Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie bars with crisp golden edges, made in one 9×13 pan. All the flavor of classic cookies with no scooping!

 

These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are classic, buttery chocolate chip cookie dough baked in one pan and cut into squares. They have crisp golden edges, a soft and chewy center, and melty chocolate chips in every bite. It’s a chocolate chip cookie shaped like a brownie, and they disappear within minutes in our house.

If you think chocolate chip cookies should be their own food group, you’re my people. I’ve baked a lot of chocolate chip cookies over the years, from baking contests to my test kitchen at home, and I’ve been making this cookie bar recipe since I was a young girl. It’s the one I make when I want homemade cookies for a crowd without scooping and baking tray after tray.

The dough is made just like real cookie dough. You cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, which gives these bars their true cookie texture. Bake it in a 9×13 for a big batch of 24 bars, or make a half batch in an 8×8.

If you think chocolate chip cookies should be a food group, then you are going to go crazy over these chocolate chip cookie bars.

Why you will love these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:

• Crisp, golden edges and a soft, chewy center, just like a fresh-baked cookie.
• No scooping. Press the dough into one pan and bake it all at once.
• Feeds a crowd. One 9×13 pan makes 24 bars.
• Pantry ingredients. Butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, and chocolate chips.
• Freezer friendly. Bake now and freeze some for later.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Ingredients:

These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are made like traditional chocolate chip cookie dough by creaming the butter and sugars for at least 4 minutes. This recipe calls for a good amount of sugar which gives it that ooey gooey texture that melts in your mouth. A hefty dose of vanilla is added for the depth of flavor and semi-sweet chocolate proves to be the best balance for the brown sugar dough.

Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Butter: Use softened butter at room temperature, not melted. Creaming softened butter with the sugars traps air, which gives these bars their cookie texture instead of a dense blondie texture.
• Brown sugar: Pack it into the measuring cup. Brown sugar adds moisture and chewiness.
• Granulated sugar: Gives the bars their crisp, golden edges.
• Eggs: Room temperature eggs mix in more smoothly.
• Vanilla extract: This recipe uses a generous amount for deep flavor. Use pure vanilla.
• All-purpose flour: Spoon it into the cup and level it off. Too much flour is the most common cause of dry, cakey bars.
• Baking soda: Gives the bars a little lift without making them cakey.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness. If you use unsalted butter, you can add a pinch more.
• Semisweet chocolate chips: They balance the sweet brown sugar dough best. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or a mix all work. Save a handful to sprinkle on top before baking.

How to make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:

1. Prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 metal pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides so you can lift the bars out. Lightly spray the sides.
2. Cream the butter and sugars. Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Don’t rush this step, because it’s what gives the bars their cookie texture.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until smooth, scraping down the bowl.
4. Add the dry ingredients. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt on low just until combined. Overmixing makes the bars tough.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips. Save about ¼ cup for the top.
6. Spread the dough in the pan. The dough is thick, so press it evenly into the corners with a spatula or lightly greased hands. Sprinkle the reserved chips on top.
7. Bake. Bake the 9×13 for 25-30 minutes, or the 8×8 for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the center is set.
8. Cool, then cut. Let the bars cool at least 30 minutes before lifting them out and cutting into squares.

This recipe can be made in a or doubled and baked in a 9×13 pan.  The cookie bars will need to bake a few minutes longer so watch carefully. Let the bars cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares, to allow time to set up.

TIP: I suggest using an aluminum pan. This recipe does NOT work as well in a glass pan. 

How to tell when they’re done

This is where most people go wrong with cookie bars, and it’s the number one question when making cookie bars.

• The edges should be golden brown and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.
• The top should look dry and lightly golden, not shiny or wet.
• The center should look set but still soft. It keeps baking as it cools.
• A toothpick in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet dough.

If the edges are browning before the center is set, loosely cover the pan with foil for the last 5–10 minutes.

Frequently asked questions:

Do I need to pack the brown sugar? Yes. Pack it firmly into the measuring cup.

Should I grease the pan? Line it with parchment and lightly spray the sides. The parchment lets you lift the bars out for clean cutting.

Why is the center of my cookie bars raw? They need a few more minutes. Ovens vary, and glass pans bake slower. Look for golden edges and a dry, set top, and bake in a metal pan.

Can I make these in a glass pan? You can, but a metal pan works better. In glass, lower the temperature to 325°F and bake a little longer.

Can I double the recipe? The 9×13 recipe is already a big batch. For more, bake two 9×13 pans instead of using one larger pan.

What’s the difference between cookie bars and blondies? Cookie bars use creamed softened butter and both sugars for a true cookie texture. Blondies use melted butter and brown sugar for a denser, fudgier, toffee-like bar.

Can I use melted butter? You can, but the bars will be denser and more like blondies. For a cookie texture, cream softened butter.

Can I make them gluten-free? A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works in place of all-purpose flour.

Dessert Bar Recipes:

Chocolate Chip Blondies

Salted Caramel Blondies

Better than a Boyfriend Brownies

Brookie (Chocolate Chip Cookie and Brownie Bars)

Happy Baking!