Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are baked in a pan, a quick and super easy chocolate chip cookie recipe with no mixer and no chilling. You’ll love how soft and buttery these are!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Well, Hello Spring. We’ve been waaaaaaaaiting for you!
This date, March 20th, holds so much more significance for our family than saying “Goodbye, Winter”, however. It’s also my dad’s birthday AND Hatti’s birthday. Yes, our oldest daughter was born on the same day as my dad…and just two days after Blake’s dad’s birthday.
To celebrate with a recipe here on the blog, I’m sharing another chocolate chip cookie related recipe, in honor of Hatti’s love for chocolate chip cookies. My dad would definitely not pass up a good CCC, either!
This year, it’s all about enjoying those chocolate chip cookie flavors, with easy-to-make bars.
(Last year I shared this Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie, and the year before that this Cookie Monster Ice Cream that’s stuffed with cookie dough.)
You’re going to appreciate the fact that you can whip up a pan of these Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars in less than 15 minutes. But even more than that, you’re going to love how buttery, chewy, and absolutely fantastic these cookie bars are. I promise!
We just spent the past week of Spring Break on the gulf coast of Florida, staying with my sister’s family. My parents were also there.
My sister and her husband are boat club members, and got us out on the water several times. The sun’s warmth was healing, the very best cure for our long Minnesota winter.
And having our daughter and her grandpa together just a week before their birthday, well you know that called for some early celebrating!
Bar recipes always win!
I realize that these chocolate chip bars may not look the most celebratory when it comes to a birthday treat. It’s not exactly a 3-layer cake piled high with buttercream, adorned in sprinkles.
But I can’t imagine anyone turning down one of these chewy treats, any day of the year.
They are a chocolate chip cookie party in a pan. I think that bar recipes always win!
I also know how Hatti likes to bake a pan of her favorite brownies to treat her friends. The brownies are quick and easy to make, an old family recipe, and always disappear FAST.
So my sharing this new cookie bar recipe does serve another purpose. It’s another easy and especially wonderful recipe that I’m sure Hatti will find herself making for her friends, for many years to come.
This recipe is a great way to quickly cure any CCC craving.
How to get perfect cuts
To achieve clean cuts to bars, brownies, and cakes, I’m a big fan of lining the pan with foil or parchment paper. I prefer to use heavy duty foil for this recipe, and to let the foil overhang on the long sides of the pan.
Then, after cutting around the perimeter of the pan, simply grab the foil overhangs and lift the bars out of the pan. Place the bars on a cutting board and cut into individual pieces.
Like so!
If you have a rigid pastry cutter, it does double-duty as a great bar-cutting tool.
How to double a 9×13 recipe
Sometimes a 9×13 pan of bars just isn’t enough. Especially when they’re THIS GOOD!
When you’re looking to feed a crowd, just double the recipe. Simply grab a 13×18 pan with 1″ sides. Then double the ingredients and follow the recipe instructions.
The dough is quite thick anyway. And when doubling the recipe, the mixing is a bit of a workout. But I know you can do it!
Spread the dough out evenly in the pan.
Then bake the bars at the same 325 degrees Fahrenheit, but increase the baking time to 29 to 30 minutes, taking care to not over bake. Now you’ll have TWICE AS MANY of the same soft, chewy, and delicious cookie bars!
Happy Birthday, Hatti and Dad! We love you!
(See? All you need are some candles. Instant birthday party!)
Like this Recipe? Save it to Pinterest!
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, gently melted and then cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspooons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus a bit more for sprinkling over the top of the dough – we like Guittard semisweet chocolate chips
- sea salt flakes optional
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Preheat oven to 325° F. Lightly spray a 9" x 13" metal baking pan with non-stick spray. Or, if you want really clean cuts, line the pan with heavy duty foil, letting the excess hang over the edges on the long sides of the pan. Then lightly spray the foil-lined pan with non-stick spray. This will allow you to pull up on the foil and lift the bars out of the pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and sugar until combined. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and whisk until well combined. With a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture. When about half-way combined, add chocolate chips and continue to fold until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Transfer dough to prepared pan. Dough will be very thick. Press evenly into pan using a spatula and/or your fingertips. (Tip: Dough mixture can be sticky. Use the buttery side of the butter wrapper to press the dough into the pan – or simply rub your finger tips with a little butter, and then press the dough into the pan.) If desired, sprinkle a few more chocolate chips over the top, pressing them in a bit. It's also fun to sprinkle M&M's over the top – the mini M&M's are our first choice!
- Bake for about 23 minutes or so, or until top is light golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. For the chewiest bars, do not over bake. I might even recommend to slightly under bake! Remove pan to wire rack. If desired, sprinkle some flaky sea salt over the top right after the pan comes out of the oven – YUM! Cool to room temperature and then cut into pieces. If using a foil lining, first cut around the perimeter of the pan to loosen, and then lift bars from pan using the foil overhangs. Transfer to cutting board and cut into squares with a knife or rigid pastry cutter.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Absolutely wonderful moist bars! Only baked 24 min in my large toaster oven. Used Bailey’s Irish crepe chocolate chips. Yummy! Definitely a keeper recipe. Will save in my favorites! A big 5 stars!
I made these bars with a mix of chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. I baked for 20 minutes and it was the perfect time. These bars are so YUMMY . The perfect chewiness. These are a keeper!
These were delicious, I baked them for 25 minutes in a glass pan. I would buy a metal pan for next time, they were still a little under baked but so good! Perfect recipe proportions!
My boys (teens) loved these! “You should make these more often,” and “I like these better than regular cookies,” along with, “How many can I have?” is probably the highest praise they can give. For me, they’re really easy and pretty foolproof, so this will be my go-to for chocolate chip cookies from now on. Thanks!
I did not read carefully, apparently, because anytime I see 9×13 pan I pull out my glass Pyrex. I did line it in foil since I loved the idea of taking out the whole bar and cutting it on a big cutting board. I timed them 23 mins and noticed the middle was not firm at all. I increased the time in two minute increments and did about 8-9 minutes over. I was surprised at how thick these ended up being so perhaps next time I’ll use a metal sheet pan and it’ll take less time to cook.
This recipe is easy and only made two bowls dirty. I loved that I didn’t have to bake individual cookies. To make them look fancy, I cut into big squares and then cut on the diagonal to make triangles.
Amazing and easy!
Hi, I was wondering if it’s possible to reduce the amount of butter at all, and if so, by how much? We’re trying to watch cholesterol in our house, but this recipe looks good!
Just got a compliment from my husband that these are the best bar cookies I have ever made. They are really good!
Made this tonight with a metal pan and they were very doughy in the middle. Had to put them back in but very yummy!
Perfection! These were so easy but more importantly delicious. The timing was perfect in a metal pan lined with foil. Crispy little edges but soft in the middle. Well done!!!
Wonderful! I did not use a glass pan and did have to increase my time by 5 minutes. I think it’s more about you oven calibration than the pan you use.
Probably one of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had. I did mine with dark and white chocolate chips and it’s so deliciously scrumptious. Goes great with cold milk or hot coffee!
Hey,
Do you have a conversion of the ingredients for UK? We use grams mostly, and I’m not confident in measuring out flour with cups. Really want to try this recipe!!
Thanks :)
These are fantastic!!! Made these for work with Heath bar bits and Bailey’s chocolate chips :) I used a glass 9×13 and added an extra 7 minutes. Turned out perfectly chewy and soft! Thank you for sharing!
Just wanted to say that the note says not to use a glass pan. But I use a thick glass 9×13 and wipe it down with vegetable oil and it works perfectly for this recipe! This is my go to for cookies now! Love it.
Where is the lower middle rack located? Is it just the middle rack?
Hi Gabrielle – Lower middle rack is just below the center. :)
These were delicious! Followed the recipe exactly. They were a big hit! Super easy. They were even better the next day. Going to try the next batch with M&Ms.
The bars are insanely delicious! Super easy to make. It’s all you will ever need!
I made these to take to work and they were a huge hit! Bonus points for being super easy! Thanks so much for the recipe!
These are soooo good! I have a kiddo that is allergic to dairy so I just swapped out the butter and chocolate chips with dairy free! They turned out amazing! THANK YOU!!! My 3 boys are begging me for more as I type this review!