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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars give you everything you love about a warm chocolate chip cookie in an easy, no scoop, no chill batch. I started making these on *rushed weeknights* when the girls wanted cookies but I did not want to babysit the oven, and now they beg for the soft, gooey middles. If you love an easy chocolate treat, our fudgy brownies are next on the list.
You just press one buttery dough into a pan, so there is no rolling, scooping, or batch baking required.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 45 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 9 bars
- ⚡ Calories: 449kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Buttery, brown sugar sweet, and loaded with melty chocolate
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a great beginner bake like our frosted banana bars
Quick Answer
Cream butter with brown and granulated sugar, then beat in eggs and vanilla. Fold in the flour and baking powder, stir in chocolate chips, and spread the thick dough into a parchment lined pan. Top with chopped chocolate and bake until the edges are golden and the center is just set, then cool and slice into bars.
Jump to:
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars FAQs
- Other Recommended Dessert Bar Recipes
- Soft Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- One pan means no scooping. Pressing all the dough into a single pan skips the tedious scoop, space, and batch baking of regular cookies, so you get cookie flavor in a fraction of the time.
- Brown sugar keeps them soft and chewy. The extra moisture and molasses in brown sugar give these bars their signature soft, chewy texture and deep caramel flavor.
- No chilling required. Unlike many cookie doughs, this thick batter goes straight into the pan and oven, so you can satisfy a craving fast.
- Two kinds of chocolate make them extra gooey. Chocolate chips throughout plus chopped chocolate on top give you melty pools and pretty puddles in every bite.
- Pulling them slightly early keeps the center soft. Taking the bars out when the center is just set leaves them gooey in the middle as they finish setting up while cooling.
- The parchment sling makes it foolproof. Lining the pan with overhanging parchment lets you lift the whole slab out for clean, easy slicing.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You get soft, gooey chocolate chip cookies with none of the scooping or chilling.
- It is a one bowl, one pan recipe that comes together in about 15 minutes of hands on time.
- They are an easy potluck and lunchbox treat, right alongside our two bite brownies.
Key Ingredients
Simple pantry staples make the softest cookie bars. Here is what each one does.
- Butter and brown sugar: the duo that gives these bars their rich, chewy, caramel like base.
- Granulated sugar: adds sweetness and helps the edges crisp up just slightly.
- Eggs and vanilla: bind the dough and add warm, classic cookie flavor.
- Chocolate chips: melty pockets of chocolate folded right into the dough.
- Chopped chocolate: scattered on top for gooey puddles, much like the chocolate in our white chocolate brownies.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make these bars your own with a few easy ideas.
- Swap in dark, milk, or white chocolate chips, or use a mix of all three.
- Add a half cup of chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans for extra crunch.
- Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top before baking for a sweet and salty finish.
- Press a few extra chocolate chunks on top right after baking for bakery style looks.
- Craving a richer chocolate fix? Make our fudgy brownies next.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Cream the butter and sugars. Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs until incorporated, then mix in the vanilla and salt.
- Sift the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.
- Fold in the chocolate. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fold with a spatula, then stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Spread and top. Press the thick dough into a parchment lined nine by nine pan and spread evenly, then sprinkle the chopped chocolate over the top.
- Bake and cool. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center is just set. Cool completely in the pan before slicing.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not overbake. Pull the bars when the center is just set and still slightly soft. They firm up as they cool, which keeps them gooey.
- Use a parchment sling. Leave overhang on the sides so you can lift the whole slab out for clean, even bars.
- Cool completely before cutting. Slicing warm bars makes them crumble. Patience gives you clean, sturdy squares.
- Spread the dough evenly so the bars bake at the same rate and have uniform thickness.
- Warm a leftover bar for 10 seconds and top with ice cream, like a deconstructed dirt cake bar.
- Use room temperature eggs so they blend smoothly into the creamed butter and sugar.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These bars are a treat all on their own, but they are extra special warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Cut them small for a dessert tray or large for a serious cookie craving.
Build a dessert spread by serving them next to our fudgy brownies and frosted banana bars so there is a little something for every sweet tooth.
They pack beautifully for lunchboxes, bake sales, and road trips. Wrap them individually and tuck in a few two bite brownies for an easy grab and go treat box.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars FAQs
Dry bars usually come from overbaking or too much flour. Spoon and level your flour, and pull the bars the moment the edges are golden and the center is just set. They continue cooking as they cool.
No chilling needed. The thick dough goes straight into the pan and oven, which is part of what makes these bars so quick and easy compared to traditional drop cookies.
A nine by nine inch square pan gives thick, soft bars. You can use an eight by eight pan for even thicker bars, just add a few minutes to the bake time, or a nine by thirteen for thinner bars and a shorter bake.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. A slice of bread in the container helps keep them soft and chewy.
Yes. Once cooled and cut, freeze the bars in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave.
You can substitute a one to one gluten free baking flour for the all purpose flour. The texture may be slightly different, but they still bake up soft and chocolatey.
For another easy pan dessert, try our fudgy brownies next.
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped chocolate for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal later.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric hand mixer.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- Add the eggs and beat until well incorporated.2 large eggs
- Add the vanilla extract and salt at the same time and continue beating until well mixed.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- In another bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Add the flour mixture all at once to the butter and sugar mixture, and fold with a spatula until well combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly with a spatula.
- Sprinkle the chopped chocolate over the top of the batter.1/2 cup chopped chocolate
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center is cooked but still slightly soft to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.
Notes
- Line the Pan with Parchment Paper: It makes lifting out the bars easier and helps avoid any “stuck to the edges” dramas.
- Use a Hand Mixer or Spoon: If you don’t have an electric mixer, no worries. Just cream the butter and sugar well with a spoon or whisk.
- Don’t Overmix: Once you combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, stir until just combined. Overmixing can make your bars tough.
- Check for Doneness: These bars might look a little underdone in the center, but that’s okay. Once the edges turn golden brown, you’re good to go.
- Cut Clean Squares: For clean cuts, cool the bars completely. If you can’t wait that long, dip a knife in hot water and wipe it off before slicing—less crumb mess!
- Next Time, Try a Double Batch: This recipe only makes a 9×9 pan—if your family’s anything like mine, they’ll disappear fast.
Nutrition
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