Marshmallow Cookie Bars. In any flavour you like.
Marshmallow Cookie Bars. Easy to make in any flavour you like. The shortbread cookie bottom gets topped by a homemade marshmallow layer made from your favourite flavour of Jello!
Originally published Nov 2016.
These Marshmallow Cookie Bars are another common cookie treat around Christmas time here in Newfoundland.
Some of the recipes for the marshmallow layer that I've tried in the past were quite bland though, so I decided to make them a bit differently than some of the local bakeries.My biggest issue was the marshmallow layer on top. A couple of recipes that I'd been given over the years produced a marshmallow that was pretty lacklustre, both in flavour and in texture.
The marshmallow was relatively flavourless and worse, the marshmallow was more like whipped jelly than anything else.
My solution to improve this recipe was first to make a slightly thicker base for the cookies. That extra strength would hold up better to support a thicker and denser layer of marshmallow.
Secondly, I decided to use a very old recipe which I believe at one time came on an insert in Jello packages. The recipe was a very simple one for making homemade marshmallows from Jello jelly powder.
I whipped up the recipe as directed and spread the thick gooey warm marshmallow all over the prepared, cooled cookie base. I then sprinkled on some dried coconut for decoration and waited for the marshmallow layer to cool and set.
A real family favourite.
Honestly, I loved the way these turned out and I am a bit ashamed to say that I've eaten a few too many. It really was like stepping back into kid-dom, tasting these.
Just as I was writing this post, lunch guests arrived at my front door. My Sister Brenda is visiting from Alberta and she came to lunch with my Mom and Dad, my sister Barb and her daughter, Taylor.
After our lunch of Dijon Brown Sugar Glazed Ham and various potato and pasta salads, I put out a selection of goodies that I'd been baking for the upcoming Christmas season.
These Lime Marshmallow squares were the hit of the cookie of the cookie platters! I guess maybe my family are all kids at heart like me.
Looking for more cookie inspiration?
If you liked this recipe you many want to check out this great collection of No Bake Cookies that was incredibly popular during our last Holiday season.
Like this Marshmallow Cookie Bars recipe?
Find over 200 more outstanding cookie recipes by browsing the photo links in our Cookie Recipes Gallery.
It's easy to keep up with the latest home style cooking & baking ideas from Rock Recipes. Be sure to follow Rock Recipes Facebook Page and follow us on Instagram. Plus you'll see daily recipe suggestions from decadent desserts to quick delicious weekday meals too.
You can also sign up for our FREE newsletter to know immediately when new recipes are added. You'll get weekly suggestions for great family friendly meals and desserts too!
Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Marshmallow Cookie Bars. Easy to make in any flavour you like. The shortbread cookie bottom gets topped by a homemade marshmallow layer made from your favourite flavour of Jello!
Ingredients
For the cookie base
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
For the marshmallow top layer
- 1 cup water
- 2 pkg lime or other flavour Jello powder, 3 oz/85 g each
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup dried unsweetened coconut, to garnish top; optional
Instructions
- Instructions
For the cookie base.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter, brown sugar and vanilla well until light coloured and fluffy.
- Fold in the flour to form a soft dough.
- Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown around the edges.
- Remove from oven and cool completely before adding the top layer.
To prepare the marshmallow layer.
- NOTE: You are going to want to keep the temperature on low throughout this stage. You don't want the mixture to boil; just keep the heat steady to allow you to fully dissolve the jelly powder and sugar.
- In a small saucepan bring the water to a boil and reduce the burner setting to low.
- Add the 2 pkg of Jello powder and stir continuously until it is completely dissolved. This can take 4-5 minutes.
- Add the sugar and again, continue to stir ver low heat until the sugar is fully dissolved with no sugar grains left at the bottom of the pan. This may take 4-5 more minutes or so.
- Remove from heat and stir in the corn syrup.
- Transfer the mixture to a very clean glass or metal bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer.
- Chill in the fridge for about a half hour, stirring occasionally until the mixture is just lukewarm. It should not be hotter than lukewarm, nor should it me too cold.
- When the jello mixture reaches the lukewarm point, begin beating it at high speed with the whisk attachment on your electric mixer.
- Beat for 10-12 minutes or until very thick and fluffy.
- Spread the marshmallow layer over the cooled cookie layer and sprinkle with coconut if you like. Refrigerate for 6-8 hours or overnight before cutting into cookie bars.
- Store in airtight containers. These freeze particularly well for several weeks.
Recommended Products
Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Nutrition Information
Yield
36Serving Size
gAmount Per Serving Calories 130Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 14mgSodium 45mgCarbohydrates 19gFiber 0gSugar 13gProtein 1g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Where can I buy this book
Follow the links on the website to purchase.
Thank you for this detailed recipe. I didn't have much luck with previous attempts from old cookbooks but these ones turned out perfectly. I made the lime version and plan to try the lemon jello ones too!
(After I make the Cherry-Orange pound cake)
I'm going to try and make these w some sugar free jello I have and I'll let u know if I can pull it off ..haaaa! I plan on everything else the same but my jello is just sugar free.. wish me luck!
Love your goodies Barry tyvvm!
I'm curious to know because marshmallow is all about the physical interaction of gelatine with sugar. Take pics!
Wow what a great find! Being a transplanted Newfoundlander living in Ontario I am happy to find this website. I heard you on CBC just now! I do a lot of baking at this time of year, all year round actually and most of my standby baking recipes are NL recipes. I am wondering if you can help me recreate a recipe I remember from grade 3? A friend's grandpa used to make a white fudge with coconut in it. I came across the same type of fudge a couple times after that at church bake sales in NL but in trying to recreate it over the years I haven't ever been able to come close. Sometimes I think food coloring is added. I wonder if it had marshmallow in the recipe? I am now 49 years old and I still always look closely for something like that anywhere that sells fudge! Nothing like it seems to exist. Any chance you know what I am talking about and could suggest a recipe? Thanks and I look forward to trying some of your recipes!
I'm not much of a fudge maker myself but maybe a reader can help.
Any thoughts of omitting the corn syrup, or a substitute?
Only ever made it with the syrup myself. Id be tempted to try honey though.
Love this idea. I have like 20 boxes of random flavors of jello that need to be used up, so this is so perfect 🙂
I made these yesterday and followed the recipe but my topping didn't get fluffy, it is more like glue, can you tell me what I did wrong?evelyn
That's odd. Nobody had reported that issue so far. Did you beat it with a stand mixer? Always works for me.
I just made these (strawberry) they turned out perfect! Memories of birthday parties when we were kids.
Bronwen, here's my mom's white fudge recipe w/o clear fudge making instructions..
4 cup white sugar
1 cup milk
Dissolve sugar in milk very slowly over low heat and bring to boil and cook to soft ball stage, approx 10 min, Add butter the size of a walnut and 1/2 cup coconut. Beat with electric mixer and I'm not sure how long. She made it every Christmas for at least 50 years!
Now that I have them cut out, they are the colour of peptomismal so maybe stick with lime or lemon
Do you use butter or Margarine?
Thank you
Only butter is butter.
Do you have any advice on cutting these nicely? I want them to look as beautiful as yours do!
I always use parchment paper to lift them onto a cutting board. Much easier to get them straight.
How much water do you use when making the marshmallow squares?
1 cup
Can you use golden corn syrup in the marshmallow square bars?
Sure
Can you freeze marshmallow squares?
I bought the ingredients for this today but noticed that the Jello boxes are 3 oz., not 4 oz. as called for in the recipe. However, they are listed as 85 g. which is what the recipe also calls for. Can I assume that the 3 oz. boxes will work? This recipe sounds yummy!
Turns out they are 3 oz boxes here too. I will change that.
Do these marshmallow Cookie Bars need to be refrigerated? Am catering a party at Xmas
squares/cookies etc. and would love to serve these alongside & I have to make up my trays the day before. Love your site !!
They can stand out for a while. A day should be fine.