These soft and chewy eggnog cookie bars are perfectly spiced and dotted with white chocolate. They’re the classic holiday drink in seriously delicious cookie form.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who love eggnog and those who are wrong. I’m not too proud to admit I used to fall into the latter group, but as soon as I boarded the eggnog train, I knew I’d never go back. AND I knew I had to find a way to make my new favorite bev into cookie form.
Here, I humbly present the successful result of my eggnog cookie experiment: white chocolate eggnog cookie bars. These are, dare I say, some of the most delicious cookies I have ever made, and I’d be shocked if anyone didn’t love them, even those who are committed to turning their nose up at nog.
There are, of course, many eggnog cookie recipes out there on the internet, but I believe mine are the very best ones, due in no small part to how easy they are to make. The dough comes together in ten minutes or less, and then it’s straight to the oven — no chilling required. Seriously, these have got to go in your annual Christmas cookie box. There’s simply no other way.
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Ingredients
Aside from a few special ingredients, these cookies come together with some baking basics you almost certainly have on hand. You’ll need…
- Eggnog. Duh! Yes, of course we’re using real eggnog in these. They wouldn’t be eggnog cookies without it.
- White chocolate. Just use your favorite kind. Chips work just fine, but if you really want to make these fancy (and get melty, swirly pools of white chocolate), chop up a white chocolate baking bar or two.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg. These quintessential spices really amp up the eggnog flavor.
- Egg yolks. Just the yolks! These bring extra eggnog flavor and add fat, resulting in a cookie that’s dense, chewy and soft.
- Butter. And lots of it. We’ll use melted butter for this recipe because it creates a less puffy cookie. We’re going for chewy here, not cakey.
- Baking basics. All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. All things you likely have in your cabinet if you bake regularly.
Instructions
In addition to being wildly delicious, these cookie bars are also wildly simple to make, taking only about 10 minutes from mixing bowl to oven. Here’s what you’ll do:
- Whisk together the butter and sugars until combined.
- Add in the egg yolks one at a time, then whisk in the eggnog and vanilla. Wet ingredients done.
- Add the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Fold together gently with a rubber spatula until just combined.
- Fold in the white chocolate.
- Drop the dough into a parchment-lined 9×9-inch baking dish and use your hands to spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle more white chocolate on top if you’re feeling extra like me.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and immediately slam it on the counter a few times. I’m not joking — it feels silly, but this step is essential to creating a dense, chewy cookie bar.
- Let the cookie bars cool COMPLETELY in the pan before slicing and serving. These are actually better after they’ve had some time to chill out, so I recommend serving them a few hours after baking or even the next day.
Substitutions and Variations
I know white chocolate can be divisive, so if you’re not a fan, feel free to just leave it out. These would also be delicious with butterscotch or caramel chips!
I haven’t tried baking these cookie bars with dairy-free eggnog, so I’m not sure how they would turn out. If you do try it, though, make sure to leave a comment letting me know how it goes!
Expert Tips
These cookie bars are so simple anyone can make them, but I do have to echo the same advice you’ll hear on every cookie recipe across the internet: Don’t overmix your dough! Fold it together until it’s juuust combined, with no dry patches of flour remaining. Any more than that and you’ll risk a tough cookie. While I believe you’re a tough cookie, I doubt you want your actual cookies to be that way.
Equipment Needed
- Large and small mixing bowls
- 9×9 square pan
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
These cookie bars store well tightly covered on the counter for 4–5 days, although I doubt they’ll last that long.
If you want to keep them around much longer than that, you can stow them away in the freezer for about a month. When you’re ready for a warm cookie, preheat the oven to 350°F, then bake for about 7 minutes, or until thawed and warm in the center.
FAQs
You can use any kind! Regular ol’ white chocolate chips work just fine. A fancy white chocolate baking bar will take them up a notch.
While I’ve never made these cookies with dairy-free nog, you can certainly try! Be aware the texture may change a bit due to the lower fat content in plant based nog. If you do try it, please leave a comment below letting me know how it goes!
Air is the enemy of a perfectly chewy cookie — too much rise creates a texture that’s cakey rather than dense. These cookie bars rise a bit in the oven, so banging the pan on the counter while they’re hot knocks out all that extra air and creates a close texture. You should be able to see the cookie bars deflate quite a bit. This is a good thing!
They’re not doomed, but they may not be as dense and chewy as they’re intended to be. If you let them cool for long enough, though, they should fall a little bit on their own.
If you loved these white chocolate eggnog cookie bars, try these other cookie recipes perfect for gifting:
Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies
Easy Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Did you make this recipe? If you loved it, please leave a ⭐5-star rating⭐ and/or leave a comment below the recipe card! And don’t forget to share a photo and tag me on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok — I love seeing you recreate my recipes.
PrintWhite Chocolate Eggnog Cookie Bars
These soft and chewy eggnog cookie bars are perfectly spiced and dotted with white chocolate. They’re the classic holiday drink in seriously delicious cookie form.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus cooling time
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes, plus cooling time
- Yield: 16 cookie bars 1x
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup eggnog
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
Instructions
- Arrange an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fully combined. The mixture will still be a little grainy.
- Whisk in the egg yolks, then whisk in the eggnog and vanilla.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Fold together with a silicone spatula until no dry patches of flour remain.
- Fold in half of the white chocolate chips until just combined.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and use your hands to flatten it into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining white chocolate chips over the top of the dough.
- Bake for 24–26 minutes, or until the cookie bars are puffed and golden-brown on top. They will still be a bit soft when you give them a poke.
- Remove the pan from the oven and immediately drop it on the counter a few times. This knocks out any extra air and creates a cookie bar that’s dense and chewy rather than cakey.
- Let cool completely before slicing and serving. These are best a few hours after baking or even the next day.
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