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Thick and chewy, these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are quick and easy to make, with less than 10 minutes of prep. They have all the flavors of your favorite chocolate chip cookies and little of the work. A family favorite recipe!
Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Bars
Not only do these cookie bars taste amazing, but they’re also ready in under 30 minutes. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool enough to slice!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are made with the same ingredients as your favorite chewy chocolate chip cookies but baked in a pan instead of divided into balls of dough. There’s hardly any prep at all and if you love the thick center of a cookie, you’re going to adore these cookie bars. After all, the entire bar is thick and chewy, just like the best part of a cookie.
This recipe is actually the one I use to make my brookies too! Just shows how wonderful it is, as those brookies are one of my favorite desserts!
Key Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients you’ll need for these thick and chewy chocolate chip bars.
- Butter – I prefer unsalted butter for baked goods.
- Sugar – Both light brown sugar and granulated sugar sweeten these cookie bars.
- Eggs – Additional egg yolks are added to create the dense texture.
- Chocolate chips – Use your favorite quality brand of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Sea salt – An optional garnish but I love the contrast of flakey sea salt against the melty chocolate.
Optional Add-Ins
Feel free to switch up your cookie bars by adding in some additional ingredients or swapping out the chocolate chips. Here are a few ideas:
- Chopped nuts
- Peanut butter chips
- Dark chocolate chips
- M&Ms
- Reese’s pieces
- Sprinkles
Here’s how to make these chewy chocolate chip cookie bars.
- Beat the butter. Beat the butter and sugars until well combined.
- Make the batter. Beat the eggs and vanilla into the butter mixture. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl then slowly add into the dough. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Bake. Press the dough into a 9×13 pan. Top with additional chocolate chips (don’t skip this step!. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt as soon as you remove it from the oven.
Can I Use A Smaller Pan?
To make a smaller batch, I recommend halving the recipe and baking in an 8-inch pan for thicker bars. However, these can also be baked in a 9-inch pan and reduce the baking time by a few minutes.
Tips for Success
Here are a few helpful hints to ensure you end up with perfectly chewy chocolate chip cookie bars every time.
- Use room temperature ingredients. The butter in particular should be at room temperature, though not melted. This makes it easier to beat with the sugars.
- Properly measure the flour. Mis-measuring the flour will have an impact on the density of these bars so be sure to measure it properly either with a scale or the spoon and level method, along with all other ingredients.
- Slightly underbake. The edges should be slightly brown and the center set but if you want that gooey texture, remove the pan from the oven a minute or two early.
- Cool before slicing. For the cleanest cuts, let the bars cool completely before slicing and wipe down the knife between each cut. I also find it easier to cut these after removing from the pan, but they really have to be cooled down to fully remove them without breaking them.
Serving Suggestions
If you want a truly divine treat, pop your chocolate chip cookie bar into the microwave for 10 seconds or so before enjoying. It’ll be warm, gooey, and oh-so-good!
While these cookie bars are great on their own, you can also add a scoop of ice cream for a twist on a brownie sundae (just with a cookie instead of a brownie) or even add some whipped cream.
How to Store
Chocolate chip cookie bars will last for up to 5 days. Keep the pan tightly covered or slice them and transfer them to an airtight container.
You can also freeze the bars for 3 months. Wrap individual cookie bars with plastic wrap then freeze. Thaw on the counter for several hours and enjoy.
More Chocolate Chip Recipes:
- Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Extra Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 23 minutes
- Total Time: 53 minutes
- Yield: 15 bars
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Thick and chewy, these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are quick and easy to make, with less than 10 minutes of prep. They have all the flavors of your favorite chocolate chip cookies and little of the work. A family favorite recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (339g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (330g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cups (143g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) pure vanilla extract
- 3 ¾ cups (525g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons (7g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (4g) baking soda
- 2 cups (1, 11oz bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Maldon Flakey Sea Salt for Garnish
Instructions
- Combine the softened butter with the brown and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until well combined, 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add the eggs and vanilla extract and continue beating until well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients. Stir to combine and slowly add the dry ingredients into the dough, mixing on low speed until the dough starts to form. Before the dough thickens, add the chocolate chips (reserve a small handful to sprinkle on top of the dough). Beat until incorporated.
- Press the cookie dough into a 9-inch by 13-inch pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the top with a few more chocolate chips. Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes. Once out of the oven, sprinkle with flakey sea salt. Allow the cookie bars to cool completely before slicing.
Equipment
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Notes
- Storing: Chocolate chip cookie bars will last for up to 5 days. Keep the pan tightly covered or slice them and transfer them to an airtight container.
- Make them your own: Add chopped nuts, peanut butter chips, M&M or Reese’s Pieces, Sprinkles
- Freezing: You can also freeze the bars for 3 months. Either wrap them as single bars, or slice and store in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Cool completely before freezing.
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chocolate chip bars, chocolate chip cookie recipes, cookie bar recipes
