Mud Hen Bars are a vintage layered dessert, made with a cookie dough crust, an ooey-gooey chocolate marshmallow center, and a brown sugar meringue topping.
Mud Hen Marshmallow Bars
One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to try out lots of unique retro recipes, and I have to say, these Mud Hen Bars are now one of my favorite desserts of all time!
Mud Hen Bars are the ultimate ooey-gooey dessert — they are so decadent and delicious — I have no idea why they were never on my radar before!
This layered treat starts with a buttery cookie dough crust, which is topped with a melty chocolate and marshmallow filling. Finally, the bars are topped with a sweet and airy brown sugar meringue, which adds a delicate crunch and caramelized flavor.
Every single bit is filled with chewy cookie, gooey chocolate, and a fluffy caramel-flavored meringue that has this little bit of crunch on the finish. Trust me, this is perfection in a baking pan!
— Stacey
Ingredients
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- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 mini marshmallows
- 3 egg whites (reserve 2 egg yolks)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- 9 x 13 inch Baking Pan
- Electric Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing Bowls
Instructions
To Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Cream together butter and granulated sugar. Add one egg, plus 2 egg yolks, and the vanilla extract.
- Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl, then add these dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, mixing until dough forms.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Scatter the chocolate chips and marshmallows on top.
- Use an electric mixer and clean bowl to whip the egg whites until meringue forms, about 3-5 minutes.
- Use a spatula to fold the brown sugar into the meringue. It’s ok if there are small bits of brown sugar visible; you don’t want to over-work the meringue.
- Gently spread the meringue on top of the marshmallows and chocolate chips.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350°F, until the meringue topping is a light golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Prep Tips
- Nuts – Some versions of this recipe call for walnuts, but we did not use nuts in our recipe. If you’d like to add them, scatter 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts on top of the cookie dough, when you add the chocolate chips and marshmallows.
- Spreading the Dough – Wetting hands slightly before pressing the cookie dough into the bottom of the pan helps prevent the dough from sticking to hands. You could also lightly coat your hands in oil.
- Storage – Keep covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
More Dessert Bar Recipes To Try:
- Triple Decker Saltine Toffee Bars
- Classic Lemon Bars
- Gooey Butter Bars
- Pineapple Delight Bars
- Apricot Shortbread Bars
Mud Hen Bar Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Mud Hen Bars
Equipment
- 9 x 13 inch Baking Pan
- Electric mixer or stand mixer
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 mini marshmallows
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 egg whites reserve 2 egg yolks
Instructions
- To Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Cream together butter and granulated sugar. Add one egg, plus 2 egg yolks, and the vanilla extract.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl, then add these dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, mixing until dough forms.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Scatter the chocolate chips and marshmallows on top.
- Use an electric mixer and clean bowl to whip the egg whites until meringue forms, about 3-5 minutes.
- Use a spatula to fold the brown sugar into the meringue. It's ok if there are small bits of brown sugar visible; you don't want to over-work the meringue.
- Gently spread the meringue on top of the marshmallows and chocolate chips.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350°F, until the meringue topping is a light golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Nuts - Some versions of this recipe call for walnuts, but we did not use nuts in our recipe. If you'd like to add them, scatter 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts on top of the cookie dough, when you add the chocolate chips and marshmallows.
- Spreading the Dough - Wetting hands slightly before pressing the cookie dough into the bottom of the pan helps prevent the dough from sticking to hands. You could also lightly coat your hands in oil.
- Storage - Keep covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
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If you make this recipe use 1 1/2 cups flour not 1/2 cup!