These delicious Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars have layers of creamy edible cookie dough, buttery shortbread, rich chocolate ganache and homemade salted caramel sauce!
Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars
For Kevin’s third and final birthday treat of 2013 (here was the first and second) he choose these jaw-dropping Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars. This drop-dead stunning recipe comes to you from the AMAZING The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook by Lindsay Landis.
Seriously!! It’s an ENTIRE cookbook dedicated to COOKIE DOUGH! :) With Lindsay’s creative recipes you can find delicious ideas to add cookie dough to every dessert imaginable. Talk about MADE for each other!! :) Me and This Book = True Luv 4 Ever!!
Lindsay shares her approachable and impressive everyday recipes at her blog Love and Olive Oil and she’s also the talented web and graphic designer at Purr Design. (Read: If you need a blog makeover, Lindsay’s the girl to contact!!)
And if you need a dessert recipe that will wow, amaze, shock, awe, win friends and influence people…
The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook is the place to look.
Okay, seriously, take a look at these bars with me for a second.
- It’s a layer of buttery, soft shortbread.
- A layer of homemade salted caramel sauce.
- A layer of irresistible cookie dough (and it’s egg free, so it’s safe to eat!)
- Topped with a layer of rich, decadent chocolate ganache.
I have died and gone to heaven.
Do you want to make these?? I know you do!! :)
As with all good cookbooks and all good recipes, these bars inspired me to be creative and make them my own. See, I have a shortbread recipe that I LOVE. I have a salted caramel sauce recipe that I LOVE. And I have a chocolate ganache recipe that I LOVE!!
I knew when I wanted to make these bars that I wanted to take these three favorite recipes and combine them with Lindsay’s tried-and-true cookie dough recipe for one ultra, mega, wow-your-pants-off recipe. She is the cookie dough queen, afterall! ;)
And ya’ll… I could not have been more thrilled with the results! These bars are hands down one of the best things I’ve ever made. They’re chewy, gooey, rich, chocolaty, decadent, AND THEY’VE GOT COOKIE DOUGH STUFFED IN THE MIDDLE!!!
You gotta try these. May I present… Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars: The Kevin and Amanda Way.
How to Make These Brilliant Cookie Dough Bars
Start with the shortbread layer. Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in flour and salt and mix on low until just combined.
Press the dough into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper. This will make the bars a LOT easier to remove in the end.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until edges are slightly browned. It may look puffy and jiggly in the center when you take it out, but it will fall and set as it cools.
Meanwhile, prepare the caramel layer. Heat sugar over medium to medium-high heat. Whisk constantly. The sugar will start to melt and clump up as it transforms. Once the sugar is smooth and melted, add butter, one tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition until fully incorporated. Then remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in one cup of heavy cream. Whisk until the cream is fully incorporated and the caramel is smooth. Finally whisk in one tablespoon fine sea salt.
See step-by-step photos of making caramel.
Pour about half of the hot caramel mixture over the shortbread crust. Refrigerate until set, at least one hour. If the caramel is still soft and sticky after 1 hour, freeze for another 15 minutes before continuing.
Store the remaining caramel in a mason jar in the refrigerator. Use it for ice cream topping, dipping apples, pancakes, and even S’MORES!!! :)
Next, make the homemade, egg-free cookie dough. Beat butter and sugars on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add heavy cream and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
Spread cookie dough on top of caramel layer using a spatula to smooth dough into an even layer. Refrigerate the dough while you prepare the chocolate ganache.
Place chocolate chips in a glass or heat-proof bowl. On the stove, heat the heavy cream and vanilla and bring to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate chips, let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until completely smooth.
Pour the ganache over the cookie dough layer and chill until set, about 30 minutes.
Four of my all-time favorite recipes all combined into one heavenly bar.
I love this bar so much, I want it to become a person so I can take it to Las Vegas and marry it.
Oh my gosh. Seriously. I die. I’m done.
Make these bars ASAP. Enjoy, friends!! :)
P.S. For the Quick and Easy method, feel free to use any of these shortcuts!
- A layer of store-bought sugar cookie dough in place of the shortbread layer. Press in pan and bake.
- A layer of jarred caramel sauce (found with the ice cream toppings). Microwave and pour straight from jar. Refrigerate to set.
- A layer of homemade, egg-free cookie dough (make your favorite cookie dough recipe and replace each egg with 2 tbsp heavy cream or milk). Spread over caramel.
- A layer of jarred hot fudge topping like Smucker’s or Hershey’s (found with the ice cream toppings). Heat and pour over cookie dough. Chill to set!! :)
Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars
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Prep Time: 30 minutes -
Cook Time: 30 minutes
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Total Time: 1 hour
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Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Category: Dessert
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Method: Oven
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Cuisine: American
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:
Cuisine:Description
These delicious Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars have layers of creamy edible cookie dough, buttery shortbread, rich chocolate ganache and homemade salted caramel sauce!
Ingredients
For the Shortbread:
- 2 cups (1 lb or 4 sticks) butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Caramel:
- 2 cups sugar
- 12 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp fleur de sel or fine sea salt
For the Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides.
For the Shortbread
Beat butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in flour and salt and mix on low until just combined. Press the dough into prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until edges are slightly browned. It may look puffy and jiggly in the center at first, but it will fall and set as it cools. Shortbread recipe from Picky-Palate.com.
For the Caramel
Make Salted Caramel Sauce recipe on TwoPeasandTheirPod.com. Pour about half of the hot caramel mixture over the shortbread crust. Refrigerate until set, at least one hour. If the caramel is still soft and sticky after 1 hour, freeze for another 15 minutes before continuing.
For the Cookie Dough
Beat butter and sugars on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add heavy cream and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and salt and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Stir in the mini chocolate chips. Spread cookie dough on top of caramel layer using a spatula to smooth dough into an even layer. Refrigerate the dough while you prepare the chocolate ganache.
For the Chocolate Ganache
Place chocolate chips in a glass bowl. In a saucepan, whisk together the heavy cream and vanilla and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Pour over the chocolate chips, let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until completely smooth. Pour the ganache over the cookie dough layer and chill until set, about 30 minutes.
To remove bars from pan
Grasp the edges of the parchment paper and lift out the entire block. Place on a cutting board and use a large sharp knife to cut into 2-inch squares.
More Decadent Chocolate Recipes!
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This is the most incredible recipe. I bake a lot of things and this is by FAR the most loved and requested item!! I always like to spice it up a bit with some cinnamon and nutmeg in the cookie dough, as well as some almond or maple extract. Adds a little extra dimension!
Hi Kevin and Amanda!
I have just made your squares. They are so good, but
I have a couple of questions. 1. Your cookie dough looks so light and fluffy. Mine definitely doesn’t look like that. How did you do it? 2. Also I used the suggested pan size but the cookie dough isn’t as thick (deep) as yours. Did you double it? Mine have a deep layer of the base, and then a thin layer of the cookie dough and I can barely taste the caramel. What did I do wrong? Thank you so much for sharing and have a very Merry Christmas.
Hi Charlie! To get the cookie dough super light and fluffy, I beat the sugar and butter in a Kitchenaid stand mixer for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Then I add the egg and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes. When I add the flour and chocolate chips, I mis on low speed until *just* combined — you don’t want to over mix the flour. I don’t think I doubled the cookie dough, but maybe it looks bigger because it is fluffier? Hope they still taste good! :)
Hi Amanda,
Your shortbread ingredients list doesn’t include and egg or vanilla. The directions don’t mention these either. Are those supposed to be included?
Thank you Amanda!
Morning!
My daughter and I have been baking and making candy for over a month.
We have made about 1000 turtles and around 400 hundred of chocolates, salted caramel, strawberry, raspberry, hazelnut. This doesn’t count the cookies and bars. Today we are going to do meringues and your bars. That will be the end until Chritmas when I do the pies and tarts.
Needless to say I am beat. I never take shortcuts but……
If I was to use the chocolate and caramel sauce from the store, would they be
AS GOOD AS THE HOMEMADE?
SWEETER?
Thanks so much!
Charlie
You could probably use the caramel sauce from the store, but I wouldn’t use chocolate sauce… it won’t set up right. If I was going to take a shortcut I think I would use chocolate almond bark, melt it, pour it over and let it set up. Hope this helps and good luck!
I just loved the part where you said that you want it to become a person and take it to Las Vegas to marry it. :) It’s pure decadence, I’d love to try it! Saving it for later.
If I had of seen just the picture in the book, I probably would have passed the recipe by.
Yours look so luscious and decadent that I knew immediately that I Had to have the recipe!
Thank you for sharing.
I made these and added a peanut butter whipped cream layer right under the cookie dough
So amazing ,what can I say more than that ?!
????
But I wanna ask what about cookie dough
Isn’t need to be cooked because of flour?
The shortbread layer is amazing! My husband and I usually do not like shortbread but this recipe was delicious.
how many bars it will make?
These look unbelievable! Every layer is better than the one before!
Just made these today. Absolutely delicious! I’ve made other billionaire bars in the past, but this recipe is the best!
hoping somehow you get this tonight. I am going to make this tonight I think for a luncheon tomorrow. Yours in your pictures look just out of the oven oozing with carmel and all the layers and oooh so delish however in the book pages, they look hardened. Which is better to eat? Fresh out of the oven or hardened? I wanted to have them the best for this luncheon and wanted your opinion. Also, looks like there is some questions on the measurements on the amounts for the cookie dough can you please confirm. THANK YOU SO MUCH! Can’t wait to make and follow what else you have. :)
Melanie
Amazing ! :D
Some of your recipe ingredients are different from your pictures of ingredients.
hi!
Looks delicious!!!! Want to make this no for my birthday next week. Is it possible to put them in the freezer??
Best dessert I’ve ever had! I made this in November for a chili cook-off (there were dessert entries too) and it won first place for desserts by a landslide. I made everything from scratch so it was time consuming but worth it. It was my first time making caramel and it turned out a little saltier than store bought, not sure if it’s supposed to be like that, but it was really added to the recipe. I’m definitely making it again.
Oh my, these look incredible! I see why they were one of your top recipes last year! They look absolutely sinful and I bet they taste even better!
Your all recipes are wonderful
But
Can you use your recipe measure by gram(s) , kilogram(s) ? or just add (rewrite ) this measure with your measure; PLZ
because in my country ( IRAN ) just use grams :( . for example I don’t know 2cups butter equal to how much gram(s) of butter ?!!!
I really hope you use this measure with your measure in your wonderful recipe in the future:* :D
I made these for a teacher on our grade level’s birthday. Everyone loved them!! I will definitely be making these again. They are so rich and delicious!
I brought this in today for my coworkers and OMG they were amazing!! The most decadent over the top dessert I ever made and everyone went nuts! They are really beyond words good. Stick up on butter and make them now!!
Hi Amanda – this looks to die for!! A couple of questions though. The pics with ingredients/measurements are not matching up with what you have listed at the very bottom for the cookie dough: the pic indicates 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 cup chocolate chips, but the listing at the bottom has 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 tsp salt. Can you tell me which one is correct?
hey i have a question can i use sauce caramel i mean sauce caramel in the store?
Yes, you can! :)
Can you replace the homemade cookie dough with Toll House cookie dough?
Storebought cookie dough may not be safe to eat raw. Consume at your own risk. Hope this helps!!
You can’t eat FLOUR EITHER, without cooking it ten minutes on 300°!! Flour has lots of bacteria, uncooked!
The recipes and photos looks fabulous and yummy. I’m trying to find out if the cookie layer needs to be baked. There’s flour in it and there’s been a few queries on this as well but I can’t seem to find a response to it. Can you please confirm and advise as I don’t want my kids eating raw flour.
Thanks
Sharon
HELP FAST… making this now. Onto the caramel section. I do NOT have fleur del del. Can I use Kosher Salt
I found this recipe last year, right before Christmas and immediately made a batch…and then another. I have them in my freezer and when I really need something rich and decadent I pull one out and microwave for 10 seconds and all is right with the world! Lol These are the best thing u have ever eaten and/or baked. It takes a little time and patience but actually quite easy to make. I make the salted caramel part of the recipe just to use on ice cream and other desserts because it’s just so amazing. Thank you for sharing!!!
Hi! I am super excited to find your website and this fun recipel! It is absolutely brilliant! I am honored to feature it in “Top Pinterest Pins” on my website, The Mindful Shopper! http://mindful-shopper.com/2014/07/13/top-10-pinterest-pins-week/
Happy Pinning!
Wow, just found this recipe and it looks amazing! However, here in Holland we don’t have heavy cream. Would I be able to use whipping cream (35% fat) instead? Or would you suggest something else?
hi, amanda! i am so excited to try these bars but i noticed something about the cookie dough, is it not baked? it doesn’t say so in your recipe and i just want to make sure. hope you could reply soonest. thanks so much.
How much caramel sauce does this recipe make?
I just made these and have yet to try them, but I had a question about the caramel, it started to burn and get really hard at medium high heat. Is there any advice on how to make it without it hardening?
I made these tonight and am currently waiting for them to sit… I did run into a few problems, there are a few places where the measurements on the pictures is different than the recipe at the bottom. The brown sugar in the shortbread and in the cookie dough. I also have never been good with caramel, so I thought I would give this one a shot. No surprise, I burnt the sugar. Luckly I had a secret stash of caramel candies that I melted with heavy cream and vanilla in the microwave. I also added a few pinches of sea salt to the mix. All and all, not a hard recipe to make, just a bit time consuming. Can’t wait to try them!
I came across this recipe on Pinterest a week or so ago. Decided to make these bars yesterday. After picking my jaw up off the ground at the fact that I’d need close to 2 pounds of butter (!!!!), I jumped in and started baking. Holy moly! The sweetness, butteriness (I know that’s not a word but it fits), lusciousness! So amazing….really can’t put it into proper words. I shared some pieces with a friend and he commented: jeez, what’s in these things…crack? LOL! Definitely a keeper recipe!
OMG these look delicious! I have had these before, but the layers were much thinner and the caramel was hard. :( I cannot wait to try your recipe!
Making these tonight for a Christmas party and so far so good!! FYI the image for cookie dough says 1/4 cup light brown sugar but the ingredient list says 1 cup. :) the image looks like a full cup but just wanted to make sure!!
Hi, this recipe is so awesome. . I will do this for this holiday.
But can ask if I dont have to bake the cookie dough? Thanks
Amanda! Oh my goodness! These look so scrumptious. Your bars look better than the cookbook photo!
pretty sure i just burnt my caramel. :( i’ve never made it before! bad thing is i added it to the shortbread BEFORE trying it, so now i have to just go with it. hoping the other ingredients are sweet enough to wipe out the slight bitter taste. other sites say cook caramel on low heat and don’t stir? mine is darker than yours looks here.
These look amazing! I was just looking at the instructions and wondered what we do with the other half of the caramel sauce? Did you mean to pour in half slowly and then pour in the other half?
Nevermind! I see that the rest is for storage. Thanks anyway!
Dear gawd, I die!!! These are amazing & beautiful :)
I’d love to make these for my holiday party, but try to do as much ahead as possible. Could you freeze them? If not, how many days would they keep, do you think?
They look amazing, and all my favorite flavors. Thanks!
hi, i really love ur website, but i and maybe some others would appreciate, if u write measures in grams or ml. it would be really perfect!!
and i have one question, the cookie dough doesn’t have to bake? :O
i want to try it today, but i’m also afraid of amount of butter- there goes cca 1 KILOGRAM of butter.. but it looks more than p e r f e k t ! yummm
Oh my goodness!!! These bars are amazing!!!! They aren’t horribly sweet despite the crazy layers of yumminess:0). Loved them, my family devoured them!
WOW these look insane! Going to go makes these right about now!
Had to pin this one. Definitely going shopping for the ingredients. Looks like a perfect addition to my Christmas baking list! Cheers.
Oh my goodness! These look incredible! I will look forward to giving them a go! Thanks for sharing :)
http://www.mi-casa-home.com
Hi Amanda!
I made these for September Birthday Extravaganza (4 family members in the first 2 weeks of September) and…ERMAHGERD! Super sweet – 1 inch pieces would have done for me- so, so rich but yum! Question- I now have a half a Mason jar with salted caramel…also YUM…and saw you use them with s’mores. How does this all come together? We’re doing s’mores tomorrow evening at our campfire and would love to incorporate this yumminess…
Hi there! My name is Jessica, and I run a food blog called Floptimism where, every Saturday, I write a Weekend Wrap-Up post to share all of my favorite internet finds from the past week. I wanted to let you know that I absolutely loved this post — I’m still drooling over those bars a week later — so much so that I featured it in my blog’s Weekend Wrap-Up. I’ve included the link to the post in case you’re interested. Thanks for such an incredible recipe (and pictures)!
http://www.floptimism.com/2013/09/weekend-wrap-up-highlight-reel.html
OMG! drooling… I NEED to get the cookbook-stat! ;)
Im about to get all fat kid up in here on these.
Taking them to a picnic today. Oh and it took 8, count them 8, sticks of butter! One can not make unless prepared to share!
I have been wanting to make this forever. These just look like the ultimate dessert!
Oh my goodness these look amazing!!!!!
It’s looks very yummy recipes. thanks giving this awesome recipes. your food pictures really nice.
Christina Morales
http://indonesiancuisinerecipes.com
Will you make them and then mail them to me? Ha!
These look incredible!!
OHMYGOSH! These bars are just heavenly!!! I’m drooling at the ooey gooey caramel sauce drippings. Wow.
Pinned!
My hubby and I are celebrating our birthdays in the next week. I told him I was making these and read him the ingredients. He didn’t have much to say other than counting the sticks of butter (haha) until I got to “fleur de sel” and he immediately said “We’ve got that…” To which I replied “NO WAY!” Yes indeed…we’ve got that! These bad boys are on the Wendy/Jim birthday menu!
OH MY … these are evil, in a good way … or good, in an evil way … I’m not sure! I like that you offered short cut ideas … must try your way first :)
Oh my goodness, these bars are a thing of beauty! I’m drooling. I. can’t. even.
WOW.
WOW! You’ve got to be kidding me! These look unreal!
Wow, just wow! These look fantastic. We are a family of ten and I know we could wipe out the entire batch in one sitting. That would be good – no tempting leftovers for mama! Thank you for posting the recipe and fabulous photos. :)
Wow!! These look fabulous! I’m thinking they would be way too dangerous to keep around my house! :)
I want to bathe in this. I could eat this every day for a snack after work! I deserve it :)
Oh my goodness! Oh the layers. I better save these for a special occasion or I will want to eat them all!
Holy WOW!!! These bars are serious business! I can’t stop starring at the caramel dripping from under the cookie dough and down the shortbread! These look amazing!
Serious these are dangerous! I’m afraid to make these!
See why I need to juice??! ;)
I love Lindsay and her cookbook and these bars! I have to make them now. I am IN LOVE. Look at all that caramel!!!
Clearly, Kevin is a saint to have such an awesome Mrs like you!
These look crazy good.
How good do those look??? I’m going to have to diet just from the delicious pictures!!!
Oh my gosh! These look like heaven in bar form!
Delicious. My fiance brought them to work, and now they all beg me to make them! A little sweet for my tastes, but I like having a small piece. I’m curious to try brownies instead of shortbread on the bottom. Thanks for the recipe!
That would probably be amazing! Sounds a bit like my Slutty Brownies lol!
I am in awe of these! Seriously I am drooling right now as I stare at those awesome bars! I think I need that book asap!!!!
Oh.My.Lanta – those look so amazing! And what a fun cookbook – all things cookie dough? Crap. Well, guess I’ll get my stretchy pants out early this year! :)
I’ve wanted to get that book for the longest time!! Now I really really need my own copy. How amazing does that look! Thanks for sharing.
I mean WOW just WOW! By far those that got to be the best bars ever!
How have I never seen these in Lindsay’s book?? I must make them immediately!
I made a version of these bars once and they are so phenomenal!! But yours with the caramel dripping down … UGH, ahhh. So amazing!!
O.B.S.E.S.S.E.D.
I know just how amazing these are as I made them last year! Everything I could possibly want in a dessert rolled into one! Your pictures are beautiful and making me want to make them again!
Oh my! All of the layers look divine, they definately look like they live up to the name.
There are so many good parts to these bars I am not sure what part I like best!!! They look amazing and gooey and delicious!!! Yum!
I really hate that the recipes are not in the RSS feed – please change it back!!!!
You can subscribe to http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/feed for the full recipes feed. Hope this helps! xo
Umm.. wow. Why do I not have this book? I need this book! These are incredible and making me wish they were what I was making today! Amazing!
These look FANTASTIC! Love your take on them, and glad Kevin enjoyed them for his birthday (what a lucky guy, getting THREE birthday treats!) Thanks for sharing! :)
You konw, I don’t have that book.. I’m not sure why that is or what is wrong with me. Ordering today!
Not only do these look amazing, they WERE amazing. Thanks, Amanda, for letting me try one. They are one of the most decadent treats I have eaten.
This looks absolutely amazing! I wish I could make this, but I don’t have access to an oven now. I’m so sad! I keep seeing all these delicious dessert recipes, but I can’t make them.
I don’t even know where to begin. WOW!!! The layers. The shortbread is so buttery looking, the gooey caramel, then that cookie dough (I love Lindsay’s book and all her cookie dough in it!) and then the chocolate on top. And your images, all shiny and glistening and just perfect – seriously belong on a book cover! Pinned! And if only I could gobble one up now, too!