Cookies and Cream Shortbread Bars

Thick, crumbly buttery vanilla shortbread is topped with a layer of chunky crushed Oreos baked right in, finished with a creamy milk chocolate ganache, more crushed Oreos, and a scatter of flaky salt. The bars come together without a mixer and can be made a day ahead, making them genuinely low-stress and impressive enough to bring to any gathering.

Ingredients

• unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch cubes – 1 cup (2 sticks)
• powdered sugar – ½ cup
• kosher salt – ½ teaspoon
• pure vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
• all-purpose flour – 2 cups

• Oreo cookies, roughly crushed (aim for chunky pieces, not fine crumbs) — divided: about ¾ pressed into the base before baking, the remainder reserved for garnish – about 20 cookies total (16 for base / 4–5 for garnish)

• heavy cream – ½ cup
• milk chocolate (30–35% cacao), finely chopped – 1¼ cups loosely packed
• light corn syrup (for gloss) – 1 teaspoon

• flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) – ½ teaspoon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C (convection: 300°F / 150°C). Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two long sides so you can lift the slab out cleanly later.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add the cold butter cubes. Using your fingertips, rub and press the butter into the sugar mixture until it resembles coarse, clumpy sand — some pea-sized butter pieces are fine. Add the flour all at once and mix with a fork, then switch to your hands, pressing and squeezing just until the dough comes together into a shaggy mass. Stop as soon as no dry flour remains.
3. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press it into an even layer about ½ inch thick across the entire base. Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup or a glass to smooth it out. Dock the surface all over with a fork — poke rows of holes about 1 inch apart across the whole surface. Scatter the crushed Oreos (approximately 180g / 1½ cups, about 16 cookies) evenly over the surface, then press them firmly into the dough with your palm or the bottom of a measuring cup so they are embedded and won't shift during baking.
4. Bake for 28–32 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center looks dry and set — it shouldn't look glossy or raw. The shortbread will still feel slightly soft to the touch; it firms as it cools. Allow it to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before adding the ganache, at least 45 minutes.
5. Make the ganache: heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer — small bubbles around the edges, not a full boil. Pour it over the chopped milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl and add the corn syrup. Let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stir slowly from the center outward until completely smooth and glossy. Note: milk chocolate ganache is more sensitive to overheating — if the cream is too hot, the ganache can turn grainy. If this happens, add a teaspoon of warm cream and stir gently to bring it back.
6. Pour the ganache over the cooled shortbread and tilt the pan gently to spread it into an even layer. Scatter the reserved crushed Oreos (approximately 45g / ⅓ cup, about 4–5 cookies) and the flaky salt over the top while the ganache is still wet so they adhere as it sets. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour until the ganache is fully set and firm to the touch.
7. Use the parchment overhang to lift the slab onto a cutting board. With a large sharp knife, cut into bars of your preferred size — a 4x6 grid gives 24 bite-sized pieces, or cut 3x5 for 15 larger bars. For the cleanest cuts, warm the knife blade briefly under hot water and dry it between each cut.