These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are chewy and richly sweet. Swimming in chocolate chips, you are going to love this absolutely delicious chocolaty treat.
For more amazing cookie recipes, you should try these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (video) and chewy M&M cookies.
Table Of Contents
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe Details
These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are everything you could want in a dessert. I just love how decadent these chocolate treats are.
- TASTE: This dessert has tons of buttery sweet flavor, from the chocolate chips to the brown sugar to the melted butter.
- TEXTURE: Filled with gooey, melted chocolate chips, these cookie bars have deliciously soft, chewy edges.
- TIME: These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars will take just about 40 minutes to make.
- EASE: This recipe is probably even easier than cookies (no shaping!) and can be made ahead of time and even frozen.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Brown sugar- Golden brown sugar is a must for chewy cookies. If you don’t have any, you can make your own by combining 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons of molasses. So easy!
- Chocolate chip- I always say to use good quality chocolate chips like Guittard.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Sift the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together. Set aside.
- Mix the sugar and butter. In another bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for about 1 minute. Make sure the sugar and butter are well incorporated.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients. Now add the eggs and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture. Whisk again thoroughly.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Using a spatula, add the flour mixture into the cookie dough, folding and mixing until everything is incorporated evenly.
- Add the chocolate chips. Now add the chocolate chips (except 1/3 cup to be set aside) to the dough and mix them in.
- Bake. In a parchment paper-lined, 9×13 inch deep baking dish, press the dough down flat until it reaches the sides. Then, top it with the remaining chocolate chips and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit on the center rack. Allow it to cool some before removing from the pan and cutting into cookie bars.
Pro Tip: Every oven is different, so the bake time may vary. Just make sure that the center is baked by inserting a toothpick and seeing that it comes out cleanly (don’t worry if there is some melted chocolate on it).
Recipe Tips
- Measure the flour properly- The proportion of flour has to be just right to get the texture that you want for these cookie bars, so spoon and level off each measuring cup full of flour with a knife for accuracy.
- Sift the flour- Sifting your flour removes any clumps and makes sure the flour is light and airy when it’s mixed into the other ingredients. This will give your cookie bars the best texture.
- Use good-quality chocolate chips- Since your chocolate chips are going to be the star of the show, it’s best to choose good-quality chocolate. Believe me, you’ll taste the difference.
- Allow them to cool before cutting- These bars are very moist. and soft, so let them cool and set a little before cutting them into pieces to avoid them breaking apart.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Add nuts- Add in some walnuts, pecans, or almonds to add a crunchy element to these cookie bars.
- Substitute different chocolates- These don’t have to be milk chocolate chips. You can use white chocolate, dark chocolate, or for a holiday theme, chunks of peppermint bark, too.
- Add your favorite flavors- If you want a more buttery taste, try some butter extract. You can also experiment with mint extracts, orange zest, or peanut butter to alter the flavor profile of these chocolate chip cookie bars.
- Make them allergen-friendly- Substituting gluten-free flour 1:1 with the all-purpose flour makes these bars gluten-free. Using plant-based butter and dairy-free chocolate chips makes them safe for those avoiding dairy.
FAQs
These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars bake for 30 minutes. This gives the dough enough time to cook but still remains moist and chewy in the middle. There may be some variation in bake time depending on your oven and altitude, so check them as you get close to the end of the 30 minutes.
Keep them soft by not letting them lose all their moisture after baking. As soon as they cool. put them into an airtight container and store them at room temperature. This will lock in the moisture and lockout the air that dries cookie bars out.
Serving Suggestions
These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are everyone’s favorite dessert, so they can be served with just about anything. Here are some tasty pairings that you can serve.
- Cakes: Serve a cookie bar with a slice of Easy Oreo Cheesecake, Nutella Cake, or Tiramisu Cake Recipe (VIDEO).
- Pies: Serving pie? Pair these treats with Pumpkin Pie, Homemade Apple Pie, or a Homemade Pie Crust baked with Simple Cherry Pie Filling or Blueberry Pie Filling.
- Cookies: Assemble a cookie platter with these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars and other favorites, like Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (VIDEO), Cookies And Cream Cookies, and Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam.
- Coffee: Serve these bars with a glass of cold milk or coffee. Try this delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte or Iced Caramel Macchiato.
Make These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars in Advance
Make ahead: You can absolutely make the dough in advance. Prepare the dough as directed and then keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to bake it.
Storing: These Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars will remain fresh for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Freeze: Once these cookie bars are fully cooled and cut, wrap each in plastic wrap and freeze in an airtight container or in a freezer ziplock bag so you can defrost only what you want to eat.
More Delicious Cookies!
Full Recipe Instructions
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cup golden brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 1/2 tsp salt.
- In a separate bowl add 1 cup of melted unsalted butter, 1 cup of granulated sugar, and 1 1/4 cup of golden brown sugar. Using a whisk, mix it all together for about 1 minute. You want to make sure the sugar and butter are well incorporated together.
- Now add 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture. Whisk again thoroughly.
- Now add the flour mixture to the cookie batter and mix together using a spatula.
- Reserve 1/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips from 2 cups before adding them to the cookie dough. Mix them in thoroughly.
- Now line a 9×13-inch deep baking dish with parchment paper and press in the cookie dough. Now top it with the remaining 1/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes on the center rack or until the center is baked through. Every oven is different so the bake time may vary.
Nutrition
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Angela Galloway says
If I use a glass baking dish. Do I need to line it with parchment paper?
Dina says
Hi Angela, you don’t have to since its glass, but it does make it so much easier to remove the entire dessert by pulling out the parchment paper and cutting on a cutting board. Or you can cut strait from the glass dish. It’s totally up to you 🙂
Amey Dolan Phelan says
Delicious…I had been craving chocolate chip cookies…..but wanted something easier…chose this and I had to make it in a 8 x 8….it was a little thicker than it should have been..meaning I had to cook it longer then I would have in the 9 x9…it was still delicious and Just Delicious..IT had a little crunch to the sides but it was a delicious crunch..not burnt….just a little over done on the edges so I would say use the right size pan . The flavor was still melty and just so good..they melted in our mouths and I had 3 big fans beside myself!!! Thankyou and I will be making these again!!
Dina says
You are very welcome! I am so happy that the 8×8 pan worked out so perfectly for you! I am always thrilled to hear when people love my recipes! Glad to hear these cookie bars will be on repeat in your home. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback! 🙂
Riley says
This is one of my go-to recipes for a delicious dessert! I’ve been making this for a while now, and I figured I should finally leave a review to share how much we love it!
Dina says
Thank you so much, Riley! I am so glad you love these chocolate chip cookie bars 🙂
Elizabeth Petersheim says
We have two families coming for dinner tomorrow, so I will need more than a 9×9. Have you ever doubled it and used a 9×13? I’m assuming they would need to bake longer, but I’m not sure if anything else would change.
Dina says
Hi Elizabeth, I am not too sure how they would bake up doubled in a 9×13-inch baking dish. I would have to test it out to know for sure.
Paula says
What’s the purpose of the extra egg yolk. With the current price of eggs it seems a waste.
Dina says
Hi Paula, the extra egg yolk adds richness and a chewier texture to the cookie.
Allyson says
These were great! There is a discrepancy in the instructions which may explain some of the other comments. At the top it says 30 minute and at end of recipe it says to bake for 40-50 minutes in a 9 by 9 pan.
Dina says
Thank you for the feedback, I will definitely adjust that! I am glad you loved the recipe 🙂
Deshawn J says
Can you use this recipe for regular cookies instead of bars? Is it the same cook time?
Dina says
Hi Deshawn, I have converted this recipe into cookies, here is the recipe link https://simplyhomecooked.com/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Christine says
I have made these bars a couple times and use a 9×13 pan. They come out great! I do have a question, have you made these bars using gluten free 1 to 1?
Dina says
Thank you for the feedback, Christine. I have not tested the gluten-free version of these bars so I am not too sure.
Kelsey says
Tried this recipe my husband is obsessed now and requests it almost weekly! Could I use this as just a cookie recipe? Using the mixture as cookie dough and forming into round balls then baking through?
Dina says
That is so awesome to hear you loved these cookie bars, Kelsey! Always a win when the husband loves it 🙂
Regarding making cookies from this recipe- The proportions are slightly different so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out. Here is a link to a chocolate chip cookie recipe on my blog- https://simplyhomecooked.com/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Hope that help! 🙂
CW says
Taste is on point and crowd pleaser. I found the use of a 9X9 pan highly inaccurate. I used the recommended pan and the edges were cooked, but the middle was not cooked at all. I would half this recipe or use a 9×13 pan.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for the honest feedback!
christine gilbert says
Flavor is terrific with a chewy texture but it needed to bake for 50 minutes instead of 30 minutes to achieve this consistency.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Christine, the cookie bars might seem underbaked at first, but after they fully cool, they will firm up. That way they retain that chewy soft texture days later. I’m glad you loved the flavors though 🙂