Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars – Simply Home Cooked

These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are chewy and richly sweet. Swimming in chocolate chips, you are going to love this absolutely delicious chocolaty treat.

Table Of Contents

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe Details

These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are everything you could want in a dessert. Richly flavored and easy to make, this recipe is great for bringing to potlucks, barbecues, and holiday parties. You’ll 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 chips- I always say to use good quality chocolate chips like Guittard.

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.

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.

FAQs

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.

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.

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Full Recipe Instructions