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If you’re a fan of cookie bars or chocolate lava cake, I’ve got just the treat for you: Molten Lava Bars. A chewy chocolate cookie bar layered with hot fudge and dusted with powdered sugar, this is the easiest dessert for the mega chocolate lover.
Molten Lava Cookie Bar Recipe
This Molten Lava Cookie Bar recipe is dangerously easy to make. Like, I don’t know whether you should be thanking me or cursing my name right now. They’re a chocolate cookie bar that is layered with thick and gooey hot fudge. They taste just as good as a lava cake (maybe even better because, cookies), but they’re so dang easy. You literally just have to mix up cookie dough, press it into a pan, and pour jarred hot fudge on top before adding more cookie dough. And the best part? It only bakes for 17 minutes. I’ve made up my mind – you should definitely be thanking me for this one.
I typically dust with a little powdered sugar, but no one would judge you if you tried a little a la mode situation with some vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients in Molten Lava Bars
Exact quantities and directions can be found below in the recipe card.
- Salted butter – I used salted butter in most of my recipes! You can use unsalted butter and add an extra pinch of salt to the batter as needed.
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Light corn syrup
- Vanilla
- All-purpose flour
- Dutch processed cocoa powder
- Corn starch
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Hot fudge sauce – I used store bought jarred hot fudge, but you could make this from scratch if you really wanted to!
- Powdered sugar – You will just need a little to dust on top.
How to Make Cookie Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light in color and fluffy in texture. You can also use an electric hand mixer, if you’d like.
- To the butter + sugars, add in the eggs, corn syrup and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Next, add the flour, cocoa, corn starch, baking soda and salt. Mix until your chocolate cookie dough forms. The dough will be soft.
- Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Pour and spread the hot fudge sauce on top of the cookie dough.
- Crumble the remaining cookie dough onto the top of the hot fudge layer.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 17-20 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before sprinkling with powdered sugar. Cut and enjoy!
How to Store Chocolate Cookie Bars
Allow the Molten Lava Bars to cool completely and place in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 3-5 days. Enjoy!
Can you freeze Molten Lava Bars?
Yes! You totally can. Let the bars cool, cut into servings and place in a zip top bag. Place the bag in the freezer and use within 3 months.
Recipes for Chocolate Lovers
Molten Lava Bar
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (167g) salted butter
- 3/4 cup (185g) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (58g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp light corn syrup
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla
- 2 cups (304g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (60g) dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1/2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 11.75 oz jar hot fudge sauce
- powdered sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light in color and fluffy in texture. You can also use an electric hand mixer, if you’d like.3/4 cup (167g) salted butter, 3/4 cup (185g) brown sugar, 1/4 cup (58g) granulated sugar
- To the butter + sugars, add in the eggs, corn syrup and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined.2 eggs, 1 tbsp light corn syrup, 1/2 tbsp vanilla
- Next, add the flour, cocoa, corn starch, baking soda and salt. Mix until your chocolate cookie dough forms. The dough will be soft.2 cups (304g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup (60g) dutch processed cocoa powder, 1/2 tbsp corn starch, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Pour and spread the hot fudge sauce on top of the cookie dough.11.75 oz jar hot fudge sauce
- Crumble the remaining cookie dough onto the top of the hot fudge layer.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 17-20 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before sprinkling with powdered sugar. Cut and enjoy!powdered sugar, for topping
Amazing!!!! Rich and chocolatey
I haven’t made this recipe however, I love the way it was written!!! Maybe I have ADD maybe not…I get so frustrated cooking with recipes as the flipping up and down back and forth from ingredients to instructions is so ugh! I will definitely try this tomorrow. I believe the frustration factor has been removed.
Yay, so glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome. I have use your method by rearranging online recipes, by copy and paste, to my Notes. I find it less “frantic” for me to follow by having the ingredients and instructions for each step of the recipe stacked…
The recipe had three components , a carrot cake, a glaze, and an icing. I grouped the ingredients, instructions for each component. I felt so well organized making this cake. Not my usual head spinning search for missing ingredients and instructions.
Again, Thank you, thank you, thank you for using this method.
I will use your recipe for above for a Christmas dessert.
These bars look amazing delicious. My question is. Could I use something like Hershey baking cocoa? Or does it have to be Dutch cocoa powder? What’s the difference?? TIA
This lava cake recipe is such great treat for everyone. Thank you very much. With lots of love and efforts one can make dishes and make their special occasions more special. Thanks.
Thank you for another delicious recipe. The format of your recipes ( including ingredients within directions) is so user friendly. Thank you for that.
Mary Ann
Hi, Early! How would you store these? Room temp or fridge?
Store at room temp for 3-5 days!
Looks yummy! How do you test if its baked through?
When these bars are done, the center will be set (not jiggly). Insert a toothpick into the dough and if it comes out with a few moist crumbs, it is good to go!
I can’t wait to try this it looks yummy
Devoured in minutes. This was easy to make and delicious. I only had Hershey’s cocoa powder on hand and it turned out great. We heated it back up and added vanilla ice cream. The kids were literally trying to hide the last few pieces. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Any recommendations on a brand of hot fudge sauce? If I’m feeling extra, I could make homemade. Looking forward to this one!
I use Mrs. Richardson’s if I’m going store bought. I also love this homemade fudge in the middle: https://cookingwithkarli.com/homemade-hot-fudge/
I haven’t tried making these yet but I definitely will. They look delicious! I do have question, I see it says use a 9×13 pan in the recipe but in the video you posted the pan looks bigger than a 9×13. Is this a correct size pan or is it suppose to be bigger.
You will use a 9×13 for this recipe!