Skip the scooping and make your chocolate chip cookies in a pan instead! These buttery, soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars require no mixer, no chilling, and no fuss. Recipe includes a how to video.
Chocolate Chip Cookies, the Lazy Way
These chocolate chip cookie bars are the dessert you’re looking for when you’re having a lazy day and are in need of a cookie fix. When you’re craving all the goodness of a warm, chewy chocolate chip cookie, but can’t muster the energy to whip out the electric mixer, let alone the patience to scoop and rotate baking sheets.
With no mixer, no chilling, and no scooping, these chocolate chip cookie bars are your perfect lazy-day dessert. They’re just as soft, chewy, buttery, and delicious as their cookie counterparts, but they take a fraction of the time to prepare.
Whether you’re in need a quick sugar fix, a last-minute party or potluck dish, or you just don’t have the energy to scoop a single cookie, I’ve got you covered. Let’s get right to it.
What You Need
As we’ve already established, making perfectly chewy cookie bars isn’t as simple as dropping a regular cookie dough recipe in a pan. Instead, you want a dough that’s designed to be enjoyed in bar form. Here’s how to make it:
- Melted butter. Melted butter (rather than softened) coats every molecule of the cookie dough for the best, buttery taste. Just remember to let it cool for a few minutes before adding it!
- Light brown sugar + granulated sugar. We’ll use more brown sugar than white for more moisture (softer cookie bars!) and better flavor.
- Eggs + an extra yolk. I added an extra egg yolk for chewier, more tender cookie bars.
- Flour. Use your average all-purpose flour here.
- Cornstarch. This is my secret ingredient for soft baked goods! Cornstarch also prevents the cookie bars from being too cakey–after all, they are cookie bars, not cake bars.
- Baking powder. This recipe uses less leaveners than your average chocolate chip cookie since the cookie bars are contained in a pan.
- Vanilla + salt. Because you can’t have flavorful chocolate chip cookies without these two!
- Chocolate chips. My preference is to use semisweet chips, but if want to use another kind, feel free.
If you’re like me, you might also want to grab some vanilla ice cream to serve alongside these bars while they’re warm. Or, you can let them cool and eat them cookie-style too!
SAM’S TIP: I like to reserve a handful of chocolate chips for sprinkling on top of the bars just before baking. This ensures that the tops of the bars will have a perfectly studded surface!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Combine the cooled butter and sugars. Add your eggs and vanilla and stir until everything is combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Then, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the dough into a parchment lined baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F. Let the bars cool slightly before cutting and serving.
SAM’S TIP: This recipe can be made in a 9×13 or 9×9 pan. I prefer using a 9×9 because it results in thicker, chewier bars. If you make yours in a 9×13, the bars will need to bake about 5-10 minutes less.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This dough will keep in the refrigerator for several days. Just make sure to cover it tightly.
This cookie dough is designed to be baked in a baking pan and is not ideal for making actual cookies. If you tried to scoop and bake this dough, you would end up with cookie pancakes that spread all over your cookie sheet! Try my popular chocolate chip cookies instead! 😊
Yes! Just add them in when you add the chocolate chips. Use approximately 1-1 ½ cups of coarsely chopped nuts. Pecans or walnuts are great options!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter melted and then cooled for at least 5 minutes
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk room temperature preferred
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (285 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour in the UK)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare a 9×9" (23x23cm) pan (see note) by lining with parchment paper (or lightly grease and flour).
- Combine melted (cooled) butter and sugars in a large bowl, stir well.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- Add eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and stir until well-combined.2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.2 ¼ cups (285 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet until completely combined. Stir in chocolate chips.2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake on 350F (175C) for 35 minutes or until edges just begin to turn golden brown.
- Allow to cool before cutting and serving (don’t cool too long, though — these are amazing when served still slightly warm!)
Notes
Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. These cookie bars may also be frozen.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Rose
Made these and they came out great, left them in a covered pan to take to work for a party but noticed they were hard what could have been the cause of them getting hard quick?
Sam
Hi Rose! I’m so sorry that happened! I have never had this happen. Were they possibly over-baked? They shouldn’t get hard very quickly.
Chelsy
The weight and cup measurements for flour didn’t seem to match up. I was careful not to pack flour, but 2 cups was equal to the weight in grams listed for 2.5 cups.
Sam
Hi Chelsy! There are a lot of factors that can change your weight measurements. It really depends how you measure it. I have tested this recipe with the weights I have listed, so I would stick to that. 🙂
Bethaney
I substituted a gluten free flour mix for flour and took to a big family party and everyone loved them. Children and adults alike! I like any recipe from Sugar Spun Run!
Sam
Thank you so much, Bethaney! I am so glad you enjoyed the cookie bars! 🙂
Teresa
These are super yummy. Very easy to make. I took them to the guys at work and they loved them! Thanks for the recipe. It was the 1st time making cookie bars, but definitely not the last!
Sam
Thank you so much, Teresa! I am so glad you enjoyed the cookie bars so much! 🙂
liza
Could these be baked in a round tin? I know they’re pretty inexpensive but I have so many other types already, I was wondering if the recipe could be adapted?
Sam
Hi Liza! You could bake this in a round pan, although I am not sure how baking time would change. 🙂
Tash
Followed your recipe exactly but my brownies were waaaay too oily. As in the bottom of the pan was swimming in butter. What did I do wrong? 🤔
Sam
Was the butter very hot when you added the sugar? Sounds like it might have melted the sugar and that might’ve been the problem.
Janice
I always use crisco buttery flavor and my cookies are never oily…..janice
Sugar Spun Run
Janice, thanks for letting me know. I am happy you’ve had such great success with it! 🙂
jan
This is the best chocolate chip cookie bar recipe ever. Like. my husband said this is defintely a “do again”. It took me everything not to eat the entire pan in one sitting. 🥰
Sam
😂 I am impressed they made it more than one sitting, I can’t say the same happens when I make them! I am so glad you enjoyed the cookie bars. 🙂
Natasha
What would need to be modified to make in jelly roll pan?
Sam
Probably just the baking time, it would likely need to be reduced. However I haven’t tried it myself so I’m not certain.
Lisa
Made a double batch exactly as instructed and they came out perfectly. Absolutely delicious!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookie bars, Lisa! 🙂
Ann
I have just always used the recipe on the back of the morsel bag for the bar version. I’ve never had a problem with them being dry and crumbly. They are always soft. Also, I always put s piece of bread in the container with the bars to keep them soft. I use room temperature softened butter (when I know i’m going to make the bars I take the butter sticks out of the fridge and let them sit overnight or a number of hours before baking.
Sam
Try this recipe and I bet you’ll never go back to that one 😉
Alicia
These are so good, the melted butter gave them a great chewy texture. I wanted to make them today since it’s National Chocolate Chip Day lol.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookie bars, Alicia! 🙂
Renny
These bars are wonderful! The texture and taste make the bars addicting! I did, as one person wrote, use butter that I had sitting out for a couple of hours so I didn’t melt it and this worked fine and was one less step. Since my husband loves nuts I added some chopped pecans.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookie bars, Renny! 🙂
Diane
Can they cool completely in the pan, or do you recommend cutting them while still slightly warm?
Mine are in the oven now, for eating tomorrow.
Thanks.
Sam
Hi Diane! They are best served when slightly warm, so if serving immediately, I would let them cool a little bit so they are still warm but not hot and then cut them. If you are making them in advance, you can just let them cool completely in the tray. 🙂
Jill
Any time I am asked to bring a dessert, I make these! They are a hit every time. Thank for sharing these!
Sam
They are so easy and definitely one of my most requested desserts too! I’m glad everyone enjoys them. 🙂
Jessica Johnson
I wrk for a group home & my clients & I LOVED these cookie bars! Thanx for sharing 💖
Sam
Hi Jessica! I am so glad everyone enjoyed them! 🙂