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
Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 16 bars
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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
This is such a great bar!! If I want to make it in a 9×13 pan, so would you suggest I double your measurements? Thank you!
Hi Lisa, You can double this recipe to fit into a 9×13-inch baking pan. The bars will take longer to cook through, about 40 minutes at 350°F (177°C). Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Are there any substitutes for the cornstarch?
Hi Nwando, you can leave it out in a pinch. The bars will still be plenty soft.
I am always looking for a good bar cookie recipe because I get a little impatient with drop cookies! Made this for the first time today. I wasn’t sure whether to spray the aluminum foil but I did just to be on the safe side. Definitely a THICK batter/dough and handling it was interesting. I decided to do the last bit with my hands, and it worked fabulously for incorporating the chips! Then I just plopped it into the pan and pressed it in evenly. I like the smaller size but will try doubling it the next time.
I have tried baking these normally AND adding 3/4 cup (rough measure) Adam’s PB and some mini PB M&Ms to them with FANTASTIC results and today I’m going to attempt them with some hazelnuts and Nutella in additional to everything else. I’m excited!
This is now my go to recipe when I want cookies in a hurry.
Hi! Can you make this be spread into a sheet pan to be a cookie cake (thinner than the cookie bar)? Thanks!
Hi Ashley, you could do that for a quarter sheet pan, but you may want to 1.5x the recipe for a half sheet pan. This cake pan sizes and conversions guide may be helpful!
Can I use brown butter and how to modify the other ingredients?
Hi Karen, you can use browned butter if desired. Here’s everything you need to know about browned butter and how to account for moisture loss. Hope you enjoy the bars!
I doubled the recipe and did the toothpick test to the center and it came out clean. But when cutting into squares, the center color didn’t look as well done as the square edges. Still is tasty but wondering if next time it’d be better to leave longer
I’ve made these as the recipe is written many times before, but this time I subbed peanut butter chips for half the chocolate chips and added probably about a cup of peanut butter to the batter. Made the batter thicker but DEFINITELY RECOMMEND if you’re a PB fan like me. They’re also delightful as-is. I used Skippy because I keep it on hand for baking (I don’t eat Skippy) and I probably needed only half a cup, but they’re still peanut butter-licious and if you’re like me and use only natural peanut butter I’m sure they would work just as well. Another amazing recipe from Sally and her fantastic crew!!
Do you ever attempt to remove your bars/brownies/blondies with the parchment paper sling after 5-10 minutes in the pain to continue cooling outside the pan on a cooling rack as you would with regular cookies? I just wonder if leaving them to cooly completely in the pan causes them to be overdone! because I wouldn’t do that with regular cookies.
Hi Mary! We’ve never had an issue with the bars over-baking while they cool.
This is probably a dumb question, but would it be possible to bake in tart liners versus pan to make individual tarts?
Hi Robin, that should work just fine! Bake time will vary depending on the size of your tart pans.
This was absolutely the talk of the Christmas dinner party
I wanted to make your chocolate chip cookies recipe for my daughter who was having a friend over, because that recipe is a favorite of my wife and daughter and couldn’t be beat; but I just didn’t have the time. While the cookies will last more than a day, these bars didn’t even make it to the end of the afternoon. They are so soft and chew. This will definitely be entering my baking rotation.
These bars came out so great. I doubled the recipe, I used mini morsels and I baked it in a 9×13 pan, for less than the 50 minutes. They came out perfect!! My new favorite way to make chocolate chip cookies!!
This recipe is wonderful but if you use a square glass 8×8 pan plan on it taking longer. I put foil on the sides to keep them over baking too much. I also used her suggestion of lowering the temp to 325 as well. I just had to watch it. It came out beautifully. I like the crunching ends personally!
I’ve been making this for years now. Double the recipe and don’t forget salt on top–the salt absolutely makes the bar! Thanks so much for sharing it n_n
I doubled this, baked in a 9×13 metal plan lined with parchment. They are really, really good and made for those who prefer soft cookies over the crispy edge cookies. Flaky sea salt on top is a must imo because they are very sweet. The only thing I’d do differently next time is chop up a dark chocolate bar instead of chips to cut down the sweetness.
Another amazing recipe!
I looked everywhere for a soft, chewy, delicious cookie bar recipe that I could make anytime and this one is AMAZING! So soft, buttery, oh man. I have only made it once and that was last weekend. I already got some more butter and flour yesterday to make them today. I made them with milk chocolate chips the first time and this time I got a bag of Heath bar. I just know the bit of saltiness and butter along with that taste of Heath bar will be so so perfect. Can’t wait to share this recipe with more than just my mom and dad! Thanks
I liked the taste of the recipe. But it’s not soft. I baked in 9 inch round. Saw a different comment saying the bake time is less than stated. I baked for 30 mins but that seemed too much. Maybe remove at 26 min mark. Remember the crust hardens as it cools.
To mix in the chocolate chips I used my hands together squish the batter and chips together (like mixing meatloaf by hand) Worked great!
A nine inch round pan has a smaller volume than a 9 inch square, so they should cook faster than what the recipe calls for.
I love this recipe, I doubled it and it worked perfectly in a 9×13 pan. Soft, delicious bars, not dry at all!
As always, such a yummy recipe!! Love your recipes, they’re my go to!!
Hi,
I would sincerely appreciate it if someone could get back to me about this recipe. I have made these bars at least half a dozen times and EVERY SINGLE TIME they end up seriously underbaked. I have obviously tried increasing the bake time, checking my oven temp, etc, but no matter what I do I end up with: a beautifully baked product, toothpick comes out clean. Then bars cool. The middle sinks and when I slice into them, they do not look fully baked. I would love to send you a picture. What is going on with this recipe? It’s driving me nuts since I cannot get mine to look like your photos! Today, I tried something different: room temp butter instead of melting in the microwave and using full eggs instead of adding extra yolks. The result was slightly less underbaked, but still the same sinking in the middle and looking underbaked. I am always paranoid about whether these are even safe to eat. I baked in a pyrex dish for 45 minutes (I doubled the recipe). Please help since chocolate chip bars are one of my favorites desserts, Sally’s recipes are my favorites, but I can’t keep wasting ingredients this way!
Hi Vera! I am just seeing this comment now, and can absolutely help. First, expect some sinking in the center. This is completely normal because they’re denser bars. Just like cookies deflate a bit after baking, the same thing happens here. But, the center should not be raw. I recommend lowering the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C) and extending the bake time. If the edges are browning quickly, tent the pan with aluminum foil. Have you ever tried these M&M cookie bars? You can replace the M&Ms with more chocolate chips. The recipe is a little less than double these bars. I think the recipe works very nicely if you want to try it!
This just happened to me as well, but it was my first time making them. I was bummed, but that is why I am reading through the comments section of this recipe. Will try again, lower the temp. to 325 and increase the baking time. So happy it’s not the pan as I love my 9×13 Pyrex pans. Fingers crossed.. I will let everyone know how it goes.
I’m not glad this has happened to you, but glad I’m not the only one! This has happened to me multiple times, so I was glad to see some helpful hints. It is super frustrating because they are so good!
Just realized I’m out of cornstarch and I’m about to make these bars! What happens if I leave it out of the recipe?
Hi Bethany, you can leave it out in a pinch. The bars will still be plenty soft.
I usually never leave bad reviews, but had to warn anyone trying to double this recipe. Tried to double it in a 9X13 per instructions, and like others found that it wouldn’t set. I was surprised to see it was at least 1.5 inch thick when it baked up, right up to the rim of the glass bakeware (chose this after seeing the pictures of the glass pan). Even after 1 hour in the oven the middle was still goopey, even goopier than brownies, but the top and edges were crunchy hard. I typically don’t have issues with the oven running low (in fact I usually have to take things out of the oven before the recipes indicate). I think someone else who said you should only multiple the original recipe by 50% at most is right, as this seemed to be way too much dough for the pan.
I quadrupled the recipe last night and the result was perfection. I did two 9×9 and one 9×13. Thank you.
These are my go to! Always get a rave review!
I enjoy making these bars for my husband who loves them. And they’re so much faster than making cookies!
I would like to make this recipe but I only have a 9 inch round pan, would that work?? Thanks!!
Hi Sofia, you can use this chocolate chip cookie cake recipe instead.
Thank you!!
Not my kind of cookie bar…this recipe had more of a banana bread type texture. I thought the cornstarch was a weird ingredient.. I’ve never had a cookie where my mouth get dry afterwards. I’ve tried other recipes from this site that I’ve greatly enjoyed, this one is not for me!
I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9×13 metal pan. These turned out bread like and not at all chewy. I was expecting a different texture. They looked beautiful but were somehow bland unfortunately. Normally, love your recipes though.
This recipe looks delicious! I notice that you melt the butter. Could I use canola oil instead of butter? If so, should I make any other adjustments to the recipe?
Hi Margaret, if swapping for an oil, melted coconut oil would be your best best. Let us know if you give it a try!
I doubled the recipe, and found the cooking time to have been too long. They were a bit dry, and quite bland. I own all of Sally’s cookbooks, and always turn to those and this website when I need a dessert recipe. This is the first time I was not impressed with the results. The cookie version has a better, more expected texture and flavor.
How smart! I forgot to soften butter, so I went to make my usual chocolate chip cookies, which uses melted butter. Stumbled upon this recipe, which is the same recipe but baked in a pan! So, no chilling time either! It’s also the same recipe as your “one dough three ways” in the cookie addiction cookbook. So many possibilities for a quick cookie batch now! We really like the cinnamon pecan cookies, I will be trying those as a bar for sure! My sons favourite combo is the pretzel, butterscotch chip and dark chocolate chip ones. Wouldn’t those be cute with mini pretzel twists pushed in to the top of each one?