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    Home » Brownies and Bars » Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

    Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

    Published: Apr 1, 2020 · Modified: Apr 4, 2020 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are an easy chocolate chip cookie bar recipe. No mixer, no chilling, no shaping required.

    Stack of Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars on a plate next to a glass of milk

    I love chocolate chip cookies. However, sometimes the idea of making batches of cookies seems like too much work. Yeah, some nights I really am as lazy as that made me sound.

    So, these chewy chocolate chip cookie bars are a good option when all that scooping, shaping, and rolling just seems like too much work. The dough is easy to mix by hand, so you won't need to break out a mixer.

    These cookie bars are ready - start to finish - in 30 minutes and made with pantry staples. They're an easy dessert that can be ready whenever you need a cookie (or two).

    How to make chocolate chip cookie bars

    Melt the butter. Stir in sugars until well-combined.

    Add the egg and vanilla. Whisk to combine.

    Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt just until combined.

    Chewy chocolate chip cookie bar dough in a bowl with chocolate chips on top

    Fold in chocolate chips.

    Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar dough in a metal pan

    Spread the dough into the pan.

    Baked chewy chocolate chip cookie bars in a pan

    Bake until golden brown. The edges should look set, but the center should be soft.

    Two chocolate chip cookie bars on a wooden cutting boardTips

    • I like a good salty/sweetness to my chocolate chip cookies, so I used salted butter along with the salt. If you like your cookies on the sweeter side, use unsalted butter or cut back on the salt in these.
    • These bars are similar to blondies. These bars have a nice, chewy edge to them (similar to a great chewy brownie edge), and they stayed soft for two days (they've never lasted any longer in my house).
    • Butter:  Just barely melting the butter helps to speed things along. It takes about 30 seconds in my microwave to melt the butter without getting it too hot.
    • Flour: To keep these bars soft and chewy, be sure to properly measure the flour. First, sift or stir the flour to break it up. Then lightly spoon it into the measuring cup and level. You don't want to pack the flour or the bars will be heavy and dry.
    • Salt: Or use ¼ teaspoon of table salt.
    • Chocolate chips: Feel free to use bittersweet, dark, or milk chocolate chips if you prefer.
    • I recommend mixing this dough by hand. It's easy to do, and it helps to prevent overworking the dough.

    Plate of chocolate chip cookie bars on a wooden cutting board

    More chocolate chip cookie recipes!

    • Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
    • Chewy Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

    If you’ve tried this chewy chocolate chip cookie bar recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes!

    You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my latest recipe newsletters or FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for even more delicious food.

    Stack of Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars on a plate next to a glass of milk

    Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

    Chewy chocolate chip cookie bars are a snap to make and are ready in less than 30 minutes.
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 232kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Equipment

    • 8x8 pan

    Ingredients

    • 6 tablespoons butter melted and cooled slightly
    • ½ cup brown sugar packed
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 325 F.
    • Adjust the oven rack to middle position.
    • Grease an 8X8-inch pan. Set aside.
    • Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined.
    • Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
    • Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour, salt, and baking soda into the butter mixture until just combined; do not overmix.
    • Fold in the chocolate chips.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.
    • Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, about 15-25 minutes.
    • Cool on a wire rack to room temperature.

    Video

    Notes

    1. I like a good salty/sweetness to my chocolate chip cookies, so I used salted butter along with the salt. If you like your cookies on the sweeter side, use unsalted butter or cut back on the salt in these.
    2. Butter:  Just barely melting the butter helps to speed things along. It takes about 30 seconds in my microwave to melt the butter without getting it too hot. 
    3. Flour: To keep these bars soft and chewy, be sure to properly measure the flour. First, sift or stir the flour to break it up. Then lightly spoon it into the measuring cup and level. You don't want to pack the flour or the bars will be heavy and dry. 
    4. Salt: Or use ¼ teaspoon of table salt. 
    5. Chocolate chips: Feel free to use bittersweet, dark, or milk chocolate chips if you prefer. 
    6. I recommend mixing this dough by hand. It's easy to do, and it helps to prevent overworking the dough. 
    7. Nutrition facts are estimates. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1.6mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!

     

    Originally published 4/11/12. Updated with new photos and tips 4/1/20.

     

     

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    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Yanira Vargas

      July 30, 2021 at 3:26 pm

      5 stars
      Such an easy recipe!! I made them today and they were delicious!! Soft and chewy 😍

      Reply
      • Kate

        July 30, 2021 at 10:10 pm

        Thank you! I'm glad you liked them!

        Reply
    2. Lisa

      November 22, 2020 at 4:26 pm

      5 stars
      You had me at "melted butter & no chilling!" I just made these because my grandchildren needed a bright spot in their day. So easy & so delicious. This recipe will go in the cookbook I'm making of all of their favorites. Thank you for posting this one.

      Reply
    3. Vicki

      July 11, 2020 at 12:18 pm

      5 stars
      I loved making these, thank you! I have already made your easy chocolate chip cookies and the easiest chocolate chocolate chip cookies, both came out great! I loved making the cookie bars, I used a metal pan and they are all gone, you are right 2 days max LOL.

      Reply
      • Kate

        July 13, 2020 at 10:01 am

        I'm so glad to hear that! =) Haha! Yes! We can't keep them around any longer!

        Reply
    4. Sarah Endarawes

      May 06, 2020 at 3:34 pm

      5 stars
      I used a glass pan (8 by 8) since I didn't have a metal one and since I didn't have brown sugar, I mixed regular white granulated sugar with some molasses (I use tis trick all the time for all things that need brown sugar and it works amazing :)) and I also baked mine for 27 minutes at 165 C

      IT TASTED INCREDIBLE AND WAS VERY EASY TO MAKE

      DEFINETELY GOING TO MAKE THIS AGAIN!!

      Reply
      • Sarah Endarawes

        May 06, 2020 at 3:42 pm

        5 stars
        Oh actually I put it in for 32 minutes and set the heat up a bit higher to 180 C after about 25 minutes.

        Reply
      • Kate

        May 06, 2020 at 3:48 pm

        Thank you! I'm so glad! And thanks for sharing your tips. =)

        Reply
    5. Adri

      May 01, 2020 at 10:11 pm

      5 stars
      They were a hit tonight. Easy to follow. Made them with dark chocolate and salted butter. So yummy. Thank you

      Reply
      • Kate

        May 06, 2020 at 3:58 pm

        Thank you! I'm glad you liked them! =)

        Reply
    6. Bela Shenoy

      April 17, 2020 at 11:41 am

      These bars were so quick and easy to make and came out perfect! This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 18, 2020 at 9:03 am

        Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you liked them! =)

        Reply
    7. Linda

      April 03, 2020 at 8:59 pm

      Have you tried doubling the recipe for a 9x13 pan?

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 03, 2020 at 9:10 pm

        I have. Doubling works well in a 9x13, and I baked them for about 25/30 minutes.

        Reply
    8. Ellee Russell

      April 03, 2020 at 7:24 pm

      Hi, these look absolutely delicious. We are currently running low on sugar and it might be a while before we get some. The only sugar subs that we have around are maple syrup and honey. Do you have any ideas about how I substitute these in for sugar?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 03, 2020 at 9:05 pm

        Hi! Thank you! Honey or maple syrup usually subs in at somewhere between 1/2 - 3/4 cup for every 1 cup of sugar. It also requires reducing the amount of liquid in the recipe and sometimes means adjustment in oven temp and leavening. Cookies are one of the hardest types of baked goods to make that sub, so I'm not sure that honey or maple syrup will work well in this recipe. I wish that I had a better answer, but I would hate for you to waste your ingredients.

        Reply
    9. Allie

      March 25, 2020 at 3:05 pm

      5 stars
      These are SO. GOOD. I had to bake for 27 mins in my oven but they turned out perfectly with that timing. Thank you!! Still chewy and delicious the next day!

      Reply
      • Kate

        March 25, 2020 at 6:41 pm

        Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you liked them. Thanks for commenting! =)

        Reply
    10. Alicia Kelton

      September 23, 2019 at 1:11 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for my husband and I last night for a quick and easy sweet treat during one of our shows. I ended up using 3 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp organic virgin coconut oil instead of all butter, and baked it in a glass baking dish instead of a metal pan greased with coconut oil and lined with parchment(not wax) paper. I mixed it all in one bowl, tossing in the dry ingredients last. I noticed I had to turn the oven up to 350 instead of 325 for the glass pan, and I added an extra 5 minutes to the cooking time. But, even after these little tweaks, they turned out AMAZING! I was a tad worried at the 20 minute mark because the top didn't look golden enough and the edges hadn't really pulled away from the parchment paper yet. The extra cooking time didn't dry the bars out and they are still SUPER chewy and even have a slight crunch on the outside. These cookie bars are LEGIT!! I would recommend letting it cool to room temp to get prettier cuts, but we cut into it when it was still really warm and it still held up nicely. Ooey gooey goodness. Plopped a nice dollop of vanilla bean ice cream on top and it's totally drool worthy. Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe! This is our new go to for chocolate chip cookies! Quicker and easier than making a whole batch of cookies. Can't wait to check out all of your other recipes. <3 from AZ <3

      Reply
      • Kate

        September 23, 2019 at 3:06 pm

        Yay!! I'm so happy that you liked them! Using part coconut oil sounds delicious. =) Thanks for your notes and for your comment!

        Reply
    11. Janet Stuiber

      April 19, 2019 at 2:20 pm

      Hi. My printed version recipe (full size) did not include
      baking soda or butter measurements.
      I had to check my iPhone recipe to find this info. & copy it off of that.

      I have a new printer in my office & I use it for my Graphics business, so, FYI ...Btw - this looks like a Perfect recipe for
      a 1 person household (I can freeze in individual bars)
      & in an 8x8 pan - Not a humongous 13 x9 pan & no mixer!
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 19, 2019 at 6:57 pm

        Thank you for letting me know about that! It must be a glitch, and I'll look into it. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the bars! =)

        Reply
    12. Ellspeth

      December 20, 2018 at 8:58 pm

      Not sure what’s up here. By the time I was done mixing the batter was too thick to pour and after 20mins of baking the dough is still very wet. I stirred in a heaping TB of Guittard baking cocoa so either that was a bad idea or this recipe is a dud. Added another 20mins to the clock and crossing my fingers, but won’t use this one again.

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 20, 2018 at 9:19 pm

        I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble! I've made this recipe several times. I've also gotten comments from other people who have successfully made it, so I'm guessing that something went wrong. Did you change any other ingredients while you were making it?

        Reply
    13. Jess

      April 27, 2018 at 12:53 pm

      5 stars
      Love!! Super easy and really yummy!

      Reply
    14. Sjusan

      May 01, 2016 at 10:13 am

      These bars are awesome! I like that they are made in an 8 by 8 pan. The butter is melted so no waiting for it to soften. The bars are a favorite here!

      Reply
      • Kate

        May 01, 2016 at 12:46 pm

        I'm so glad!! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! =)

        Reply
    15. Vanessa

      October 09, 2015 at 3:51 pm

      I just made these and they are yummy. Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Kate

        October 10, 2015 at 12:15 am

        Glad you liked them! Thanks!

        Reply

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    I’m Kate Dean- mom to five young kids, recipe developer, and photographer. Here at I Heart Eating®, I share my family’s favorite tried-and-true recipes.

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