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This bright and cheerful Easter dessert mixes the fun of Peeps marshmallows with a tasty butter cookie layer. The playful color mix makes a party-worthy treat that's great for springtime while being easy enough for anyone to whip up successfully.
I threw these bars together for my niece's Easter bash last spring, and they were such a smash hit that the family now expects me to bring them to every holiday. Those swirly colors never stop making everyone smile.
What You'll Need
- Ready-to-bake sugar cookie dough: this handy grocery store find cuts down your prep time but still tastes homemade
- Peeps marshmallows: grab different colors to make the prettiest swirl patterns
- Non-stick cooking spray: helps the bars pop out easily and lets you cut clean squares
How To Make It
- Get The Bottom Ready:
- Flatten half your cookie dough across the bottom of a greased 8×8 inch baking dish. This makes a good solid base that'll hold up all those gooey marshmallows.
- Place Your Peeps:
- Set your colorful Peeps all over the cookie layer. Using lots of different colors makes the finished product look amazing. Leave tiny gaps between them so they'll melt more evenly.
- Finish With Cookie Layer:
- Break up what's left of your dough into small pieces and scatter them over the Peeps. Don't worry about covering everything perfectly since you want some gaps for the marshmallows to bubble through.
- Initial Cooking:
- Bake at 350°F for 8 minutes until you see the Peeps starting to get puffy. This first bake gets them ready for the fun swirling part.
- Make Your Design:
- Pull the pan out and use a spatula sprayed with cooking spray to swirl the melty Peeps around. Try to make pretty color patterns without messing up the cookie base.
- Complete The Baking:
- Put it back in the oven for another 12 minutes until the edges turn golden brown. The middle might look a bit soft but will firm up as it cools down.
- Cool And Slice:
- Let everything cool completely then put in the fridge for about an hour. Use a knife coated with cooking spray to cut into squares for smooth edges.
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These bars take me back to Easter egg hunts at my grandma's house. She always kept Peeps in her candy dish during spring, and using them in these cookie treats brings those warm memories flooding back whenever I bake them.
Creative Twists
You can really play around with these fun bars. Try pushing mini chocolate eggs into the top before the last bake for extra crunch and flavor. The mix of chocolate with the sweet marshmallow and cookie layers creates a mouth-watering combo that takes this simple treat to the next level.
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Keeping Them Fresh
Keep any extras in a sealed container in your fridge for up to 5 days. The cold helps them stay chewy and stops the marshmallow from getting too sticky. If you want to save them longer, you can freeze them for up to 3 months by wrapping each piece in plastic and storing them in a freezer bag.
Year-Round Options
Though we mostly see Peeps at Easter, you can make this treat anytime using different colored marshmallows. Try yellow and orange Peeps for Halloween, green and red for Christmas, or red and pink for Valentine's Day. The cooking steps stay the same, but you'll end up with a custom dessert for any holiday.
Ways To Enjoy Them
These bars taste amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert, or next to a warm cup of coffee or cold glass of milk as a snack. For a cute Easter brunch idea, cut them into tiny squares and set them on a plate with fresh strawberries and chocolate-dipped fruit.
Common Recipe Questions
- → Can I use homemade sugar cookie dough for this dessert?
Absolutely, you can use your own cookie dough instead of buying it. Just make sure it's the right thickness for pressing into layers in the pan.
- → How can I prevent the Peeps from sticking?
Give your spatula a quick spray with cooking oil before you start swirling the melted Peeps around.
- → What size baking dish should I use?
Go with an 8x8-inch square dish for these bars. It gives you the perfect thickness.
- → How should I store leftover bars?
Put any extra Peeps Sugar Cookie Bars in a sealed container in your fridge to keep them tasting great.
- → Can I use less or more Peeps in the recipe?
You can totally change how many Peeps you add. More Peeps will make a sweeter bar, while fewer will tone down the sweetness a bit.