Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are an easy 7 ingredient dessert you can make in less than 10 minutes of prep time! They are a buttery, delicious sweet treat!
When it comes to holiday baking, cookie bar recipes are a big time saver. Some holiday favorites, like cut out sugar cookies, require extra prep and decorating time, but not bar desserts!
Rather than spending hours portioning out dough and baking multiple batches of cookies, you can make a batch of 2 dozen chocolate chip cookie bars in one pan! The best part is, it only takes 35 minutes!
Why You'll Love This Cookie Bars Recipe
- No chilling required: Because you'll be pressing the cookie dough into the pan, it isn't necessary to chill it first.
- Easier and faster: Same great flavor and chewy texture as traditional chocolate chip cookies, but because there's no scooping or portioning of the dough, this recipe takes less time to make.
- The perfect dessert for any occasion, from birthdays to potlucks and picnics to a Christmas desserts platter.
Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
You only need 7 ingredients to make the chocolate chip cookie bars. This is a very simple recipe!
- salted butter: If you can afford it, I recommend using European butter rather than American-made. The extra butterfat content will give the dessert more flavor.
- light brown sugar: The molasses in brown sugar adds a nice caramel-like flavor to the bars, and it also helps keep the bars moist and chewy.
- large egg
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- chopped walnuts: I like the slight crunch and flavor of the nuts, but you can leave them out if you need or want to.
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- butter: If you need or want to use unsalted butter, just include ¼ teaspoon of sea salt when you're mixing the dough. I haven't tested this recipe using a plant-based butter substitute, but most of them work well. Note: Dairy-free butter has more water than dairy butter, so you'll lose a bit of flavor, and the chocolate chip cookie bars may not be quite as chewy.
- egg: The egg yolk is important for creating moisture and structure. If you need an egg substitute, check out my post, egg substitutes for baking.
- vanilla extract: If you need an alcohol-free flavoring, you can use vanilla essence.
- all-purpose flour: If you'd like to make this recipe gluten free, substitute the AP flour with any cup-for-cup brand of gluten-free all-purpose flour. Two reliable brands are Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur Flour.
- nuts: Feel free to swap out the walnuts for any other nut you like, or leave them out if you want cookie bars without nuts.
- chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chips are the standard in most chocolate chip cookie bars. That doesn't mean you can't a different flavor, or even chocolate chunks if you prefer.
If you're a fan of white chocolate, you could make my white chocolate chip cookies recipe!
For a denser, chewier texture, similar to brownies, use melted butter instead of softened butter.
Adding Mix-ins to Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
You can add up to 1 cup of mix-ins to the bars. M&Ms, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, and toffee bits are all delicious choices. Just don’t overload the batter — too many mix-ins can affect how the bars bake.
Tools and Supplies
- 9x13-inch baking pan - For thicker bars, you can bake the dough in a 9x9-inch pan. However, you may need to add a couple of minutes to the bake time.
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer: Using an electric mixer makes it much easier to cream the butter and sugar together. If you need to mix the ingredients with a mixing spoon, you can, but your cookie bars may end up with a grainy texture.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Start by creaming the butter and sugar together. Then mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Incorporate the flour.
- Stir in the chocolate chips, walnuts, and any other mix-ins.
- Press the cookie dough into the pan and bake until the edges are golden and the center is slightly soft.
Liz's Tips for the Best Cookie Bars
- Use the spoon and level method for measuring the flour. If you scoop the flour with your measuring cup, you'll end up with too much, which will cause the bars to be crumbly and dry. Instead, add the flour to the measuring cup by the spoonful, then level it off with a butter knife.
- Avoid over mixing the dough. Stir the dough just until you can no longer see large streaks of flour. If you overmix, the bars will be very dry.
- Cut the bars while they're still warm. If you wait until they're cool, they'll crumble apart.
Storage and Serving Suggestions
You'll cut the bars while they're warm, but let them cool before you store them. Place them in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature. They will stay fresh and delicious for about 5 days.
This chocolate chip cookie bars recipe is freezer-friendly! Both the unbaked dough and the baked bars can be frozen for up to 3 months.
If you'll be freezing the cookie dough, let it thaw completely before baking it.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Recipe FAQs
Cookie bars are done when the edges turn golden brown and the center looks just set. The middle may look slightly soft, but it will firm up as the dessert cools. Overbaking can make them dry.
Yes! Double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13-inch pan. You may need to add a few extra minutes of baking time, so check for golden edges and a set center.
Sure! Just portion 2-tablespoon sized balls of dough and bake them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cookies typically take 11-15 minutes to bake in a 325°F. oven. Just check on them often so they don't burn.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened to room temp
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a 9x13 baking pan.
- In a large bowl or mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix together brown sugar, butter, egg and vanilla extract.
- Add in the flour and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake at 350℉ for 20-25 minutes or until the bars have set and are golden brown on the edges.
- Cut the cookie bars while they're warm. It’s important to cut the bars while they are warm because they will crack if you cut them later on. They have a delicious crumbly texture!
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- Feel free to omit the walnuts, or use any chopped nuts of your choice.
- Use the spoon and level method for measuring the flour. If you scoop the flour with your measuring cup, you'll end up with too much, which will cause the bars to be crumbly and dry. Instead, add the flour to the measuring cup by the spoonful, then level it off with a butter knife.
- Avoid over mixing the dough. Stir the dough just until you can no longer see large streaks of flour.
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