firecracker cookie bars;

Originally published July 4, 2019. Updated on June 30, 2023 for content and clarity.

These firecracker cookie bars start with a pillowy soft sugar cookie base, topped with vanilla frosting, and then topped with all the goodies–including fireworks in your mouth! Decorate red white and blue for a Fourth of July theme, and just wait for those candy rocks to light up your mouth with pure popping sensations.

These firecracker cookie bars have taken several iterations to get juuust right. I came up with the idea that pop rocks are like fireworks in your mouth over a year ago, but I never actually achieved the right snap crackle and pop to brand a recipe as “firecracker”. Until these firecracker cookie bars!

What I learned from experimentation was that pop rocks melt in heat. The key here is patience.

secret to success

My previous iterations all tasted fine, but whenever I tried to incorporate the pop rocks, they would fizzle out in melted piles no matter how I added them. Baked into cookies and bars, they just became specks of colored sugar–at best. Trying to adapt Crazy for Crust’s firework pudding cookies with pop rocks–no luck. No popping, no fireworks.

But what I learned from experimentation was that pop rocks melt in heat. Even summer at room temperature is enough to get them a-popping when you don’t want them to. Much less baked into a cookie; even sprinkling them on after was a no go–residual heat was equally pesky.

The key here is patience, and making sure heat and moisture don’t ruin the “firecracker” part of these firecracker cookie bars. Firstly, be wary of heat and humidity in your environment. Don’t let your opened packet of pop rocks sit around exposed to the air if you can help it. Wait to open the pop rocks until immediately before serving.

Allow a thin crust to form on the icing layer. This will help seal in the moisture of the icing and prevent it from immediately setting off the “firecracker” pop rocks.

So I finally stopped trying to fight fireworks with heat. There’s two tricks to keeping the “firecracker” in these firecracker cookie bars. First, allow the icing to set, just a little. Letting the icing dry out in the open, even for just a couple of hours will keep the pop-rocks from immediately reacting to the moisture in the icing. For faster results, pop these delicious bars in the refrigerator, uncovered. Then the main event here–don’t add the pop rocks until just before serving. You want them fresh and ready to be shoveled into waiting mouths.

In addition to the firecracker main event, one of the things I love about these bars is that the sugar cookie bar itself is not overly sweet. I find that a thin layer of icing is a perfect complement without turning these firecracker cookie bars over into the land of sickeningly sweet. They’re still light and fluffy sugar cookies, but they’re a bit fluffier and more crumbly than chewy or dense.

Plus, just because I decorated them for a summer cookout doesn’t mean that these firecracker cookie bars aren’t perfect for other occasions! Find some festive icings, and these are so adaptable! They’d be great for halloween–dye some icing orange and add all sorts of spooky candies and treats. Googly eyes, bats, and tombstones, and then sprinkle on the pop rocks and watch them rock your mouth!

Lastly, and also because I discovered this myself and was surprised: the watermelon pop rocks are red, despite being in a green packet. The pop rocks I found came in packs of 3, including the flavors: strawberry, blue raspberry, and watermelon.

The watermelon pop rocks are in a green packet, but the rocks themselves are red!

secrets to success

Naturally, I assumed the green packet would be green pop rocks, but they turned out bright pink/red! So they matched my Fourth of July theme perfectly! I kinda wish they were green though, I think that’d make for a great Halloween twist when paired with some orange icing.

secrets to success;

Want all the best tips and tricks to make this recipe a success? Check out the blog post above to find out more!

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more recipes;

Looking for other great potluck ideas? Check out these yummy recipes:

• Looking for a more traditional sugar cookie recipe? These butter sprinkle cookies are always a hit, and colorful to boot!
• You can never go wrong at a potluck with a good dip! This cheesy buffalo chicken dip is a favorite, or for another spicy dip, make some jalapeno popper dip. For a smoky option, caramelized onion bacon dip is always a smash hit; or go straight up cheesy with tyrokafteri feta dip. Or make a few options to go around!
• Three-ingredient lemon cake bars are always in the rotation as a last-minute option for summer cookouts. They’re light and fluffy like clouds and a perfect, no-stress addition to any picnic table.
• Of course, if you’re hosting your own backyard cookout, then you’ll need the best burger rub ever!