These chewy, buttery chocolate chip cookie bars will be your favorite grab-and-go treat.
In my family we place special value on our chocolate biscuits. They need to be chewy but not crunchy, sweet but also a bit salty, but making individual drip cookies can be time-consuming. So many sheet pans! So many batches!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars to the rescue!
These chewy, buttery, chocolatey cookie bars are now our go-to treat of choice because they tick all of our cookie boxes. Plus, they’re so freezer-friendly, I can have the dough on hand whenever I need a bar cookie.
Tips and tricks for making chocolate chip cookie bars
Even simple recipes benefit from a little more attention to detail. Keep these few things in mind and you’ll have perfect bar cookies every time.
- If you’re a chocolate fanatic like me, chop up a bar of semi-sweet chocolate to use in the cookie dough. They lead to pools of gooey chocolate in your cookie bars.
- Beating the butter, sugar and egg mixture until it resembles fluffy peanut butter will give your cookies a slightly crunchy exterior. Stirring in the flour a little longer than normal will give them a chewy texture.
- For larger cookies, cut the baked cookie into 12 equal pieces. Cut party size cookie bars into 24 pieces. The great thing about this recipe is that you can make as few or as many cookies as you like.
Swaps, Subs and Variations
Making your own recipe is half the fun. Below I suggest just a few ways you can mix up the recipe to add variety to your cookie baking repertoire.
- I add a cup of chopped walnuts to my chocolate chip cookies. Pecans are a great sub, but you can also omit the nuts altogether.
- Sprinkle the top of the batter with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt just before baking for even more sweet and salty flavor.
- Substitute brown butter for the melted butter for a nuttier flavor.
- You can use colored chocolates, chopped mint chocolate, or caramel chocolate chips in place of chocolate chips, or sprinkle with 1/4 cup sprinkles to match a specific holiday or theme.
- Mix in 1/2 cup marshmallows, toss in 1 cup caramel or 1 cup peanut butter to create even more variations.
Tips for cutting cookie bars
Be sure to bake the cookies thoroughly. As tempting as gooey cookies sound, you need to set the center in order to cut them into bars with even lines. The edges of the baked cookies should be slightly darker than the center. Here are a few additional tips for cutting cookie bars:
- If you want those super sharp lines, it’s important to let the cookies cool completely.
- Use parchment paper to line your cookie pan. Spray the pan lightly with cooking spray before placing criss-crossing sheets of parchment in it. Not only does the parchment help you lift the baked cookie out of the pan, it also gives your cookies crisp, non-crumbly edges.
- Cut straight down and up when slicing your cookies. Pulling the knife will tear the cookies, resulting in jagged edges.
How to Store Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
These bars are best stored at room temperature. Transfer the chocolate chip cookie bars to an airtight container and store on the countertop for up to 5 days. To give them a freshly baked flavor, heat them in the microwave for 15 seconds.
Can You Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars?
Chocolate chip cookie bars freeze well both before and after baking. I like to freeze the raw dough in the shape I want to bake it in.
To Freeze Cookie Bars Before Baking:
- Press the dough into a parchment-lined baking pan and press a piece of lightly greased parchment directly onto the surface of the dough.
- Freeze the batter until set before removing it, paper, and everything from the pan.
- Wrap the frozen dough in a sheet of plastic wrap or foil and place it back in the freezer.
- Freeze the dough for up to 2 months.
- Thaw the dough in the refrigerator as directed before baking.
How to Freeze the Baked Bar Cookies:
- Leave sheet of cooled, baked cookie dough whole or cut into bars.
- Wrap the cookie in plastic wrap or place in a freezer container and freeze for 1 month or less.
- Thaw the bar biscuits at room temperature when ready to eat and slice if you left the biscuit whole.
More brilliant bar cookie recipes
- Gluten-free monster cookie bars
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar
- Carmelitas
- blondes
- Gingerbread cookie bars with cream cheese frosting
chocolate chip cookie bar
Special equipment: 9×13 inch baking pan
ingredients
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2 1/4 cups (305G) all purpose flour
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1 tablespoon (9G) cornstarch
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1 teaspoon (6G) baking soda
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1 teaspoon (6G) kosher salt
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1/2 teaspoon (2g) baking powder
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1 cup (226G) unsalted buttermelted and cooled to room temperature
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1 cup (215G) packed up light brown sugar
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1/2 cup (99)G granulated sugar
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1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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2 big eggsat room temperature
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1 egg yolkat room temperature
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2 cups (240G) chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
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1 cup (110G) chopped walnutsOptional
method
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Preheat the oven and prepare the baking pan:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line the pan with two intersecting pieces of parchment paper. This will make it easier to remove the baked cookie.
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Combine the dry ingredients:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, Kosher salt, and baking soda for 30 seconds. Set this bowl aside.
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Mix butter and sugar:
In a separate large bowl, add the melted and cooled butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla.
Set your electric hand mixer fitted with the beaters to low speed and beat for 30 seconds. After the sugar and butter are combined, increase speed to medium-low and mix for another 30 seconds. The mixture resembles a thick paste.
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Add eggs to butter and sugar mixture:
Add the eggs and yolks at once to the bowl with the butter and sugar mixture. Beat the mixture on high for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and beaters. Beat the mixture again on high for another minute or until the mixture looks like fluffy peanut butter.
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Combine the wet and dry ingredients:
Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds or until the flour is incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters. With the mixer on low, start mixing the cookie dough again, this time for 1 minute.
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Fold in chocolate and nuts:
Use the rubber spatula to fold the chocolate pieces and walnuts into the mixture.
Once these are fully mixed in, spread the batter in an even layer in the prepared baking pan, pressing down to remove any air pockets in the batter.
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Bake and cool cookies:
Bake the cookies for 30-35 minutes or until the center of the cookie dough is spongy to the touch and the edges are dry and medium brown. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely in the pan.
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Cut out and serve cookies:
Once cool, carefully remove the cookies from the mold by lifting the parchment paper foil and placing on a cutting board.
Using a sharp knife, press down instead of pulling through to cut the cookies into the desired number of bars. Store leftover bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 225 | calories |
| 12g | Fat |
| 29g | carbohydrates |
| 3g | protein |
