Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cookie

Keyword chocolate chip cookie bars

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings squares

Calories 197kcal

Author Melissa Rose

Ingredients

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)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place ½ cup of chocolate chips on a cutting board and use a knife to chop into small pieces. Set aside.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Video

Notes

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