Root Beer Float Bars are chewy, sweet, and fragrant with spices. The same spices that make an icy root beer float so refreshing, make these bars warm and welcoming. Sassafras, winter green, cinnamon, and allspice are a magical combination.
Why you'll love this recipe
- These soft, chewy bars are full of the flavors that make root beer soda so refreshing.
- Spreading batter into one pan for baking, is much faster than portioning out individual cookies.
- Especially important for long distance shipping (such as military care packages), uncut pans of bar cookies retain their moist, chewy texture longer and are sturdier than individual cookies.
- An uncut pan of cookie bars is fast and easy to wrap or vacuum seal.
Root beer spices and creamy vanilla ice cream make root beer floats a flavorful treat. These chewy bars have that same root beer flavor and and a touch of vanilla ice cream flavor from white chocolate chips.
This delicious Root Beer Float Bars recipe is adapted from a cookie recipe and offers several advantages over the original recipe.
Baking the cookie dough pressed into a pan for bars saves time (no scooping dough balls), and the thicker bars are sturdier and stay chewy longer than cookies.
Once you try these tasty bars you're sure to want more convenient bar cookie recipes for great snacks at home or added to care packages. Try Orange Creamsicle Bars or Lemon Lime Bars.
Ingredients
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the ingredients to form the dough.
- Press the dough into a parchment lined baking pan.
- Bake until golden brown.
- Use the parchment to lift the baked dough onto a cutting board. Cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar.
Storage
Store Root Beer Bars at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week. Wrapping the pan uncut will extend the shelf life for up to 10 days.
Tips and variations
- Just as the various brands of root beer soda have slightly different flavors, each brand of root beer extract/concentrate uses a slightly different blend of spices. Experiment with several brands to see which flavor profile you like the most.
- Most chewy cookie recipes can be baked as a bar cookie. To bake bars instead of cookies, mix the ingredients according to directions, then spread into a lined baking pan.
- Lining the baking pan with foil or parchment paper, eliminates the need of oiling the pan and makes it easy to lift the uncut square/rectangle out of the pan for cutting.
- The size of the pan required will depend on the amount of dough the recipe produces and the bar thickness desired. Often, an 8” x 8” or 9”x 9” square pan will produce a thick bar cookie and a rectangular 9” x 11” baking pan will produce a thin bar cookie.
- Baking time for bar cookies is longer than for cookie recipes. Thicker bars take longer to bake than thinner ones. Start checking for doneness at 15 minutes, then recheck as needed at 5 minute intervals.
Frequently asked questions
A root beer float, also called a "brown cow" or "black cow", is a drink made with vanilla ice cream and root beer soda.
There are many different recipes for root beer containing different combinations of spice flavors added to sassafras flavor. Some commonly used root beer spices include vanilla, wintergreen, licorice root, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon.
More bar cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars are thick, chewy bars that taste like a peanut butter cup!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are a simplified way to get chocolate chip cookie flavor in an easy to make, soft cookie bar.
Raspberry Chocolate Chip Bars are fruity and chewy treats that are perfect for picnics and care packages.
Chocolate Covered Cherry Bars are luscious desserts that are especially welcome when time is short. This shortcut recipe will amaze you!
Simple Sugar Cookie Bars are your favorite basic vanilla sugar cookie in convenient bar form.
Oatmeal Cookie Bars are packed with chocolate chips. There are directions for making your own colored chips for any holiday.
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Root Beer Float Bars
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix powder
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons root beer extract or concentrate
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup mini white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line an 8” x 8” or 9” x 9” baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all four sides.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.
- Mix in the pudding mix powder.
- Add the eggs and root beer extract and mix until combined.
- Add the flour and baking soda and mix until incorporated.
- Stir in the white chocolate chips.
- Press the batter as evenly as possible into the prepared baking pan. Using a sheet of wax paper over the batter, press down to flatten and smooth the top of the bars.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle, come out clean.
- Remove the pan from the oven and cool for 20 minutes.
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the dough out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Use a serrated knife to cut into 12 bars.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week. Wrapping the pan uncut will extend the shelf life for up to 10 days.
Notes
- Wrap individual bars in plastic wrap.
- Stack the wrapped bars in a freezer weight ziplock bag.
- For long care package shipping times, use plastic wrap to wrap the entire pan of bars uncut. Place the wrapped square in a freezer weight ziplock bag or vacuum seal.
Nutrition
First Published: October 19, 2018. Last Updated: July 26, 2024. Updated for improved images, additional information, and better reader experience.
Robyn Rasmussen
Can these be frozen for a week or so ?
Wendy Sondov
Absolutely. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or freezer weight ziplock bag. The bars will freeze well.
g
Can you leave out the chocolate chips?
Wendy Sondov
Absolutely! The white chocolate chips add a bit of creamy flavor like the creaminess of a root beer float, but the bars would still be tasty without them.
April J Harris
I think it is wonderful what you do with the Soldiers Angels organization, Wendy! It is so important to support our military and their families. I was really interested to learn about converting ordinary cookie recipes to bar cookie recipes too. An as for these Root Beer Float Bars, I can't wait to try to make them. I'm going to have to tuck a box of instant pudding powder in my suitcase when I'm in California next week, and maybe some root beer extract too (although I might be able to get that here). They look so good, and my son and I just love root beer. He lives about 2 hours away and I might even be able to send these to him! Pinning and sharing on the H&S Facebook page later today. Thank you for sharing, and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party. Hope you are having a great weekend!
Miz Helen
I love a Root Beer Float, this is a great bar and a great idea! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a great weekend and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Angie with Kitchen Southern Hospitality
Though I'm not fond of Root Beer, I love Root Beer floats. Crazy, I know. So your Root Beer Flat Bars are intriguing, and I would love to make them.
The Monday Box
Hi, Angie. Though I love root beer, I wasn't so sure about root beer flavored baking, but was pleasantly surprised! They are like spice bars with a touch of licorice. Each flavoring is slightly different, just like root beer brands are slightly different.
AnnMarie Irace
These sound great! I bake for a local theatre so these are perfect!
The Monday Box
Thanks, AnnMarie! I hope the theatre people love them! 🙂
Amy
What a great project. I love root beer and so these bars sound fabulous. Thank you for sharing at Reader Tip Tuesday.
The Monday Box
Thank you, Amy! Root beer flavor makes a delicious spiced bar!