These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are the most made dessert in my house. I’m kinda known for them. I’ve sold hundreds at bake sales! Cookies in bar form is a really quick and easy way to get the same soft and chewy home-baked cookie, but just…squared. And cooking them all together in one pan gives you a chewy dough center in every piece. These are super quick to whip up. It probably takes 5 minutes to measure everything out, mix it, and have it in the oven.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter – Use real, salted butter here. If you have a food intolerance, feel free to make substitutions as needed, but I haven’t tested anything but butter.
- Chocolate Chips – There are no hard and fast rules here. Use whatever kind of chocolate or flavored baking chips you’d like! When I first posted this recipe years ago, I called for half semisweet and half white chocolate. Most often I just use semi-sweet or dark these days.
- Toffee Bits – Toffee bits are an optional ingredient (and not shown in this batch in the photos). You can find them by the chocolate chips on the baking aisle. It’s becoming harder to find plain toffee bits, and not chocolate covered. I don’t mix them into the dough because they tend to melt and change the texture of the cookie, but rather I like to sprinkle them on top before baking.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Start with a mix of brown and white sugars.
- Mix that up with some melted butter, and then add eggs and a generous splash of vanilla.
- Once those are incorporated, sprinkle in your dry ingredients a little at a time: flour, baking soda, and salt.
- 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. I go for semi-sweet or dark. It’s also great to mix and match!
- Once those are mixed in, you’ll press the dough into a foil or parchment-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.
- Put the pan in the oven. They’re done when the edges are just golden brown and you can tell they’re set up. The middle will still appear set but quite soft.
The absolute hardest part of this is waiting for these 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 (or even chill) and then cut into squares. At our house we actually like to eat these cold from the fridge! The centers will be like cookie dough. These are slightly crisp around the edges, and super soft in the middle, and basically heaven in a bar. This is one of those rare occasions where I think they are even better the next day. I will often make them a day ahead of time for events. They also freeze well.
Here in these photos you can see a bar cut from the center after it’s barely cooled, and on the right, the next day after chilling and cooling completely. Both insane. Perfect for a weeknight treat, a potluck party, or breakfast. I won’t tell.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is really good served warm with vanilla ice cream!
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.
- Tip for a Jumbo Batch: I often 1.5x the recipe and bake in my favorite 12×17 pan.
- Can I make these cookie bars ahead of time? Of course! Make up to 24 hours ahead of time and leave at room temp, or wrap well in the fridge for up to a week. These also freeze beautifully. I have frozen them in a big slab and sliced when defrosting, and I have frozen them in individual pieces as well.
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!
Print
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Total Time: 35 minutes
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!
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)
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 minutes, but some readers have reported they took longer). 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.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
Questions & Reviews
These are super easy and yummy. I may add a little less vanilla next time, but that is just personal preference!
Thanks so much, these will turn into a family favorite. Like chocolate chip cookies but easier and quicker!
Brought these to a Cub Scout Pack Meeting. They were gone in about 5 seconds & everyone asked me for the recipe! These are WAY better than just making regular choc chip dough & baking into bars. I’ll keep using this recipe for sure! Thank you again!
Somehow I had all these half bags of jumbo dark choc, white choc, and heath bits. Just made them and they are a hit! Way easier than waiting around on multiple batches of cookies.
I started making these & found out someone had eaten all the chocolate chips out of the pantry! So, I found a bag of Reese’s peanut butter Easter eggs & chopped them up. OMG. So good!! Henceforth, all clearanced candy from Target will go into cookie bars!! Thanks for the awesome recipe!!!
I have made these a few times now as they are sooooo delicious! I add a full bag of chocolate chips and also coconut 🙂 … a family favorite.
Fantastic outcome. I know, its always annoying if someone adds something to a perfect recipe but this is #2 for me with this one and added a 1/4 cup milk and it made a really nice batter. All other remained the same and was a huge hit. Thanks for this one. Most don’t use 3 cups flour and a table spoon vanilla as your ratios are ideal for the perfect bar.
I just wanted to say thank you for this recipe! I have made it several times now with different chocolate chips and it has turned out perfectly every time. A good cookie bar recipe is kind of like the elusive “perfect brownie” recipe and this one is the best!
Thanks!
I made these the other weekend for a family gathering. Everyone loved it. I am the same way about making cookies. Which is never because I get so lazy about finishing them, so I am so glad I found this.
These are delicious!! The middle is very soft and chewy and even the edges taste great! I will definitely be making these again and again and might just be my go to dessert recipe too – so fast and easy!! 🙂
I doubled the batch and baked in a cookie sheet. Sure enough, it overflowed. They were still delicious, though. I will definitely make these again without doubling.
Would you be able to double the batch and put in a cookie sheet? Or would it puff up too high while baking and overflow the edges?
I’m wondering the same thing!
I took these into to work as a teacher appreciation/happy Friday last week. I was alternately loved and hated all morning. They didn’t even make it to lunch! Thanks for the recipe.
I went to all the effort of converting all the measurements to grams (I’m in the UK) and I FORGOT TO PUT THE DARN VANILLA IN!!!! Grrr!! It stills smells delicious in the oven so I’m hoping that my unfussy kids will still like them! (I’m pretty sure they will!)
Ok, was obliged to test one and I can confirm that even without the vanilla, these are scrumptious!! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Made these and LOVED them. The toffee bits really add an extra awesome touch. So much so that I took the bar I was eating and rolled the sides in a few more tablespoons of them….like they really needed more sugar. SOOO yummy!
I made these late night and oh.my.goodness!!! Soooo yummy! I’ve made chocolate chip cookies in a pan before, but these are WAY better. Everyone loved them (and they are already gone)!!!!
Do you think I could freeze the dough in the pan to bake later?
It only takes a few minutes to whip up, so I would recommend doing it fresh. You’d have to experiment with freezing.
These look so good! I just may have to try them the next time I am in the mood for cookies.
Sounds yummy. Have to skip the toffee because of severe nut allergy but that just means more chocolate! So, from the pictures they look, for no better word at this late hour, undone. So are they solid or always a but gooey? Does that make any sense?
I am salivating unimaginably right now. Sooooo tired right now from staying up too late after a Stampin’ Up! Catalog Premiere last night. But, must…make…SOON.
In my oven as I type.
If these are as yummy as the sugar cookie bars from a few months ago- then I’m sure that these are going to be addictive and fantastic!
LOL, you had me at the ‘Heath English Toffee Bits’. Pity we can’t get them here in Bangkok, but I’ll definitely be able to find a substitute to make this recipe work. Looks delicious, thanks 🙂
Another person commented that these remind her of Congo Bars! That is a family recipe we have made for as long as I can remember. I had them growing up and make them now- this is almost identical except there is less butter and sugar. Your photos are mouth-watering!
I really want to sneak a square right out of the oven, preferably with the same spoon I used to eat half of the dough. That is fantastic with the toffee sprinkled on top! I bought the toffee bits one time but, as you said, they just disappeared into the cookies so I never used them again. It seems I’ll have to give them another bash. Thanks!
Is there a way to add oats to the recipe? I love oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! These look fantastic:)
I’m no expert at these bars, but when you add oats, you need to add a little bit more moisture. For my oatmeal cookies I generally use 2 cups of oats. Then up to 1/4 cup more butter than my usual choc. chip cookies. You might have to play around, but that should cover it.
So I have been thinking about chocolate chip cookies all day. Same as you – by the time I have taken the cookie sheet out of the oven for the 5th time after listening to my timer every 8 minutes I am kind of over it. Like you, I never freeze the dough – don’t people understand that it is still available to you? May be their freezers have a lock on them. 🙂
These bars look amazing. Might be just the right FHE treat tonight. Thanks for always posting deliciousness.
You may want to review the printable instructions- looks like they are missing the flour/baking soda/salt part.
🙂
Oh details details… how important could that be? Lol, thanks!
Great, now that I have this recipe, I will never eat anything but cookies ever again: breakfast, lunch, and dinner 🙂
The perfect dessert. Definitely making these with the toffee bits 🙂
These remind me of the cookie bars my mom always makes- CONGO Squares. No idea where she got that name, and she can’t remember either. But, they are awesome.
That’s what we called them at school lunch in elementary school. Loved them then, love them now.
These are going on the list to make very soon! I am so tempted to order the olive oil, but I’m wondering how much the shipping/duty would cost to send it to Canada?
Laura, shoot an email to [email protected] and our shipping team can get you all squared away!