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.
Theresa
Made these cookie bars for a bake sale at my son’s school. They were a HUGE hit! I will be making them again for the next bake sale.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they were such a hit, Theresa! I hope that his bake sale was successful. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Jen
This is the best chocolate chip bar recipe I have ever made and is now my family’s new favorite! Thanks so much for sharing it!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the cookie bars were such a hit with your family, Jen! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Cathy
I made these the other day and I thought they were amazing! They were very good still warm but we enjoyed them the next day just as much. I cut them up and kept in an airtight container and we are still enjoying them 3 days later 😋
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you for trying my recipe, Cathy! I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookie bars. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Hailey
So good! My mom, dad, brother and I loved them all so much!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the cookie bars were such a hit, Hailey! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
leah
Made these last night and they were SOOOOO GOOD. Chewy and chocolatey! My dough seemed a bit more dry than yours in the video (maybe b/c of being at high altitude) so I was worried they wouldn’t work out but they still turned out great!
Laura
These were very greasy – WAY too much butter. Sadly, I threw them away.
Sam
Hi Laura! This recipe only calls for 1 cup or 2 sticks of butter. If they were very greasy it is possible that the butter was too hot when the sugars were added.
Abbey
Hi! Could I chill this dough before baking? I am heading to my parent’s later tonight and would love for them to come fresh out of the oven for everyone! I just finished making the dough 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Abbey! Yes, you can chill the dough before baking. I hope that you enjoy! 🙂
adela Uribe
they are great 5 stars can i put them on pan and refrigerate the dough in pan for baking next day
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookie bars, Adela! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Lisa
Hey Sam, do you think these will work just the same spread onto a cookie sheet?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Lisa! Yes, I think it will work just fine. I would just keep an eye on the bake time. I hope that you enjoy the cookie bars. 🙂
Becky
Today is my son’s 17th birthday ,he’s a special needs child and his favorite cookie is chocolate chip , I usually get him a Giant cookie but thought I would try this , sounds like it’s a hit with everyone else so wish me luck , I will let you know how it turned out and how he liked it
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Becky! Happiest of Birthdays to your son! I hope that he enjoys the chocolate chip cookie bars! Let me know how they turn out. Good Luck! 🙂
Sharon Day
My son wants chocolate chip cookies for his birthday. Have you ever baked in two round pans to stack for a cake look? I was thinking of using melted chips to hold the two layers together
Daniel
Got your recipe through a co-worker of mine who also made this recently…and it turned out well. I love it — and so did the rest of my household. I think I could also try changing up the cookie “mix-ins” one day. Thank you, Sam!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Daniel! Thank you for commenting. I hope that you try more of my recipes. 🙂
Joyce
Do you think these could be baked a little longer and used to replace the gingerbread in a gingerbread house?
Shirley
I make these 1-2 times a week to bring to work. Several of my co-workers say this is their absolute favorite! Thank you 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that the cookie bars have been such a hit at your office, Shirley! Thank you for making my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Kristi
I’ve made a lot of chocolate chip bars in my years and this is by far the best! My kids love them.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Kristi! I am so glad that your kids enjoyed the cookie bars! 🙂
Doris
This is the best bar recipe ever! My go to for that special treat. Perfect.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Doris! I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookie bar recipe. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Donna
Best bars I’ve ever made !!
Sam
So glad you enjoyed, Donna! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Patti Berent
Made these bar cookies today and they were a big hit. I used mini morsel chocolate chips instead of regular morsels as that’s what I had. Also sprinkled 1/2 cup of chopped pecans on the top just before baking for a bit of added crunch. Left out the cornstarch as I didn’t have any. I didn’t notice anything negative with not using the cornstarch. But since I live at a higher elevation (5.000 ft) I was careful to watch the bars after 30 min of baking. The top was just starting to turn golden. So I let them go 4 more min then took them out, covered with a clean towel and cool till able to slice neatly into squares. No crumbles, no toughness, they were perfect. Thank you…great recipe. Will make this again.
Don’t be afraid to try it, just don’t overbake!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Patti! I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip cookie bars. 🙂