Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ooey, gooey, chewy, thick chocolate chip cookie bars made from scratch in a 9x13 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!

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!
• 9x13 pan (ideally light-colored metal)

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 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray and cover with parchment paper (optional but recommended for easy removal).

In a medium bowl, mix together melted butter (¾ cup), light brown sugar (¾ cup), and granulated sugar (½ cup) and mix until combined. Add in egg, egg yolk, vanilla (2 teaspoons), baking soda (1 teaspoon), baking powder (¼ teaspoon), and salt (½ teaspoon). Mix. Add flour (2 - 2 ¼ cups, see "notes section" in recipe card below regarding flour amounts), ½ cup whole chocolate chips, and ½ 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 9x13" pan. Once smooth, sprinkle the remaining ½ 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:

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Check out some of my other tried-and true cookie bar recipes:

4.95 from 419 votes

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Makes: 24 squares

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

These easy chocolate chip cookie bars are thick, soft, gooey, and chewy - a true crowd favorite! They are made in one bowl, all mixed up by hand, with no machines required!

Recipe by Melissa Rose

Ingredients

 

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• ¾ cup unsalted butter (not margarine), You will be melting this
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 yolk, (i.e. 1 whole egg + 1 extra egg yolk)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, *see notes section below, you can add an extra ¼ cup flour if your dough is too runny
• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, (½ cup whole chips + ½ cup chopped chips in dough, then ½ sprinkled on top)

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Instructions

 

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place ½ cup of chocolate chips on a cutting board and use a knife to chop into small pieces. Set aside.
3. In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, melt the ¾ cup unsalted butter (not margarine) for 20-30 seconds until JUST melted. (If your butter is steaming, let it cool down for a few minutes. Butter that is too hot can result in greasy bars and/or will cause the eggs to cook.)
4. Add in ½ cup granulated sugar and ¾ cup light brown sugar and use a spatula to stir until combined (* do not use a mixer!). Add in 1 large egg + 1 yolk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
5. Stir in 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add in 2 cups all-purpose flour, 0.5 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, whole and the 0.5 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped. Mix until all the flour disappears into the dough. Immediately proceed to the next step.
6. Press dough into a greased or parchment-lined metal 9x13" pan until smooth. Sprinkle the remaining 0.5 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, whole on top and gently press each one into the dough.
7. Bake at 350°F for 16-18 minutes until edges and top are lightly golden brown. Do not overbake or your chocolate chip cookie bars will not be soft. You want the cookie bars to be lightly brown on the top and look slightly underbaked (my oven was perfect at 16 minutes). Remove from oven and place entire pan on a cooling rack.
8. Allow the cookie bars to cool completely before removing from pan. Slice into 24 squares, then enjoy! To keep fresh, cover pan with saran wrap or place bars in airtight continer for up to 3 days (after that they start to dry out). See notes below for freezing tips.

Notes from Melissa

Chocolate chips: While I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, you can also use milk, dark, or white chocolate!

To freeze: To freeze, cool the bars completely before placing them into an airtight container or freezer bag for storage. These will keep in freezer for 1-2 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 197kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 101mg, Potassium: 99mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 193IU, Calcium: 21mg, Iron: 1mg

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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!