Chocolate Swiss Roll Bars – From Scratch Recipe

Chocolate Swiss Roll Bars feature moist chocolate cake on the bottom then topped with an amazing layer of white fluff and a thin layer of chocolate on top. 

Ever had those Little Debbie Swiss Rolls? (They may or may not be one of my guilty pleasures.)

Anyway, these bars you’re about to see are somewhat of a copycat, only made in a bar form instead of those little rolls.

Bars are easier to make than any pumpkin roll or chocolate cake roll in my experience and these are made entirely from scratch so they taste amazing, much better than any Little Debbies if I do say so myself. 

Before you get discouraged about the several steps it takes to make these, give them a try! We’ll walk you through it step by step and It’ll be worth it. (We wouldn’t be making them either if it was super hard!)

Chocolate Swiss Roll Bars are absolutely delicious served with vanilla ice cream and Homemade Strawberry Dessert.

So if you’re looking for an amazing recipe for chocolate bars this holiday season, (or any season!) here you go. Happy baking!

This post contains affiliate links. As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase something through our links. Thanks for supporting our little family!

Supplies you may need to make Chocolate Swiss Roll Bars

• Electric stand mixer – we like our Kitchenaid and you can use the paddle or whisk attachment (we usually use the paddle for cake)
• Measuring cups and spoons – you’ll need these for measuring ingredients 
• Strainer – in case you wish to sift the dry ingredients 
• Spatulas – stirring, mixing, scraping, these are essential on baking day and we especially like the silicone or rubber spatulas
• Mixing bowl – you’ll ned a medium bowl to mix the white filling in
• Electric handheld mixer – this thing works great for whipping cream cheese
• Microwave safe mixing bowl – while this might not technically be a mixing bowl, we often use it for one
• 9×13 inch pan or baking sheet 
• Non-stick cooking spray

Ingredients

The chocolate cake base layer:

Flour – we use all-purpose

Cocoa – cocoa powder

Sugar – granulated white sugar

Baking soda 

Salt

Oil – canola or vegetable, we’ve not tried coconut or avocado oil yet

Egg – one large egg

Applesauce – the surprise ingredient in these bars; applesauce helps keep the cake layer soft and moist

The creamy white whipped cream filling layer:

Cream cheese – regular full fat cream cheese

Powdered sugar – confectioners sugar or 10x sugar, whatever you want to call it

Milk – to thin the white filling mixture slightly

Whipped topping – Cool Whip for that classic fluffiness (or you can make your own homemade whipped cream for the best flavor of all!) 

The chocolate ganache topping:

Butter – we use salted butter

Chocolate chips – semi-sweet chocolate chips

​You’ll find a handy little printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!⬇

How to make Chocolate Swiss Roll Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Get the 4 ounces of cream cheese out of the fridge so it can come to room temperature by the time you’re ready to make the filling.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, place all the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt) and mix well. (To reduce the chances of lumpy batter, sift all the dry ingredients with a strainer.)

Then add the egg, oil, and applesauce and mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula if necessary.

Grease a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cover loosely with a a clean kitchen towel or lid and let the cake cool (about 1 – 2 hours or so) before adding the next two layers.

Once the cake layer has cooled, it’s time to make the white filling layer. In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese on high speed with a handheld electric mixer until the cream cheese is smooth then mix in the powdered sugar and milk. Lastly, mix in the whipped topping on low to medium speed, then spread the filling in an even layer on top of cake layer.

In a microwave safe small dish, melt butter. Add the chocolate chips in with the melted butter and stir until the chocolate chips are all melted. Drizzle the chocolate mixture over the white layer as best as you can, then spread gently. (It can be a little tricky to spread!)

And that’s it! Place the chocolate swiss roll bars in the refrigerator to chill for a while before serving.

Enjoy.💛

How to store Chocolate Swiss Roll Bars

Store these bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for several months.

You might also like…

The wonderful Chocolate Marshmallow Surprise Cookies or Grandma’s Simple Recipe for Chocolate Cake. Check them out!

Notes

Make a double batch of this Chocolate Swiss Roll Bars recipe and use a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan or 12×17 inch half sheet pan instead of a 9×13 inch pan! (Baking times may vary if you choose to do this.)

Inspire your friends…share!

Have you tried Chocolate Swiss Roll Bars?

Leave a comment and a star rating below if you have. We’d like to hear how it went for you!

Thanks for visiting our small town!

You’re welcome to stay awhile and we hope you’ll check out some more Small Town Scratch classic recipes here.

’til next time,

We love you and we’ll be praying for you, 

Julie