These bars come together in less five minutes, are virtually work-free, and taste far more decadent and indulgent than you’d imagine something that’s so easy to make could taste. They’d make a great last minute holiday treat for a party. Or make them for a special night with your couch and remote control. My grandma’s version of these bars, and many similar recipes, use peanut butter. I’m a peanut butter fiend, but also have a soft spot for Biscoff and it’s sweet, cinnamon-ginger pop. I couldn’t resist re-making a childhood favorite with it.
Biscoff Spread, Cookie Butter, and Speculasspasta are nearly interchangeable and in this recipe, use whatever is available. I’m in Aruba, a Dutch island, and used Dutch Speculaaspasta, the Dutch equivalent of Biscoff Spread.
I’m convinced that Speculaaspasta and Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter are the same product, simply labeled differently. Even the glass jars are identical.
To make the bars, combine chocolate chips and Biscoff Spread in a large microwave-safe bowl and melt them. Peanut butter may be used and the recipe will work, but the telltale cinnamon-and-gingery kick will be absent. Adding hearty pinches of cinnamon and ground ginger to peanut butter or almond butter, and a sprinkling of crushed graham cracker crumbs is a workaround, although not quite the same. To the sweetly-spiced chocolate puddle, add marshmallows, and one cup of chopped Biscoff cookies. Trader Joe’s sells knock-off Biscoff cookies called Bistro Biscuits, or chop two full-size cinnamon-graham crackers. After coating the marshmallows and chopped cookies with the sweetly-spiced warm chocolate, transfer the mixture to a foil-lined small baking pan and smooth it. I sprinkled a small handful of chocolate chips over the top both for texture contrast and to boost the chocolate intensity, not that these thick bricks were lacking in the chocolate department.
Allow the bars to set up for at least two hours in the refrigerator before slicing. Freezing the pan is acceptable if you’re in a rush like I always am. I store the bars in the freezer here and they never really freeze solid. When it comes to dense or dark chocolaty treats like brownies or rich bars, chilling them makes even more satisfying. Plus, chocolate begins to melt the minute it comes into contact with the warm, humid Caribbean air. The recipe is ripe for substitutions based on what you have on hand and enjoy. Add slivered almonds, macadamia nuts, or a handful of shredded coconut to the batter. Omit the Biscoff cookies or graham crackers and instead use Nilla wafers or chopped Oreos. Sprinkle white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, peanut butter or butterscotch chips, toffee bits, diced peanut butter cups, or Rolos on top. Mix and match until your heart’s content because the melted chocolate-Biscoff mixture will happily drench and coat most anything.
The bars are rich, dense, thick, and full of diverse texture. Soft and sweet marshmallows are the perfect squishy complement to the solidified melted chocolate. I like the striking visual contrast of the white and dark, too. The chopped cookies add welcome crunch and serve to boost the overall cinnamon-ginger flavor profile. Although I’ll never say no to peanut butter and chocolate, pairing Biscoff twice with chocolate is a good call.
Make sure you have napkins handy, especially if you’re sharing them with a five year old. Or are just embracing your own inner five year old. The best part of all is that they take less than five minutes to make.
Related Recipes:
Chocolate Banana and Biscoff Graham Bars – Bananas and chocolate are a great pairing and adding Biscoff before baking it all into a melted and gooey layered bar is a great way to use those ripe bananas Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bars with Chocolate Frosting – Made with melted peanut butter, butterscotch chips, and are full of soft marshmallows and topped with chocolate frosting Cookie Butter Spread Ginger Molasses Cookies (No Bake, Vegan, with GF option) – Soft gingerbread and molasses cookies are some of my favorites, but the dough is even better. Robustly-spiced with holiday flavors and drizzled with chocolate, these cookie dough bites are fast and easy to make for a last-minute treat
Cookie Butter Funfetti Triple Chip Bars – An easy bar pairing Cookie Butter and three kinds of baking chips. Reminiscent of a Seven Layer Bar, but made with Funfetti, melted sweetened condensed milk and Cookie Butter
No-Bake Peanut Butter Biscoff Cookie Dough Bites (Vegan, almost GF with easy adaptation) – Made with peanut butter and Biscoff cookies, or try them with Biscoff and Biscoff Cookies. There’s no wrong way to combine Biscoff and chocolate into no-bake truffles or cookie dough bites
Marshmallow Caramel Oreo Cookie S’Mores Bars – A chocolaty and butter crisp Oreo cookie crust base, topped with melted caramels, gooey marshmallows, and chocolate chips for an indoor, easy, and very gooey version of s’mores
Do you like Biscoff or Cookie Butter spread? Feel free to link your favorite recipes or tell me about them. And if you’ve never made anything with them, and simply dip your spoon into the jar, I can relate.
