Copycat Tagalongs Recipe
I think that Girl Scout Tagalong Cookies live in the shadows of Samoas and Thin Mints. But since I’ve already recreated fast, easy, DIY versions of both Samoas and Thin Mints, it’s time to bring Tagalongs into the limelight. After all, who can resist a buttery soft shortbread base, topped with creamy peanut butter, and finished with a satisfying layer of chocolate? Rather than making individual cookies, which would include rolling and cutting out shortbread and then dipping each cookie individually in chocolate, I took the flavors in classic Girl Scout Tagalongs and made bars. Bars are so much faster, easier, and less labor-intensive than cookies. I adapted my own Peanut Butter Caramel Twix Bars recipe by simply omitting the caramel. Love it when the answers to my recipe prayers are already in my own archives! This is a no-mixer recipe that comes together quickly and easily. The melt-in-your mouth shortbread is the perfect base for the salty-and-sweet peanut butter, and there’s just enough chocolate to satisfy your chocolate cravings. I don’t necessarily know if it’s a good thing to be able to have year-round Girl Scout cookie season with so much ease right from your kitchen. But let’s go with counting it as a good thing.
What’s in Tagalong Cookie Bars?
To make these copycat Tagalongs Girl Scout cookie bars, you’ll need:
Unsalted butter All-purpose flour Confectioners’ sugar Cornstarch Vanilla extract Creamy peanut butter Salt Semi-sweet chocolate chips Vegetable shortening
How to Make Tagalong Cookie Bars
You’ll first need to make the shortbread dough and press it firmly into the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Bake the crust until barely set, then set aside. Then, make the creamy peanut butter filling (the best part!). Simply stir together the filling ingredients, then smooth over the still-warm shortbread crust. To make the chocolate topping, melt the chocolate chips and shortening. Stir to smooth out, then spread evenly over peanut butter layer. Lastly, cover pan with a sheet of foil and allow bars to cool and set up for at least 4 hours, or overnight, before slicing and serving.
Can I Use Natural Peanut Butter?
No, both natural and homemade peanut butter are too runny for this recipe. You want to use a creamy peanut butter from a brand like Jif or Skippy.
Tips for Making Tagalong Cookie Bars
When baking the shortbread crust, you’re looking for it to set up but you don’t want it to become overly golden. To prevent the chocolate topping from becoming too hard, I added a little shortening to the melted chocolate. The shortening is optional, but recommended. Lastly, you can pop these Girl Scout Tagalong cookie bars into the fridge to speed up the cooling process. However, you’ll then need to allow them to come to room temperature for a few minutes before slicing into them so neither the crust nor the chocolate cracks.
More Peanut Butter Desserts:
Peanut Butter Brookies — These brookies are soft and chewy, with peanut butter and chocolate married together in every bite. All you need is two bowls, and no mixer is required! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Peanut Butter Caramel Twix Bars (almost no-bake) – Just like the classic candy bar that you can make at home and so easy! Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Gooey Bars – Keep the napkins handy for these soft, gooey bars dripping with the best caramel-peanut butter sauce!
Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars — Made with salted caramel PB (yes it’s a thing!) Soft, chewy, gooey and so irresistible!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars – Super soft bars that just melt in your mouth from all the PB! And all the chocolate!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars – The taste and texture of cookies, minus the work of making individual cookies. Soft, chewy, and loaded with chocolate chunks!
Nutella-Swirled Peanut Butter Chip Blondies – Easy one-bowl, no mixer. Super soft and gooey!
Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Bars — Just like the classic cookies except made as cookie bars rather than individual cookies!
Triple Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Bars – Peanut butter used 3 different ways. Great for pantry odds-and-ends cleanout!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Nutter Butter Bars – Nutter Butters baked in along with PB and chocolate chips!
Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Crumble Bars – Peanut butter cups baked into soft, gooey, chewy bars!
Peanut Butter Comfort — My cookbook with 100+ Peanut Butter recipes!
