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.
Manu
so yummy
Sam
Thank you so much, Manu! 🙂
Hansa
Hi it looks a bit undone when I took it out of the oven at 30mins should I leave it for another 5-10mins next time? Or would it get firm when it’s cooled. Hopefully it will get firm🙏🙏
Sam
Hi Hansa! Did a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean? If not I would give it a bit more time in the oven. Enjoy! 🙂
michelle
hi can use use a mixer to make these?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Michelle! Yes, you can. I hope that you enjoy them. 🙂
Eileen
I forgot to put the 1.5 cups of flour in hope its ok
Sugar Spun Run
Fingers Crossed. Keep me posted, Eileen! 🙂
Gina
Just made these today and they were delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe and all of your helpful information. Looking forward to making more of your stuff. Take care, be well and stay safe!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks for commenting and letting me know how you enjoyed the recipe, Gina, I appreciate it! Stay safe!
Alayna
My first batch came out “greasy” as one person had said you need to mix better (before you add the dry ingredients). I had also used a 9×9 pan, I definitly dont think the recipe works well even though its states you can as long as you up the cook time. Just throwing that out there incase someone has the same problem as I did at first. I definitly think now that I perfected the bars that they cannot be beat. I have made these 3 times in the last week. They are so goooooood!! On the last batch I added peanut butter chips and that made it even better. They are chewy and goey in all the right ways. GREAT RECIPE!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that you have perfected this recipe and you have enjoyed it, Alayna! Thank you so much for the feedback. 🙂
Jules
These are seriously so good!!! For some reason they taste even better the next day. And then better the day after that. Wishing I could make more right now but we’re out of butter. I’m debating using canola oil as a substitute. Thanks for a great recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that you have enjoyed this recipe, Jules. Thanks for trying it and for commenting. 🙂
Melissa Ragan
I didn’t really believe a chocolate chip cookie bar could really be good, but I was in the mood for chocolate chip cookies and was feeling too lazy to go through the whole cookie making process. So I looked up different recipes and yours looked the best, so I gave it a whirl!! They really are quite good!! I think the lady who had the greasiness issue probably didn’t put enough flour in the recipe. I noticed that if you went by grams, 285g was not enough. I think I used 313g. Idk, anyhow these would be soo good with vanilla ice cream, a little chocolate sauce and whipped cream!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Melissa! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Sabine Hentrich
this was virtually the easiest, tastiest cookie bars I have ever made. Thanks for the recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
Hooray! I am so glad that you found the recipe easy to follow and delicious, Sabine! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Kim
Amazing! All three teenagers and the hubby couldn’t get enough! Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
That is wonderful, Kim! I am so glad that everyone enjoyed them! With three teenagers, I don’t think they will last long.. lol. 🙂
Yemma8808
You probobly just didn’t mix it properly, these bars are great!
janet groehler
We all Loved these bars. Your easy recipe was Delicious and you had really good instructions. Thanks for sharing. I will make this again and again.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your family enjoyed them, Janet! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Leighann
They completely fell apart and as one other person mentioned, very greasy. Even my kids were not impressed. Wasted time and resources. 🙁
Sugar Spun Run
I am so sorry that you experienced issues with this recipe, Leighann. I appreciate the feedback.
Yemma8808
You probobly just didn’t mix it properly, these bars are great!
Donna
So happy to find a chocolate chip bar that isn’t dry no matter how much you adjust the cooking time. These bars are so moist and soft! The melted butter really adds to the overall flavor. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. They are the new favorite in our home!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear how much your family enjoyed the cookie bars, Donna! Thank you so much for commenting and trying my recipe. 🙂
Kelly
By far the best chocolate chip cookie bars I’ve ever had! I’ve made them several times and they are always a hit- a pan of them in my house barely makes it past the first couple days!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Kelly! I am so glad that you enjoyed them! 🙂