Graduation Cookie Bars White Chocolate (Printable)

Chewy bars loaded with chocolate chips and a smooth white chocolate drizzle, perfect for festive gatherings.

# What you'll need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
05 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Mix-ins and Toppings

09 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 - 1/2 cup colored candy-coated chocolates
11 - 4 ounces white chocolate, chopped or chips
12 - 1 teaspoon vegetable oil for melting white chocolate
13 - Colored sprinkles for decoration, optional

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until well combined.
04 - Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
05 - Stir in chocolate chips and colored candy-coated chocolates until evenly distributed.
06 - Spread dough evenly into prepared baking pan.
07 - Bake for 23 to 25 minutes until edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean.
08 - Cool bars completely in the pan on a wire rack.
09 - Melt white chocolate with vegetable oil in a microwave-safe bowl using 20-second increments, stirring until smooth.
10 - Drizzle melted white chocolate over cooled bars using a spoon or piping bag. Add sprinkles if desired.
11 - Allow white chocolate drizzle to set completely before lifting bars from pan. Cut into 16 equal squares.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They bake in under 30 minutes, which means you can make them the morning of an event without losing your mind.
  • The white chocolate drizzle makes them look intentional and celebratory, even though melting chocolate is basically impossible to mess up.
  • You can swap the colored candies for your exact school colors, turning a generic dessert into something that feels personally yours.
02 -
  • White chocolate seizes into a grainy mess if it touches even one drop of water, so use a completely dry bowl and keep the microwave power low; the vegetable oil helps prevent this disaster, which I discovered after wasting actual expensive white chocolate.
  • Cooling the bars completely before drizzling is not optional—warm bars will make the white chocolate run off like you didn't try, and then you'll be annoyed at yourself.
03 -
  • If your white chocolate is thick and stubborn, add the vegetable oil first and let it sit for 20 seconds before microwaving; it softens the chocolate slightly and prevents seizing.
  • Use a piping bag fitted with a tiny round tip for the white chocolate drizzle if you want it to look intentional and restaurant-worthy, or just drizzle it messily with a fork if you prefer honest imperfection.
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