One pan, a dozen or more servings and no forks needed. These are the brownies, cookie bars, cheesecake bars and crispy treats that make dessert for a crowd far easier than cake.
A pan of bars is the most efficient dessert you can bring to a party. There is no decorating a cake, no slicing at the table and no plates required. The recipes below are grouped roughly by style: brownies and candy bars, cookie bars, cheesecake and no-bake bars and crispy rice treats.
For a dessert table, pick bars that differ in more than flavor. Pair one chocolate-heavy bar with something fruity or creamy and one no-bake crispy treat, and the table looks varied even with just three pans.
Best for: chocolate lovers and candy-bar fans
Fudgy from-scratch brownies with a layer of whole KitKat fingers baked in the middle and chopped pieces on top.
Planning tip: Test doneness in the brownie between the candy; melted KitKat on a toothpick looks like raw batter.
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Best for: bake sales and dessert trays that need a showstopper
Buttery shortbread, a soft-set condensed milk caramel and a milk chocolate top. The most candy-like bar here.
Planning tip: Cook the caramel to a soft mound on a cold plate, or it will ooze out when you cut.
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Best for: large parties and indecisive dessert fans
Brownie and chocolate chip cookie batters baked together into marbled bars. It makes 24, so it covers a big crowd.
Planning tip: Use broad dollops and just a few knife passes so both batters stay visible.
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Best for: kids’ parties and nostalgic cereal fans
Fudgy brownies under a chewy marshmallow and Cocoa Puffs layer, with two very different textures in one bar.
Planning tip: Serve them the day they are made, when the cereal is crispest.
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Best for: a warm, spiced flavor that stands out from chocolate bars
Chewy cookie bars with cookie butter in the dough, chocolate chips, Biscoff pieces and a cookie-butter drizzle.
Planning tip: Pull them while the center still looks soft; they set as they cool.
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Best for: grown-up dessert tables and coffee lovers
Cheesecake bars on a chocolate cookie crust, marbled with an espresso-cocoa batter.
Planning tip: Chill at least four hours, or overnight, before cutting with a hot, dry knife.
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Best for: a light, fruity option next to rich chocolate bars
A no-bake graham crust with vanilla cream cheese and a fluffy orange layer that tastes like the frozen treat.
Planning tip: Keep them refrigerated until serving; they soften after about 30 minutes out.
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Best for: no-bake summer and camp-themed parties
Soft crispy-rice bars with graham, chocolate and marshmallow that read clearly as s’mores.
Planning tip: Press the mixture into the pan gently so the bars stay chewy instead of dense.
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Best for: lunchboxes, potlucks and big batches
Peanut butter and chocolate crispy treats with extra marshmallows. It makes 24 and needs no oven.
Planning tip: Stop heating as soon as the marshmallows melt; overcooking makes hard treats.
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Best for: children’s birthdays and colorful dessert tables
Bright blue crispy treats packed with Oreos, chocolate chip cookies and white chocolate.
Planning tip: Use fresh marshmallows and low heat so the bars stay soft.
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Best for: movie nights and last-minute bake sales
Popcorn bound with buttery marshmallow for a salty-sweet bar that comes together in about 35 minutes.
Planning tip: Remove unpopped kernels before coating the popcorn.
Get the recipe →Classic brownies, pecan pie bars and seasonal bars from our sister sites Easy Dessert Hub and Top Lifestyle News.
From Easy Dessert Hub
Best for: Thanksgiving and fall gatherings
A pre-baked shortbread crust with a gooey pecan pie filling in a 9x13 pan, making 24 bars that are far easier to serve than pie slices.
Planning tip: Cool completely before cutting for clean edges.
Get the recipe →From Easy Dessert Hub
Best for: an elegant make-ahead bar
Creamy baked cheesecake on a graham crust with a thick caramel layer and flaky salt.
Get the recipe →From Easy Dessert Hub
Best for: caramel and chocolate together
Fudgy brownies with homemade caramel baked in the middle and drizzled on top.
Get the recipe →From Easy Dessert Hub
Best for: a classic, no-add-ins brownie
Dense, fudgy brownies with shiny crackly tops. The plain chocolate bar every dessert table needs.
Get the recipe →From Easy Dessert Hub
Best for: holiday parties and cookie exchanges
Fudgy brownies topped with a white chocolate peppermint layer and crushed candy canes.
Get the recipe →From Easy Dessert Hub
Best for: spring and summer tables
A buttery shortbread crust with a chewy pineapple-coconut filling and golden coconut top.
Get the recipe →From Top Lifestyle News
Best for: easy Christmas baking with kids
Soft sugar cookie bars spread in a 9x13 pan, frosted and topped with crushed candy canes: no rolling or cutting cookies.
Get the recipe →From Top Lifestyle News
Best for: a flourless fall option
Soft, fudgy pumpkin bars with maple and warm spices.
Get the recipe →From Easy Dessert Hub
Best for: festive kids’ activities
Brownie triangles decorated as little Christmas trees, a fun way to turn a pan of brownies into party food.
Get the recipe →Bake sale: choose bars that are sturdy at room temperature and easy to wrap, such as Brookies, Biscoff Cookie Bars, Popcorn Marshmallow Treats and Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats.
Dinner party or shower: Espresso Swirl Bars, Orange Dreamsicle Bars and Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars feel more polished; just keep them chilled until serving.
Kids’ birthday: Cookie Monster Rice Krispies and Marshmallow Cocoa Puff Brownies are colorful and fun, and they need no forks.
Holidays: Pecan Pie Bars and Peppermint Bark Brownies cover Thanksgiving and Christmas without the fuss of pie or cookie cutters.
Cut bars at home rather than at the party, and layer them in a container with parchment between each layer. Bars with caramel or chocolate tops travel best slightly chilled, so the tops do not smear. Cream cheese-based bars need a cooler. If you are bringing bars to a warm outdoor event, choose brownies, cookie bars or crispy treats.
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When bars are one of several desserts, one to two small bars per person is plenty. If they are the only dessert, plan on two to three. Cutting rich bars like Twix, caramel or cheesecake bars into smaller pieces stretches a pan further.
Line the pan with parchment so you can lift the whole slab out, let the bars cool or chill completely, and use a large knife pressed straight down. For chocolate tops, caramel or cheesecake, warm the knife in hot water and wipe it dry between cuts.
Cheesecake-style and cream cheese bars, such as Espresso Swirl Bars, Orange Dreamsicle Bars and Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars, should stay cold. Brownies, cookie bars and crispy rice treats hold well at room temperature.
Most can. Brownies, cookie bars and shortbread bars are good made a day ahead, and cheesecake bars actually cut better after an overnight chill. Crispy rice treats and cereal-topped bars are best within a day or two.