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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Squares

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Your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough made safe to eat! Dunk or drizzle these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Squares in melted chocolate for the ultimate snack. And go ahead and eat as much as you’d like. These squares are irresistible!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Squares

Are you a big fan of eating cookie dough by the spoonful? Yeah, me, too. Give me a classic chocolate chip cookie dough any day and I will be sneaking bites until it’s gone. These Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Squares are the ultimate cookie dough snack. I’m talking straight up dough (following my fave one bowl recipe) enveloped, or drizzled, in luscious dark chocolate. They’re made with classic ingredients, so the taste is just like the cookie dough we all grew up with. Sugary, buttery, and filled with chocolate!

To make this cookie dough safe to eat, you’ll replace the egg with unsweetened applesauce (an idea I got after eating my way through three tubs of EatPastry dough – it’s fine, I blame Costco) and use heat-treated flour. Yeah, that means this dough is very conveniently vegan! But don’t fret, if you’re not dairy-free or vegan, regular butter will work just as well in this recipe – just be sure to refrigerate your leftover squares!

What is Heat-Treated Flour?

I have to admit, the idea of treating my flour prior to scarfing down spoonfuls of dough is pretty new to me. Since edible cookie dough became all the rage a few years ago, I saw more bloggers talking about heat-treating flour. Because raw flour can contain harmful bacteria, it’s always recommended that the flour is heated to a specific temperature to kill any bacteria that could make us sick before consuming it. Yes, technically, we could get sick from eating classic cookie dough, even when there are no eggs involved! But don’t fret, heat-treating flour is simple, and you can even buy your flour already heat-treated! 

Here’s how to do it (thanks to Kristen Tomlan):

Microwave
Add 2 cups (a bit extra just in case it clumps) of flour to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the flour in 30 second intervals, stirring and checking the temperature in several spots (with an instant-read thermometer) each time. Once the flour reaches 165°F throughout, remove it from the microwave. Allow the flour to cool completely before fluffing it up and measuring 1 3/4 cup for this recipe.

Oven
Preheat your oven to 300°F and spread 2 cups (a bit extra just in case it clumps) of flour onto a baking sheet. Use an instant-read thermometer to test the temperature in several places every two minutes. Once the flour reaches 165°F throughout, remove it from the oven. Allow the flour to cool completely before fluffing up and measuring 1 3/4 cup for this recipe.

More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

One Bowl No-Chill Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 25 Squares

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Squares

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Squares

Your favorite classic chocolate chip cookie dough dipped and drizzled in luscious dark chocolate! This safe-to-eat dough is irresistible and tastes just like the dough we all know and love!

Prep Time 45 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

  • 1/2 cup plant-based butter, softened (or regular butter)
  • 1/2 cup (112 grams) brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup (55 grams) regular cane sugar (white or unrefined)
  • 1/4 cup (61 grams) unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 3/4 cups (240 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, heat-treated (see Step 1)
  • 1 cup (165 grams) chocolate chips (vegan/dairy-free or regular)

Chocolate Coating/Drizzle

  • Up to 3 cups (495 grams) of chocolate chips (see Note 1)

Instructions

Heat Treat the Flour

  1. Heat-treat your flour either by microwaving or oven-baking 2 cups of flour until the temperature of the flour reaches 165°F. Fluff up the flour and allow to cool completely - around 30 minutes. Discard any clumps before measuring out 1 3/4 cup or 240 grams.

Make the Cookie Dough

  1. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars. Beat in the applesauce and vanilla extract. Beat in the salt.
  2. Add the flour (be sure to use the scoop & level method - see Note 2 - or a kitchen scale) and gently mix until nearly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  3. Line an 8x8" baking dish/pan with two parchment paper strips that criss-cross in the bottom. Add the cookie dough and evenly press it into the dish using your fingers, spoon, or measuring cup. Chill in the freezer for 20 minutes.
  4. Remove the cookie dough from the freezer and use the parchment paper to pull the whole thing up and out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Slowly cut 25 even squares, 5 across and 5 down. Chill the squares in the freezer for another 20 minutes.

Add the Chocolate Coating and/or Drizzle

  1. Once the dough squares have chilled, add the chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring between each one, until all the chocolate is melted.
  2. Remove cookie dough squares from the freezer. Prepare a space with parchment paper. Dip each square in the melted chocolate, totally covering it. Use a fork to gently scoop it up, shaking off the excess chocolate. Place each square onto the parchment paper. Alternatively, add the melted chocolate to a piping bag or ziploc bag and drizzle it onto the cookie dough squares.
  3. Allow the chocolate to set. You can speed this process up by placing the squares back into the freezer. If you've dipped the squares, feel free to cut off any excess chocolate to clean up the squares.
  4. Store cookie dough squares in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

  1. The amount of chocolate chips you need depends on whether you want to coat the cookie dough squares or drizzle chocolate on them. To coat, use 3 cups of chocolate chips. To drizzle, use 1/2-1 cup chocolate chips. For half and half (like I did) melt 1 1/2 cups of chips.
  2. To properly measure the flour without a kitchen scale, fluff up the flour with a spoon and then spoon it into a measuring cup. Level it off with a straight-edge knife.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Candy

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Chocolate Swirl Marshmallows

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Before setting out to make these marshmallows, I had only made my own homemade mallows once. It was for my toddler’s first birthday, and I found this beautiful recipe online for a purple, blueberry marshmallow. I was sold. So I spent a lot of time anxiously working through the recipe only to be not so thrilled with the results. They tasted…off. After attempting homemade marshmallows for a second time (with a different recipe) I realized that the “off” taste was the gelatin. The marshmallows I’d made before tasted like gelatin, which is not a pleasant taste.

For these marshmallows, I looked to the pros: Alton Brown and bon appétit . Then I followed the advice from The Flavor Blender and used agave instead of corn syrup and THESE MARSHMALLOWS. They’re so much better than store-bought. They’re perfectly sweet, marbled with chocolate, and much easier than I ever expected homemade marshmallows to be. I’ve since used this same recipe on two other recipe: Peppermint Hot Cocoa Brownies and Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie. It’s that good. And you don’t taste the gelatin!

For this recipe, you will need a candy thermometer. A stand mixer is also extremely helpful as the marshmallow needs to be whipped for anywhere from 5-15 minutes. I’m sure you can use a hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, but I’ve learned how much of a pain that can be. You’ll also need to use gelatin for this recipe. I buy the small boxes of powdered gelatin packets from the baking aisle at the grocery store.

And then there’s the agave. This low GI, sweet syrup is an excellent replacement for corn syrup (which is found in most marshmallow recipes and store-bought mallows). It helps keep the boiling sugar from crystalizing and keeps your marshmallows nice and smooth. For the chocolate swirl you’ll simply melt some chocolate chips and slowly (and barely!) stir that into your marshmallow fluff before pouring it into your pan to set. Don’t let this recipe intimidate you! After you make these marshmallows once, you’ll feel like a pro and you’ll be able to whip them up in no time!

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

Gelatin is a main ingredient and helps these marshmallows set.

White granulated sugar is the best sugar to use for this recipe as you’ll need to boil the sugar mixture to a specific temperature. I don’t recommend using raw or unrefined sugar as I don’t know how it would turn out.

Agave is a low GI, sweet syrup that perfectly replaces corn syrup (which is typically used) in this recipe. It helps keep the sugar from forming any unwanted crystals during the boiling process.

Vanilla extract adds necessary flavor to these marshmallows. You don’t want to skip it! Though you could also use peppermint extract or any other extract flavors that you like.

Powdered sugar & corn starch are used to coat the outside of each marshmallow, so the finished marshmallows don’t stick together.

Yield: 9x13" Pan of Marshmallow

Chocolate Swirl Marshmallows

Chocolate Swirl Marshmallows

Perfectly fluffy, wonderfully sweet homemade vanilla marshmallows with a swirl of semisweet chocolate. The BEST kind of marshmallows to top your favorite cup of hot cocoa!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cold water, divided (1/2 cup + 1/2 cup)
  • 3 packets powdered gelatin (~7 tsp)
  • 2 cups white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup agave
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup corn starch

Instructions

    1. Prepare a 9x13" baking dish by liberally spraying it with non-stick spray (I like to use olive oil); set aside.
    2. Melt your chocolate chips. Add them to a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals until nearly melted, stirring between each interval. Stop heating the chips when they're nearly all melted, and then stir until all chips are totally melted; set aside to cool.
    3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix 1/2 cup of water with the gelatin. Leave it to thicken while you begin your sugar mixture.
    4. In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, agave, salt, and additional 1/2 cup of water, gently swirling the pan until all the sugar is soaked and agave is distributed around the pan. Place over medium heat for a gas range (or medium-high heat for an electric range) and bring to a boil. Boil mixture until it reaches 240°F. Immediately remove from heat.
    5. With your stand mixer on low, slowly pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin. Turn the mixer to medium-high and whisk until marshmallow fluff forms. The mixture should be fluffy, white, and thick. This can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla extract (this can be done at any point in the whisking process).
    6. Once your marshmallow mixture has thickened, remove the bowl from your stand mixer. Immediately spoon the melted chocolate over the top of the mixture and then very gently and slowly mix or swirl the chocolate into the the marshmallow, making sure you don't over-mix as that will result in loss of the swirl.
    7. Gently spoon the mixture into your oiled baking dish. Quickly smooth out the top, doing your best not to mix the chocolate in - mine mixed a bit on the surface but didn't affect the swirls on the inside!
    8. Allow marshmallow to set out in the open, uncovered for at least four hours. If you plan to leave them overnight, go ahead with the next step, covering the top surface with the powdered sugar/corn starch mixture and covering it to keep the marshmallow from drying out (if you cover the marshmallow before powdering it, your cover will stick!).
    9. After about four hours, your marshmallow should be set enough to slice. Start by mixing the powdered sugar and corn starch in a small bowl. Use a sieve to powder the top of the marshmallow with the mixture.
    10. Use a butter knife to loosen the edges of the marshmallow, and then you should be able to pull the whole marshmallow out of the dish. Slice the marshmallow into desired pieces. Then use your hands to powder all of the sticky edges, wiping away any excess powder.
    11. Store marshmallows in an airtight container at room temperature. I recommend enjoying within a week.

Notes

This recipe is slightly adapted from Alton Brown and bon appétit

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© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Candy

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

More recipes with marshmallow:

Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie with Marshmallow Topping (DF)
Peppermint Hot Cocoa Brownies (DF + GF)
Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Cookies (DF)

Cranberry Pecan Olive Oil Chocolate Truffles (Vegan)

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Chocolate truffles are one of those simple desserts that always remind me of the holiday season. The combinations are endless, and who doesn’t want to bite into a big ball of chocolate on Thanksgiving or Christmas? They’re simple to put together (though the chocolate does take some time to firm up), and they’re also a fun treat to make with kids. My toddler loved helping me roll the truffles and dip them in chocolate sprinkles! But I did have to keep her from licking a couple of the truffles – ha!

For these truffles, you’ll make a simple chocolate ganache with your favorite chopped chocolate, coconut cream, and olive oil. The coconut cream helps give the ganache that thick and creamy texture – perfect for making truffles (and you can’t taste it in the final product). Then you’ll stir in some dried cranberries and chopped pecans, refrigerate the chocolate until firm, and then roll the truffles! This recipe is super customizable so you can leave out what you don’t like and add what you do. And you can roll your truffles in any topping you’d like or dip them in tempered chocolate for even more decadence!

Yield: 16 Truffles

Cranberry Pecan Olive Oil Chocolate Truffles

Cranberry Pecan Olive Oil Chocolate Truffles

Simple and decadent olive oil chocolate truffles filled with dried cranberries and chopped pecans! These vegan-friendly truffles are ultra-creamy and so delicious!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8oz chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate
  • 1/2 cup canned coconut cream
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
  • 6 Tbsp chopped pecan pieces
  • Cocoa powder, sprinkles, or extra chopped pecans to roll truffles

Instructions

  1. Add the chopped chocolate to a heat proof bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of about 1" of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir the chocolate until totally melted; remove from heat.
  2. Whisk in the coconut cream and olive oil until totally combined - mixture will thicken up. Stir in the dried cranberries and chopped pecans. Allow mixture to cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  3. Cover and refrigerate chocolate mixture for 3-4 hours or until firm enough to scoop.
  4. Line a plate or baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop truffles 1.5 Tbsp in size. Freeze for 5 minutes before rolling the truffles into smooth balls.
  5. If the truffles are sticky, put them in the refrigerator for a few minutes before rolling them in the topping(s) of your choice (sprinkles, chopped pecans, cocoa powder, etc). If your truffles needed to be chilled again, gently roll them in your hands to heat up the surface before rolling them in the topping - this helps the topping stick.
  6. Store truffles in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers in an airtight container.

Notes

  • Shake your can of coconut cream prior to opening. If the cream has hardened, scoop out all of the contents and heat them up until melted and combined. Then measure out 1/2 cup.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 232Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 17mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Candy

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Other recipes you might like:

Orange Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies (DF)
Orange Cranberry Swirl Bread (Vegan)
Dark Chocolate Mini Peanut Butter Cups (Vegan)

Tempered Chocolate Bark (+ how to temper)

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Have you ever made chocolate covered fruit or homemade peanut butter cups and wondered why the chocolate you’ve melted A) doesn’t set or B) has to be kept in the refrigerator to keep from being a melty mess? That’s because your chocolate wasn’t tempered. Tempered chocolate sets at room temperature and has a snap just like a chocolate bar you buy from the store. Though I’ve known about the method and reasoning to temper chocolate for a long while, I was always too intimidated to try it! The process seemed simple enough, but I know how finicky chocolate can be. And I hated the thought of potentially wasting time and delicious chocolate resources!

But for Halloween this year, I wanted to temper some dark chocolate to create a simple sprinkle bark for me and my toddler to snack on. The tempering process took a couple of tries to get right, but the good thing about chocolate is that, as long as it’s not burnt, it can be re-melted! And having some back up chocolate on hand will ease your mind (and the tempering process) too. I learned the below method from Ghirardelli and I hope you find it as simple as I did! Because we all deserve chocolate bark made from nothing but real chocolate.

Here’s what you’ll need to temper chocolate:

Candy thermometer

Stainless steel bowl

Medium saucepan (2.5 quart)

Silicone spatula (optional)

Parchment paper (for bark)

Icing spatula (for bark)

Let’s break down the steps for tempering chocolate:

  1. Grate or finely chop your chocolate. The method that worked for me was to use my knife to “shave” the chocolate. I chopped the chocolate extremely thin to create shavings. Starting at one end of the chocolate bar, and then finishing it all up by chopping cross-wise. You want the chocolate chopped in as small of pieces as possible.
  2. Place 2/3 of your finely chopped chocolate into a stainless steel bowl that will fit on top of your medium saucepan. Fill the saucepan with an inch of water and place over medium-low heat. You want the water to heat up but not boil. Go ahead and lay your bowl of chocolate on top of the saucepan. With your candy thermometer within reach, begin stirring the chocolate until it starts to melt. While there are a few unmelted pieces left, check the temperature of your chocolate. You want your chocolate to reach 110°F-115°F but not exceed 130°F. I found that my chocolate reached this temperature before it was all totally melted.
  3. Remove your chocolate from the heat and place your bowl on top of a towel or hot pad holder. Continue stirring if your chocolate didn’t totally melt yet. Allow the chocolate to cool to 95°F-100°F. To speed this process up, you can gently move the chocolate around the bowl. Check the temperature of your chocolate frequently to be sure it doesn’t cool too much. The cooling process took about 6 minutes for me.
  4. Once your chocolate has cooled to 95°F-100°F, add in the remaining 1/3 of finely chopped chocolate and stir. It may take a while for all of the chocolate to totally melt. This is why you want your chocolate chopped as fine as possible. If your chunks are too big, they won’t melt (trust me, I did this my first go).
  5. Now that your chocolate is totally smooth and melted, it’s tempered! You can dip fruit, pour it into candy molds, or spread it over a piece of parchment paper to make your own chocolate bark! 

Note: to test that your chocolate is tempered, you can thinly spread a small amount onto a clean surface to see if it sets/hardens. If your chocolate is not tempered/doesn’t set, then you’ll have to start over. But you can simply re-melt your chocolate, as long as you have extra chocolate on hand to finely chop and add-in to your melted chocolate like we did in step 4.

Tempered Chocolate Bark

Tempered Chocolate Bark

An easy chocolate bark that sets at room temperature, won't melt in your hands, and can be dressed up however you like - sprinkles, nuts, dried fruit, etc!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 to 1 pound dairy-free chocolate (bar form), finely chopped
  • Toppings of choice: sprinkles, nuts, dried fruit, coconut chips, etc

Instructions

  1. Add about an inch of water to a medium saucepan; set on top of burner. Lay out a large piece of parchment paper on a flat surface - big enough to spread your bark.
  2. Finely chop your chocolate - the smaller the better! Add 2/3 of the chopped chocolate to a medium stainless steel bowl (one that can fit on top of your saucepan without touching the water).
  3. Set bowl of chopped chocolate on top of the saucepan. Turn heat to medium-low. Stir the chocolate frequently until nearly melted, checking the temperature intermittently. Once the chocolate reaches 110°F-115°F remove from the heat and place bowl on a towel. You don't want your chocolate to exceed 130°F.
  4. Allow your chocolate to cool to 95°F-100°F, stirring to ensure all chocolate is melted. Add in the remaining 1/3 finely chopped chocolate and stir until totally melted.
  5. Pour your tempered chocolate onto the parchment paper and use an icing spatula to evenly spread it into a big circle/rectangle, making it as thin or thick as you'd like. Immediately top with toppings.
  6. Allow chocolate to set at room temperature. Break into pieces and enjoy!
  7. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

Make sure all of your bowl and utensils are totally clean and dry. Even one drop of water can ruin the batch of chocolate.

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© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Candy

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred