27 Decadent Brownies & Bars

Brownies are perfection when combined with peanut-butter-cup/chocolate-swirl ice cream (often called Moose Tracks), but feel free to swap it out for your favorite flavor. Chilling the brownies overnight will make it easier to cut them neatly; they’ll also keep their shape nicely if you cut them in half.

Recipe: Moose Tracks Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Almonds and cinnamon are what make Mexican chocolate special, and they flavor both the brownie and the streusel in these bars.

Recipe: Mexican Chocolate Streusel Brownies

Chewy, and big enough to share—though you may want every bite. For the richest flavor, use dark chocolate and cocoa such as Scharffen Berger.

Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies

Michael Recchiuti, a San Francisco chocolate visionary, prefers to make these moist brownies with a distinct chocolate such as L’Harmonie, a 64 percent dark chocolate blend available from E. Guittard consumer sales (800/468-2462). Serve wedges or squares topped with lightly sweetened, softly whipped cream, chopped fresh mint, and fresh raspberries; or crown pieces with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Recipe: Dark Chocolate-Chunk Brownies

We couldn’t decide which we liked better, the crunchy outside pieces or the gooey inside ones. Leftovers are unlikely, but you can store the brownies airtight up to 1 day.

Recipe: Caramel Brownies

Store-bought ice cream works fine here, or you can make your own; our classic Vanilla Bean recipe would be a good place to start.

Recipe: Brownie Ice Cream Mini-wiches

If you like super-chocolatey, fudgy brownies (and who doesn’t?), then these are for you.

Recipe: Triple-Chocolate Brownies

Lord have mercy, are these ever good. Tart yet rich fromage blanc cheese gives these fudgy brownies a fun Western twist.

Recipe: Chocolate-Fromage Blanc Brownies

One reader called this decadent dessert “dangerous” because you won’t be able to stop eating it―we couldn’t agree more.

Recipe: Chocolate Espresso Brownie Cake

These rich chocolate brownies are topped with a delicate layer of peppermint candy. They’re perfect for the holidays.

Recipe: Peppermint-topped Brownies

Mini marshmallows melt into this walnut-topped brownie during baking, giving it a gooey, fudgy texture.

Recipe: Rocky Road Brownies

These classic chocolate brownies can be stored airtight for up to 2 days.

Recipe: Dark Chocolate Brownies

We can’t quite call these dessert bars “health food,” but with whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, and rolled oats mixed in, they’re much more respectable.

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars

These sweet-and-tart treats are great for a winter holiday party.

Recipe: Cran-Raspberry Streusel Bars

Peanut butter and chocolate top an oatmeal cookie base in our Peanut Butter-Oat Bars, while our cheescake squares get a streusel topping.

Recipe: Peanut Butter-Oat Bars

Recipe: Cheesecake Bars

Phyllis Ciardo of Albany, California, developed her own rich and chewy version of the meringue-topped bars she remembers her mother baking every Christmas.

Recipe: Royal Raspberry Bars

With a buttery crust and custard-like filling, these lemon squares taste as good as they look. A dusting of powdered sugar completes the bar cookie recipe.

Recipe: Buttery Lemon Squares

Even when we almost burned the crust of these buttery bars, we still couldn’t stop eating them and ended up with a new crunchier variation. We hope you’ll enjoy them as much as we did.

Recipe: Hazelnut Shortbread Bars

Don’t worry: The mixture looks too dry, but it will come together as a dough.

Recipe: Cranberry Crisp Bars

This spicy-sweet pumpkin recipe is perfect for Halloween or any autumn get-together.

Recipe: Swirled Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Bars

Our favorite chocolate chip cookie gets a bar-shaped makeover.

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Combine four whole grains with peanuts and peanut butter for a bar that’s filling as well as delicious.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Cranberry Go-Bars

Named after a town in British Columbia, this popular Canadian bar cookie has a creamy topping and a graham cracker-pecan crust.

Recipe: Nanaimo Bars

Medjool dates, cranberries, and apples keep these nice and moist.

Recipe: Fruit and Nut Chewy Bars

The colorful mixture of fruit and nuts makes for a festive presentation atop rich shortbread.

Recipe: Florentine Bars

The buttery shortbread is heavenly with the honey caramel that’s baked around this salty nut mixture. Cut them into various shapes and set out with coffee or a cool weather cocktail.

Recipe: Honey Caramel Nut Bars

A two-citrus filling and a toasted-coconut base make this version of the traditional lemon bar both bright and rich. For bars with flecks of zest but no foamy top, whisk the egg mixture just enough to blend.

Recipe: Lemon-Lime Macaroon Bars