Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ooey, gooey, chewy, thick chocolate chip cookie bars made from scratch in a 9×13 pan – a true crowd favorite! They are made in one bowl, all mixed up by hand, with no machines required!

This recipe went Tiktok Viral with over 13 million views – watch the video here!

Quick & Easy Cookie Bars!

This recipe for chocolate chip cookie bars is a mom’s best friend and will become one of your go-to favorite recipes. It takes minimal effort (no scooping cookies needed!) and it is perfect for a crowd! They’re great for a quick after-school treat or any occasion where you need to feed many people in an easy way. It’s like a thick, gooey chocolate chip cookie cake without the fancy decorating!

More cookie bars I love: monster cookie bars, Thick & chewy funfetti blondies & s’more cookie bars!

Tips & tricks for the best chocolate chip cookie bars:

• This cookie bar recipe uses melted butter making them super soft and smooth – this is a crucial part to these cookie bars!
• Do not bake for too long or else you will have a dry cookie bar with a crunchy chocolate exterior.
• Experiment with adding different kinds of chocolate chips. Milk or dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips are all great options! You could even add some M&M’s or turn them into kitchen sink cookies with caramel and pretzels.
• Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate treat!
• Store these bars in an airtight container or freeze for later. They last up to 3-4 days, but they taste best within the first 2 days.

Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Bars::

This is just an overview of ingredients & substitutions; click here to jump down to the full recipe card for ingredient amounts and instructions.

• Unsalted butter (melted): Salted is also fine here, just omit the added salt. Do not use margarine, as this will be too greasy.
• Light brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• 1 egg + 1 yolk
• Vanilla extract
• Baking powder, baking soda, salt
• All-purpose flour: For a gluten-free version, use a gluten-free 1-to-1 flour but I personally like them best with half GF flour, half almond flour (like my chewy gluten-free cookie cake).
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (I use Nestle or Costco brand): Feel free to make these with your favorite chocolate chips, chunks, M&M’s, or dairy-free chocolate chips!
• 9×13 pan (ideally light-colored metal)

Decorating Ideas for Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

• Make a double batch of my cookie cake buttercream frosting to pipe on a decorative border!
• Top with flaky sea salt for an elevated taste – so, so good!
• Drizzle melted chocolate on top of cookie bars
• Add M&M’s, sprinkles, crushed nuts, or almonds inside the dough or on top

Make them and love them? Try my One Bowl Chocolate Chip Cookies or my single-serve One Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie next!

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:

This is just an overview of ingredients & substitutions; click here to jump down to the full recipe card for ingredient amounts and instructions. Or watch my viral Tiktok video here!

Step 1: Mix Cookie Dough

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick cooking spray and cover with parchment paper (optional but recommended for easy removal).

In a medium bowl, mix together melted butter (3/4 cup), light brown sugar (3/4 cup), and granulated sugar (1/2 cup) and mix until combined. Add in egg, egg yolk, vanilla (2 teaspoons), baking soda (1 teaspoon), baking powder (1/4 teaspoon), and salt (1/2 teaspoon). Mix. Add flour (2 – 2 1/4 cups, see “notes section” in recipe card below regarding flour amounts), 1/2 cup whole chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup chopped chocolate chips. Stir until combined.

Tip: Adding the chocolate chips at the same as the flour will help the chips be evenly distributed and prevent them from falling to the bottom of the bowl.

Step 2: Press Cookie Dough Into Pan

Press cookie dough into a greased, parchment-lined 9×13″ pan. Once smooth, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips on top and lightly press each into the dough. If you see any chocolate chips stuck together or on the edge of the pan, relocate them. This will help create clean edges when cut!

Step 3: Bake

Bake at 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes or until cookie bars are lightly golden brown (do not overbake, you want to underbake slightly for a gooey cookie). Allow the cookie bars to cool completely before cutting into squares/bars! Or don’t and eat a warm bar with ice cream (just note that they will look too dough & crumble a bit more when hot but will continue to bake in the hot pan!).

Step 4 (optional): Decorate Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

To decorate chocolate chip cookie bars, you can use some of the following:

• Make a double batch of my cookie cake buttercream frosting to pipe on a decorative border
• Drizzle chocolate on top of cookie bars
• Add M’m’s or sprinkle crushed nuts or almonds on top

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of chocolate chips should I use in the cookie bars?

I like these chocolate chip cookie bars best with semi-sweet chocolate chips but you can also use milk chocolate chips! Dark, milk, white chocolate chips would all taste delicious in these bars, as well. Or you can always chop up your favorite chocolate bar or leftover Halloween candy for super delicious cookie bars.

Can I freeze the cookie bars?

The cookie bars freeze well after being baked and cooled completely. To freeze, cool the bars completely before placing them into an airtight container or freezer bag for storage. They will keep in the freezer for 1-2 months.

What type of pan should I use?

I used a 9×13 metal baking pan and it turned out to be the perfect size for these thick bar cookies. If you bake these in a smaller pan, you will want to use less dough (freeze the extra and bake into cookies later!) and will just need to increase the baking time.

You can also use glass, just take note that the cookie bars may need longer to bake. In general, I always recommend using metal baking pans for cookie bars.

How many servings are in this recipe?

This cookie bar recipe yields approximately 24 servings, depending on how large you cut them. For cookie platters, I like cutting these in smaller 1-2″ bite-sized pieces.

Do you have other cookie bar recipes?

I sure do! Check out some of my other tried-and-true bar cookie recipes:

• Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
• Homemade Cookie Cake
• Chewy M&M Cookie Bars
• S’more Cookie Bars

It’s that easy! Now go and make these ultimate chocolate chip cookie bars! They’re super-duper delicious and everyone will love them… guaranteed! If you make them, be sure to leave a comment below and tag me on Instagram @designeatrepeat. Enjoy xo!