Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Cookies.  Sweet, glorious, cookies.  I rarely make good ol’ chocolate chip cookies for any specific purpose.  When I make cookies it’s usually  just because I can’t stop thinking about them and want to eat them, period.  Problem is, by the time I make the dough, eat the dough, and then get one pan baked off (and eat a bunch of cookies warm off the pan) I’m done with my cookie craving.  And then I’m left with the task of rolling all the rest of the balls, baking the rest of the sheets, and waiting 8-10 minutes at a time to take each one out of the oven.  (Don’t tell me to freeze the dough, I’m not into that.)  Sometimes it’s sort of annoying, which is why I like to make them in bar form once in a while.  It’s a really quick and easy way to get the same soft and chewy home-baked cookie, but just…squared.  These are super quick to whip up.  It probably takes 5 minutes to measure everything out, mix it, and have it in the oven.  Bam.  Cookie-time.

Ingredient Notes

• Butter – Use real, salted butter here
• Chocolate Chips – There are no hard and fast rules here. Use whatever kind of chocolate or flavored baking chips you’d like!
• Toffee Bits – Found by the chocolate chips on the baking aisle, toffee bits add a little something extra to these cookie bars and complement the chocolate perfectly. They are optional, but oh so good!

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

1. Start with a mix of brown and white sugars.
   
2. Mix that up with some melted butter, and then add eggs and a generous splash of vanilla.
3. Once those are incorporated, sprinkle in your dry ingredients a little at a time:  flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Lastly, you’ll need some chocolate chips, and you can use any kind you like.  I never use milk chocolate in desserts because I think they just turn out overly sweet.  So I go for semi-sweet or dark.  In these, I particularly like a mix of semi-sweet and white so I’m using half and half.
5. Once those are mixed in, you’ll press the dough into a foil-lined 9×13 pan.  A pan with straight corners works best, and I always line my pans for bar cookies because it makes it infinitely easier to cut them afterward, when you can just lift the entire giant bar right out.
6. Now you’re probably noticing a little somethin’- somethin’ on top.  I always save a few chocolate chips to sprinkle on top, and I also like to sprinkle toffee on top.  I find that toffee bits mixed into things like this usually end up melting and just adding sweetness, but sprinkled on top, they form sort of a caramelly- crackly crust that’s amazingly delicious.
7. So just pop the entire pan in the oven and bake ’em up.  They’re done when the edges are just golden brown and you can tell they’re set up.  The middle will still appear pretty soft.

The absolute hardest part of this is waiting for these bad boys to cool.  If you sneak out a square right out of the oven, it will be gooey and doughy and fall apart.  As they cool they continue to set up.  If you’re going to serve them before they’ve cooled all the way, I suggest putting them in a bowl with ice cream on top.

Otherwise, cool completely to room temp and then cut into squares.   These are slightly crisp around the edges, and super soft in the middle, and basically heaven in a bar.

Perfect for a weeknight treat,  a potluck party, or breakfast.  We won’t judge.

Serving Suggestions

Looking for more bar cookies and desserts? Try one of these other favorites from Our Best Bites:

• Peanut Butter and Jam Cookie Bars
• Oatmeal M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars with Fluffy Buttercream Frosting
• Raspberry-Almond Cookie Bars
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars
• Lime Bars with Coconut Shortbread Crust
• Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
• Chocolate-Frosted Peanut butter Cookie Bars

FAQs

• If I double this recipe do I need  bigger pan? In general, it’s best to measure out ingredients for each batch in separate bowls (but at the same time) and use a separate 9×13 pan to bake each batch. The baking times here are well-tested, but only apply to the recipe and equipment as written.
• Can I make these cookie bars ahead of time? Of course! Make up to 24 hours ahead of time.

Did You Make This?

I’d love to hear from you! Snap a picture and tag me on Instagram, and then come back and give this recipe a rating!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

• Author: Sara Wells
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes

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Description

These chocolate chip cookie bars produce a thick, soft cookie. They are a great time saver since they take just a few minutes to whip up and cook all at once in the oven!

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Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cups white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips (any kind you like, or a mix)
1/2 cup toffee bits (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with foil and lightly spray the bottom with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine brown sugar, white sugar, and melted butter.  Add eggs, one at a time, stirring between each addition, and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients a little at a time until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips (save a few for the top if desired).  Once dough is thoroughly mixed, press into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes (all ovens are different, set timer for 20 minutes to start checking on them.  They will bake for 20-30, 25 is perfection in my oven).  Remove from oven when edges are golden brown and center appears set, but still soft.  Cool completely to room temperature and then cut into squares.

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Keywords: Cookie, chocolate chip cookie, bar cookies