soon as it’s smooth. Overheated chocolate turns thick and clumpy, and there’s no coming back from that.
Pour the melted chocolate over the chilled dough and spread it all the way to the edges. Freeze for 30 minutes until the chocolate is firm. The waiting is the hardest part!
When it’s ready, let the bark sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 minutes before cutting. If you slice it straight from the freezer, the chocolate cracks and shatters everywhere. Cut it into squares or break it into rustic pieces. I’m team rustic pieces since that’s what makes it bark!
Tips for the Best Cookie Dough Bark Recipe
- No food processor? A high-powered blender works too. Just scrape down the sides once or twice so the oats blend evenly.
- Dry dough: Oat flour can vary depending on how finely it’s ground. If your dough is crumbly, stir in a splash more maple syrup until it comes together.
- Skip the almond flour. While some cookie dough bark recipes use it for additional protein, it absorbs liquid differently and will not work in my version.
- Leave parchment overhang. Let the parchment paper hang over the edges of the pan so you can lift the whole slab out in one piece before cutting.
- Add the flaky salt right away. Sprinkle it on while the chocolate is still wet so it sticks. If you wait until the chocolate sets, it slides right off.
- Keep it cold. The dough softens quickly at room temperature, so serve the bark straight from the fridge or freezer and put the rest back.
Variations
- Store-bought oat flour: Skip the blending and use store-bought oat flour instead. Start with 1 1/2 cups when mixing the dough, then add up to 1/4 cup more if the dough feels too wet or sticky.
- Peanut butter swirl: Drizzle melted peanut butter over the chocolate before freezing and drag a toothpick through it.
- Sprinkles: Add rainbow sprinkles on top of the wet chocolate for birthdays. My kids love this version!
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats and this recipe will be naturally gluten-free.
- Vegan: Use dark chocolate chips or dairy-free chocolate for the chocolate chip cookie dough bark.
You may also love these other treats including homemade Snickers, Twix bars or this Crunch Bars recipe.
More No-Bake Desserts
Cookie Dough Bark
Video
Ingredients
Cookie Dough Layer
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- ¼ cup unsalted butter , melted
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Topping
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or butter
- Flaky sea salt optional
Instructions
- Prepare: Line a small sheet pan or 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Blend oats: Add 1 1/2 cups oats to a blender or food processor and blend well until you get a fine powder. You'll need 1 ½ cups oat flour.
- Add ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups oat flour, 1/4 cup melted butter, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until a soft dough forms. Fold in 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips.
- Freeze: Press the mixture into an even 1/4-inch layer on the prepared pan. Freeze for 10 minutes.
- Make topping: Place 3/4 cup chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth.
- Spread topping: Pour the melted chocolate over the chilled cookie dough layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Freeze: Freeze for 30 minutes, or until firm.
- Break up and enjoy: Remove from the freezer and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut into squares with a sharp knife or break into bark pieces.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
