These extra soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie bars are incredibly easy to make. No mixer, dough chilling, or rolling into balls required! Sprinkle with flaky sea salt for a little something extra.
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, helpful success tips, and additional flavors.
Taste testers have always given these chocolate chip cookie bars a stamp of approval—and I’m so glad because this dough makes my favorite chewy chocolate chip cookies, too. We’re talking the softest, chewiest, thickest chocolate chip cookies to ever come out of my oven.
And if you can believe it, baking chocolate chip dough as cookie bars transforms them into something even better. Plus, we don’t have to chill the cookie dough and we don’t need to roll the dough into individual cookies. So, they’re homemade soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies, only easier to prepare. A lazy (I call it “tired”) gal’s cookie if you will. 😉
One reader, Kerri, commented: “I discovered this recipe when I wanted chocolate chip cookies but didn’t feel like waiting for my butter to come to room temperature and then also waiting for the dough to chill. It is now one of my go-to cookie recipes for those same reasons and because these bars are so delicious!! The texture is great and I love that they stay soft and fresh for a couple days. My son loves the addition of coarse sea salt sprinkled on top, too. ★★★★★”
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Dense and buttery
- Extra chewy and extra soft
- Just like chocolate chip cookies, but they don’t spread
- 100x easier than making cookies—no individual cookie dough rolling
- No electric mixer needed
- A quick no-chill cookie recipe
- Topped with sea salt for a little something extra
- Still soft and chewy on days 2 and 3 (if they last that long!)
Key Ingredients & Why You Need Each:
If you’ve tried my beloved chewy chocolate chip cookies, you’re already familiar with the ease of this recipe. We’re using practically the same cookie recipe, but baking them as bars. Here’s what you need:
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this recipe.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda helps these bars rise as they bake. Remember the crucial difference between baking powder and baking soda?
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch gives the cookie bars that ultra soft consistency we all know and love. Plus, it helps keep them wonderfully thick.
- Salt: Salt adds flavor.
- Butter: Use melted butter in this recipe for the chewiest cookie bars. Because we use melted butter, there’s no need to get out your mixer.
- Sugar: I like to use a mix of brown sugar and white granulated sugar this recipe. More brown sugar than white granulated sugar promises an extra soft and chewy cookie bar because there’s more moisture in brown sugar. I slightly reduced the sugar in the bars; it made no difference between the version tested with 1/2 cup sugar (100g).
- Egg & Egg Yolk: 1 egg binds everything together and 1 extra egg yolk adds richness and chewiness. You’ll lose a lot of moisture by skipping that extra egg yolk.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract adds flavor. If you have any homemade vanilla extract, use that!
- Chocolate Chips: 1 cup of chocolate chips ensures tons of melty chocolate in each bite. Instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips, try using dark, milk, or even white chocolate chips. Or swap half of the chocolate chips for M&Ms like we do in these soft M&M cookie bars.
Flaky sea salt (I use and love this brand) is a lovely touch that offsets the sweetness, but it’s totally optional.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
The dough is incredibly simple. Whisk the dry ingredients together, then the wet, and then combine. It’s a thick, slick cookie dough:
After you prepare the cookie dough, press it into a baking pan. There’s no risk of cookie spreading with this recipe because the edges of the pan completely contain the cookies from overspreading. I love that.
- By the way, if you’re ever having spreading issues with your regular cookies, here are my top 10 tips for how to prevent cookies from spreading.
One batch of these chocolate chip cookie bars fits perfectly into a 9-inch square pan. I love using this size of pan because it yields a nice, manageable batch—about 16 thick bars. If you want a larger batch in a 9×13-inch pan, use my M&M Cookie Bars recipe and swap the M&Ms for chocolate chips. The recipe below is perfect for a single batch, but requires a few adjustments instead of simply doubling. That’s why I recommend my super similar, scaled up M&M cookie bar recipe instead.
Success Tip: I like to line my pans with parchment paper. This way, you can lift the entire cookie bar mass out and then easily cut into squares. Also makes for quick cleanup! I do the same when making rice krispie treats, too.
Do NOT over-bake these bars. Err on the side of under-baking because otherwise the cookie bars will taste dry and cakey.
Can I Make Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars?
Yes! If you want to amp up the depth of flavor by using browned butter, you absolutely can! My team and I have tested it, and you need to start with an extra 2 Tablespoons of butter to make up for the moisture loss that occurs during browning. Otherwise, the bars will taste dry.
How to Freeze Cookie Bars
Homemade chocolate chip cookie bars freeze beautifully so they’re a great make-ahead dessert option. Follow these instructions and no one will know they aren’t freshly baked the day you serve them:
- Bake and cool the cookie bars completely.
- Slice the bars into squares. If you lined your baking pan with parchment paper, simply lift the slab of bars out of the pan, place onto a cutting board, and cut into squares.
- Layer the bars between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. The parchment paper ensures that the bars don’t stick to each other and that the tops of the cookie bars stay intact.
- Label the container with a “best by” date 3 months out. Cookie bars taste best if they’re frozen for just 3 months or less.
- Thaw bars overnight in the refrigerator and then bring to room temperature before serving.
More Cookie Bar Flavors
- Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
- S’mores Cookie Bars
- Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- Magic Cookie Bars
- M&M Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Chip Cookie and Brownie Bars
And don’t miss my recipe for chocolate chip cookie bark!
Print
Description
No mixer required and there’s no waiting for cookie dough to chill with these soft & chewy chocolate chip cookie bars! Do not over-bake these bars. Err on the side of under-baking because otherwise the cookie bars will taste dry and cakey.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- optional: sprinkle of flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough paper around the sides to easily lift the bars out of the pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Add the egg, extra egg yolk, and vanilla extract. The mixture will be thick. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together until combined. The dough will be soft and slick, yet thick. Fold in the chocolate chips. The chips may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to combine them.
- Transfer dough to the prepared baking pan and press into an even layer. Lightly sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt, if desired. Also, I like to press a few more chocolate chips on top of the dough before baking; this is just for looks.
- Bake for 30-34 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. Err on the side of under-baking and do NOT over-bake, or the cookie bars will taste a little dry and cakey. Use a toothpick to test for doneness; if it comes out mostly clean from the center of the pan, the bars are done.
- Allow the bars to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for at least an hour. Once relatively cool, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment and cut into squares.
- Cover and store leftover bars at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to come to room temperature and continue with step 4. Baked cookie bars freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw bars overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Flaky Sea Salt
- Larger Batch in a 9×13-inch Pan: If you want a larger batch in a 9×13-inch pan, use my M&M Cookie Bars recipe and swap the M&Ms for chocolate chips. Today’s recipe is perfect for a single batch, but requires a few adjustments instead of simply doubling. That’s why I recommend my super similar, scaled up M&M cookie bar recipe instead.
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars: If you want to use browned butter for this recipe, start with an extra 2 Tablespoons of butter before browning it, to make up for moisture evaporation.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I used mini chocolate chips, added 1/2 cup chopped pecans & followed the directions. Came out perfect! A family hit!! Loved the tip of adding more chocolate chips sprinkled on the top.
These are SO delicious and easy!! I browned the butter for a deeper flavor, using Sally’s instructions on making sure there is still 3/4 cup of melted butter. I added a few more chocolate chips, plus more for the top! What a great recipe, of course!
This is beautiful Sally! I added zest of one orange plus a tbsp of orange juice, it was to die for. Thanks so much!
I just finished making a double batch of these bars and they turned out great! I always keep double batches of your salted caramel sauce in the fridge so I drizzled some over the top to add some fun. The recipe came together so easily and I didn’t bother to use foil or parchment. There’s so much butter in the bars they come right outSuper recipe! Thank you, Sally!
Very good cookie bar. I loved that I didn’t have to use a mixer and that I didn’t have to be tied to the oven by constantly switching out cookie pans. These bars were chewy and yummy.
I’m a cynic and always assume reviews are inflated and I never review, but I have been thrilled with this recipe: it’s easy and provides dense bars with just the right balance of chewy with firmness. And they taste great, too. I’ve made them three times (double batch and I think more chips since I use a whole bag) and I’m really pleased with it.
These came out great! They are a little easier to make than cookies and still taste fantastic. I added some sea salt dark chocolate as the chips!
I was so excited to make these. I doubled the recipe and carefully measured my dry ingredients. I baked for 40 min, but should have checked sooner. They were very dry. I would recommend keeping a close eye and checking much sooner than the recommended time. Would like to make again, but not sure I want to risk them not being any better.
Hi Lisa, If you try again use your oven light and bake just until the edges are lightly browned. Baking times vary depending on what type of pan you use and your particular oven. I hope you try them again!
Made these today and only a few left. Very good!
I followed the recipe but when it cooled the center dipped down. Do you have any idea why this would happen? This is the site I go to first for all my baking.
Always happens with cookie bars because they are so dense in the centers. Nothing to worry about!
These were amazing!! Sally NEVER disappoints! Made them on instagram live as a bake along while we are social distancing and everyone loved it! So good!
I’m an experienced baker and have made chocolate chip bar cookies in the past. My go to recipe is at my other house. These bars fell apart, for the most part, after cutting them. They are very fragile. I skipped the step of pressing them into the pan and only smoothed them with a spatula. This may have been a crucial mistake. I’m a fan of your recipes. Your pumpkin chocolate chip bread is absolutely the best!
Sally,
I made the chocolate chip cookie bars recipe from your site. I followed your instructions with the exception of using gluten free flour. The flour indicated it was a one-for-one exchange. I baked the cookies for the time indicated, however, they appeared not quite done. So I cooked them about 4 minutes longer. They came out okay, but they had a sandy type texture on the bottom. They were very light on color and looked as if they should have been baked longer, according to my husband. They did have a very lightly-baked look. Any ideas on how I can improve these bars using gluten free flour? Thank you.
Hi Jacquie, Unfortunately I don’t have any experience baking with gluten free flour substitutes. I have heard from other readers that it does produce a drier and crumblier cookie.
Today I attempted to make the chocolate chip cookie bars. I decided to double the recipe to make a 9×13 pan because I wanted to share them with some others. I have made this recipe before. I followed the directions and then when I mixed the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients the mixture never truly mixed together looking really dry and crumbly. I thought because I was mixing by hand I would try a mixer. Nothing happened. I rechecked the recipe and had the correct amounts of everything. I took my chances and just put the mixture in the pan and pressed it in. Baked at 350 for 40 minutes. They turned out good but a little dry on the top. What did I do wrong???
Hi Sara, It’s easy for our measurements to be a little off when we double a recipe, especially flour. Make sure that you are spooning and leveling (not scooping!) or using weighted measurements. Check out my post, Measuring 101, for more details.
Mine came out dry :/ they are good but mostly dry.
Hi Lauren! Make sure you don’t over-bake them, which quickly dries the cookie bars out.
Made these exactly as written. Delicious! Definitely my go-to for a thick and soft cookie bar! Thanks!!
These are in the oven as I write. So easy and a sample of the dough told me great taste and texture will definitely be on the horizon. Making these during the scare for my husband to take to his small staff still working until our Sunday night mandatory shut down. They smell wonderful. I can already tell it will be a great cookie!!
Best cookie bars! Tasty and super easy to make. Only suggestion made by my boys is to add more chocolate chips next time.
Sally, these are absolute heaven!!! And so easy to make! I decided on a bar recipe rather than cookies b/c I didn’t have time to chill and roll individual cookies. I followed your directions exactly, including using just a whisk (rather than my heavy Kitchen Aid stand mixer). The bars baked to perfection in 32 minutes, after coming together in about 10 minutes. They were perfectly soft and chewy! And just the right amount of sweet and salt. I used a dusting of Fleur de Sel on top after adding a few chocolate chips as you suggested. I will be making and sharing this recipe for many years to come. My boys and their friends LOVED them as well. Thank you!
think you could bake this in a half sheet pan? Triple the recipe? I need a LOT and am going to cut them into heart shapes so lots of delicious scraps. 🙂
Hi Leah, See my post on Cake Pan Sizes to calculate exactly how much dough you will need for different size pans.
Hi Sally Could I make this recipe in a cast iron skillet and if so, what size skillet? Thank you!!
Mary
Hi Mary, I suggest you follow the recipe for my Skillet Cookie (and you can feel free to use all chocolate chips instead of the M&Ms if you wish).
First time making any kind of cookie bar and I’m hooked! I doubled the recipe and they couldn’t have been easier! Thick, chewy, and so good! I used milk chocolate & peanut butter chips and sprinkled more on top. I’m going to be making more bars in the future for sure!
These are so delicious. I made a double batch with no changes to the recipe. I sent them off to my son in college, tightly wrapped and stored in Tupperware. They ship really well and stay fresh for days. I don’t know if I’ll ever make traditional chocolate cookies again. These are that good. Thanks for the great recipe!
These bars are fantastic!! My 6’3″ son gives me a bear hug every time I make them. And they are so easy to make and clean up after!
THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE!!! Excellent step-by-step instructions and last minute, homemade recipes such as this are wonderful for me (as my husband works away 95% of time). My husband loves peanut butter chips and chocolate chips; so, I bought a bag that already had both chips mixed together. I just got done making these and they are chewy as indicated, but mine leave a dry texture after-taste? More so on the top, not in the middle. I scanned the recipe a couple times to see if I missed something. I didn’t but I noticed the bag of mixed chips say “flavored” and not semi-sweet chips. Is there anything I should or should not do with my next batch to fix that “dry” texture to the top of the bars? Since my stove is fueled with propane, I watch carefully to not burn foods, etc., the toothpick came clean at 30 minutes. Well, thank you in advance for any advice provided.
Hi April! Is it the chocolate chips that are dry or the bars? A different brand of chips could definitely help! You can also try lowering the oven rack or tenting the bars with aluminum foil as they bake, too. Both will prevent the top from drying out.
Super easy! Taste amazing. Best chocolate chip bars I’ve made. Ever!
If I used a 15 x 11 (jelly Roll ) pan would I double or triple the recipe? The recipe sounds wonderful. Especially not having to use a mixer.
Yes, I recommend doubling this recipe for that size pan.
I just made these but had to substitute with apple sauce for the eggs and they’re amazing!! Taste so good and the texture is lovely. 10/10
This is the only cookie bar recipe i ever use! I always get compliments on it. If you are getting melted chocolate in the center you have not let them cool off enough timeA little patience makes these perfect!
I made this yesterday and it was so good! But I was really surprised it came out SUPER thick lol