Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Your favorite cookie recipe, in bar form! These chocolate chip cookie bars are so easy to make and call for just eight basic ingredients.
If you saw my post on Saturday about my new cookie cookbook, you probably already know how much I adore cookies! I love that they’re not only easy to make, but they’re also incredibly versatile. One of my favorite ways to enjoy cookies lately is in bar form – like these easy chocolate chip cookie bars.
They’re made with eight basic ingredients that you likely have in your pantry already. Even better, the cookie dough doesn’t need to be chilled.
You can enjoy these cookie bars as written, or you can add your favorite mix-ins. You could even use one of these cookie bars as the base for an epic ice cream sundae. Top with a scoop of ice cream, some fudge sauce, and a dollop of whipped cream, and you’re good to go!
Ingredients for This Recipe
These easy bar cookies are almost fool-proof, but let’s go over the ingredients list so you know what to expect from this recipe.
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter in my baked goods because the amount of salt in salted butter can vary between brands. If using salted butter, reduce the salt in this recipe to 1/2 teaspoon.
- Eggs: You’ll need two whole eggs and one egg yolk to make this recipe. Make sure the eggs are at room temperature so that the melted butter doesn’t solidify.
- Brown sugar: The combination of melted butter, all brown sugar, and an extra egg yolk helps create chewier cookie bars. Light or dark brown sugar both work fine, but I used light.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level the flour when measuring it, otherwise you might wind up with dry, crumbly bars.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookie bars rise in the oven.
- Salt: Balances out the sweetness of the dough and enhances the vanilla flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: You can swap out the chocolate chips for milk, dark, white chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and so on.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until fully combined. Add in the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla and whisk again.
Whisking the melted butter with the sugar first creates a shinier top on the bars (similar to my homemade brownies), so don’t be tempted to dump the wet ingredients into the bowl all at once!
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients and mix in until just combined. Over mixing the dough can result in tough, chewy cookie bars, so be careful here. Fold in the chocolate chips last.
Turn the cookie dough into a foil-lined 9×13-inch baking dish. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the dough into an even layer.
Bake these chocolate chip cookie bars until set and lightly browned on top. Remove them from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, lift the bars out of the pan using the foil, slice, and serve!
Can I Add Other Mix-Ins?
Most definitely! You can add up to 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) of mix-ins total. Instead of chocolate chips, you could experiment with butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, chopped nuts, dried fruit, and more.
How to Store Cookie Bars
These bar cookies should be kept in an airtight container at room temperature and will last about 5 days. You can also slice and freeze them for up to 3 months in a freezer bag. When ready to eat, place on the counter to thaw or gently warm in the microwave.
Baking Tips
- I recommend lining your pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easier cleanup. Leave a slight overhang as well so you can lift the entire pan of cookie bars out at once.
- For the best bar cookies, let them cool completely before slicing and serving. They need time to set before they can be sliced.
- Let the melted butter cool slightly before adding the eggs. You don’t want to scramble them by accident!
More Easy Bar Desserts to Try!
Video Tutorial
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks, or 230 grams) unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- 1 ½ cups (300 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (315 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (12-ounce package, 340 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil, making sure to leave some overhang for easy removal, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until fully combined, then whisk in the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until just combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined, then fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out into one even layer.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until the tops of the bars are set and lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, lift the bars out of the pan using the overhang from the foil or parchment paper, slice into bars, serve, and enjoy!
Hey I tried these and the blondies but mine seem to turn out a bit cakey rather than chewy, even though I follow every step? I can’t see where I’m going wrong, help please
Are you mixing in the eggs until just combined? If you mix too much, it can incorporate more air into the batter and cause them to be cakier.
These chocolate chip cookie bars are so good! My family and friends love them!!
I made these in the summer for my brother in law and his friends! They were talking about them for their whole vacation! The cookie bars were soft, yet chewy and so very tasty! I highly recommend- they are a crowd pleaser
Hi there!
Every recipe I have tried from your blog is a hit! I always get so many compliments.
I think this recipe would be great as a giant cookie that I have in mind for my little guy’s upcoming birthday! Any suggestions on baking time if using a 9in round cake pan?
Thank you!
Thank you, Nadia! For a cookie cake in a 9-inch round pan, I’d recommend using my chocolate chip cookie cake recipe here. It’s very similar to this one, but scaled down slightly to fit a pan that size better.
Thank you for your reply! That’s perfect! I can’t wait to see the look on his face!
Hi Danielle,
I made these today and they’re delicious, but I don’t think they turn out the way they’re supposed to. They’re not very bar-like in that they look a bit flatter than your photos, are kinda mushy/dough-y, and the Ghirardelli chocolate chips I used mostly melted (still delicious though). I tried my best to follow your exact instructions. They’re still super yummy, but any idea where I may have gone wrong and how I can make them more bar-like next time? Thanks for your help!
Hi, Lauren! Have you checked your baking soda to make sure it’s still fresh? I’m wondering if that may be why they turned out a bit flatter. And have you checked your oven temperature with an oven thermometer? They may have needed to bake a bit longer too. As for the chocolate chips melting, was your butter still warm when you mixed everything together?
Thanks so much for your helpful response, Danielle! My baking soda is definitely not the freshest and the butter was a little warmer than room temperature so I’ll be more patient next time before mixing it in. I don’t have an oven thermometer but that seems like an easy, inexpensive purchase to help ensure the correct temperature and baking time. Thank you so much, again! I’ll definitely be making these again and will try your suggestions.