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These Cadbury Egg Sourdough Cookie Bars are soft and gooey in the center with crisp edges and a lightly golden top. They’re sweet, rich, and loaded with chocolate and chopped Cadbury mini eggs in every bite.
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Adapted from my classic sourdough chocolate chip cookie recipe with the addition of brown butter, these cookie bars are incredibly easy to make and the perfect Easter treat. Simply mix the dough, press it into the pan, and bake. The brown butter adds a rich, nutty flavor that takes these Cadbury Egg Sourdough Cookie Bars to the next level.
If you love Easter baking, you’ll love my Carrot Cake Sourdough Bread, Carrot Cake Sourdough Scones and Carrot Cake Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls.
Why you will love this recipe
- Seasonal favorite – Cadbury Eggs only come around once a year at Easter, and these sourdough cookie bars are a delicious way to use them. For more festive treats, check out my collection of sourdough Easter recipes.
- Brown butter – Just like my Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies, the addition of brown butter in these Cadbury Egg Sourdough Cookie Bars adds a rich nutty flavor.
- Quick and easy – This no wait sourdough recipe does not require any chill time for the dough, and all you need to do is press it into a 9×13 pan. No shaping required! If you love cookie bars don’t miss my Sourdough Sugar Cookie Bars and Oatmeal Chocolate Sourdough Cookie Bars.
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sourdough discard – You can substitute sourdough starter if you do not have sourdough discard on hand.
- Brown Butter – Brown butter is really simple to make and adds a delicious, warm, nutty flavor to the cookie bars. If you want to skip this step, you can just cream softened butter with the sugar instead.
- Cadbury Mini Eggs – These candies are egg shaped chocolates with a crispy candy shell. You will use one entire bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs in this recipe.
- Chocolate – This recipe also calls for white chocolate chips and a chocolate bar cut into chunks. You can use either a semi-sweet or milk chocolate bar. I love using the bar to get bigger chunks of chocolate, but you can also substitute it for regular chocolate chips. If you love chocolate, don’t miss my Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies.
See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
How to brown butter
Browned butter is just butter that is cooked until it is golden brown. It takes on a nutty flavor that adds depth and pairs so well with the chocolate flavor in this recipe. If you love brown butter, be sure to also try Iced Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies, Sourdough Pumpkin Scones, and Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Here’s how you do it:
- Melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir frequently with a spatula. If you have a light colored pan that is helpful to see the color better but dark pans will do the job.
- Once the butter melts, it will begin to foam. The butter should begin turning a golden brown color. Continue to stir. You will want to keep an eye on this as it can quickly burn if not attended to.
- Once the color turns a deep bronze color and the foam begins subsiding, usually within 5-8 minutes of starting, the butter is ready. It should smell nutty.
- Once browned to your liking, immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter into a heatproof bowl or jar.
You can find more in-depth instructions here.
Instructions to make the Cadbury Egg Sourdough Cookie Bars
Step 1 – Brown the butter
Take the butter and cut it into cubes. Add it to a light-colored pan, if you have one, so that you can easily see when the butter has browned. Heat over medium heat, stirring consistently to prevent the butter from burning. Heat for about 5 minutes or until the milk solids have turned a golden brown color and you can smell the nutty aroma. Let it cool for a couple of minutes.
Step 2 – Add sugars
Add the brown butter to a large bowl with the sugars and whisk to combine.
Step 3 – Add wet ingredients
Whisk in the sourdough discard, egg, and vanilla extract.
Step 4 – Add dry ingredients
Stir in the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda.
Step 5 – Prep chocolate
Take the unopened bag of Mini Cadbury Eggs and crush them with a rolling pin to break them up. Chop up the chocolate bar into bite-sized pieces.
Step 6 – Add chocolate
Fold in the chocolates.
Step 7 – Add to pan
Grease or line a 9×13 metal baking pan with parchment paper and press the cookie dough into the pan.
Step 8 – Bake
Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25-30 minutes. If you like a slightly underbaked cookie, bake for 25 minutes or closer to 30 if you prefer a more baked cookie. Once cooled, the cookie bars will set up more.
Recipe Tips
- Use slightly damp hands when pressing the cookie dough into the pan to help prevent sticking.
- If you are using a glass baking pan, it may take a little longer to bake. To know it is ready, look for the edges to be slightly brown and the middle to lose its sheen.
Storage instructions
To store the Cadbury Egg Sourdough Cookie Bars, cover them or add to an airtight container and store them on the counter at room temperature for about a week.
To freeze the cookie bars, place them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookie bars on the counter or add them to the microwave for a few seconds.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, either active starter or sourdough discard will work to make these cookie bars.
Yes. After pressing the dough into the pan, cover it and place it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I recommend browning the butter for a delicious flavor. But if you are short on time or prefer to skip this step, you can. Instead of browning the butter, cream it together with the sugars using a stand mixer or beaters. Since there will be extra moisture, I recommend increasing the flour by 40-50 grams.
Yes, simply add an extra 25 grams of flour to the dough. Using a #40 cookie scoop will yield about 34 cookies. Bake at 350°F for about 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers have lost their sheen.
More sourdough Easter Recipes
Spring Sourdough Recipes
Carrot Cake Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Sourdough Discard Recipes
Sourdough Carrot Cake (9×13 or Bundt pan)
Easter Sourdough Recipes
Sourdough Carrot Cake Scones
Sourdough Discard Recipes
The Best Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tried this Cadbury Egg Sourdough Cookie Bars or another recipe from the site? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments—can’t wait to see what you’re baking!
Cadbury Egg Sourdough Cookie Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 227 grams butter , 1 cup
- 220 grams brown sugar, 1 cup
- 150 grams granulated sugar, ¾ cup
- 1 egg, 50 grams
- 75 grams sourdough discard, ⅓ cup
- 13 grams vanilla extract, 1 Tablespoon
- 5 grams baking soda, 1 teaspoon
- 3 grams salt, ½ teaspoon
- 300 grams all-purpose flour, 2 cups + 2 tablespoons
- 255 grams Cadbury mini eggs milk chocolate, crushed, 1 9 ounces bag
- 113 grams semi-sweet or milk chocolate bar, roughly chopped, 4 ounces
- 127 grams white chocolate chips, ¾ cup
Instructions
- Brown the butter – Cut 1 cup of butter into cubes. Add it to a light-colored pan, if you have one, so that you can easily see when the butter has browned. Heat over medium heat, stirring consistently to prevent the butter from burning. Heat for about 5 minutes or until the milk solids have turned a golden brown color and you can smell the nutty aroma. Let it cool for a couple of minutes.227 grams butter
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Add sugars – Add the brown butter to a large bowl and add in the sugars and whisk to combine.220 grams brown sugar, 150 grams granulated sugar
- Add wet ingredients – Whisk in the sourdough discard, egg, and vanilla extract.75 grams sourdough discard, 1 egg, 13 grams vanilla extract
- Add dry ingredients – Fold in the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda.300 grams all-purpose flour, 3 grams salt, 5 grams baking soda,
- Prep chocolate – Take the unopened bag of Mini Cadbury Eggs and crush them with a rolling pin to break them up. Chop up the chocolate bar into bite-sized pieces.255 grams Cadbury mini eggs milk chocolate, crushed, 113 grams semi-sweet or milk chocolate bar, roughly chopped
- Add chocolate – Fold in the Cadbury eggs, chocolate bar, and white chocolate chips. 127 grams white chocolate chips
- Add to pan – Grease or line a 9×13 metal baking pan with parchment paper and add the cookie dough. Press the dough evenly into the pan.
- Bake – Add to the preheated 350°F oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. If you like a slightly underbaked cookie, bake for 25 minutes or closer to 30 if you prefer a more baked cookie. Once cooled, the cookie bars will set up more.
Notes
- Use slightly damp hands when pressing the sugar cookie dough into the pan to help prevent sticking.
- If you are using a glass baking pan, it may take a little longer to bake. To know it is ready, look for the edges to be slightly brown and the middle to lose its sheen.
- If you would like to skip the brown butter, you can cream the sugar and softened butter together instead and add 40-50 grams of flour.
- Store on the counter, covered, for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
- You can also use this dough to make cookies instead of bars. Simply add an extra 25 grams of flour to the dough. Using a #40 cookie scoop will yield about 34 cookies. Bake at 350°F for about 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers have lost their sheen.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
does the discard need to be room temp?
It makes it a little easier to mix in when it is room temperature but it won’t hurt to use cold discard (I did it last night).
When you say 225 bag of Cadbury mini eggs, what size is that? You don’t say if this measures in grams or ounces. There are many different sizes these come in.
Oh sorry that’s a typo I’ll fix that. It’s a 9oz 255 gram bag.
Can I make the dough today and then bake it tomorrow or will it not bake as well?
Yes it’s fine to refrigerate before baking.
Could you long ferment these? Prepping for a large order.
Yes!
I’m going to make these for a work potluck, but I am wondering if I am suppose to use unsalted or salted butter?
I pretty much always use salted butter so that’s what I used but either will work just fine.
Made these today for my sister! They are absolutely amazing. Very rich but delicious i think personally i would do half of the amount of white chocolate chips but the recipe is truly amazing and very simple! Definitely going to make again for easter!
Thanks so much, Taylor!
These are so good and so easy!!
So glad you liked them! Thanks for sharing.
These Cadbury egg cookie bars are so delicious! A new favorite.