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.
Dave
Just a question. Can I add walnuts to this recipe?
Sam
Absolutely! Stir them in at the end! 🙂
Chanuli
Hi Sam, Thank you so much for the recipe it was so good. I think I set the oven temperature too low than the required temp which made the bars bake for more than one hour. I also used cake flour instead of all purpose flour(googled and found out that all purpose flour can be replaced with an additional 2 tbsp of cake flour). Is this why my bars were a little underbaked or is it just because of the temperature?
Sam
Hi Chanuli! I’m glad you enjoyed them! The oven temperature is why you would have under-baked cookie bars. I would try them on the temperature listed next time. 🙂
Mim
If I do not have cornstarch can I just leave it off or will the recipe not work?
Sam
The cornstarch really helps with the soft chewy texture of these cookie bars. If you don’t have it you could use a little extra flour but the texture won’t be quite the same. 🙂
Sandy
Can I make the dough today and put them in the pan and refrigerate til I’m ready to bake, like in two days? Thanks in advance
Sam
Hi Sandy! That will work just fine. 🙂
Lara
Hi Sam, these look delicious! If I make them this week but freeze some (to save for my family visiting in a couple of weeks) will that be ok? I presume they will freeze fine but wanted to check. Thanks.
Sam
Hi Lara! You shouldn’t have any issue freezing them. 🙂
Pat Brungardt
The best Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar I’ve ever made. Second time in 3 weeks. Everyone wanted the recipe. Yummy great!!!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Pat! 🙂
Liz Bates
Perfect. My family loved them. Thanks so much for all your amazing recipes! LOVE that you use weights… so much easier to duplicate at home.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them, Liz! Baking with weights is definitely much easier. 😊
Donna J
Omg!! These chocolate chip cookie bars are delicious. We absolutely love them. I was just wondering , on your video you say 2 and 1/2 cups of flour but the recipe says 2 and 1/4 . Which one is correct. Thank you again for this incredible recipe.
Sam
Hi Donna! 2 1/4 cup is correct, looks like I have to go make a note in that video, thank you for bringing it to my attention!
Nancy Ward
Hi Sam,.
I asked a question earlier today and totally messed up. I posted it on the wrong recipe and I typed the wrong number of grams, so I wonder if you’d be kind enough to answer me again. This recipe says to use 2-1/2 cups of flour (285 grams) It seems like 2-1/2 cups of flour should weigh more than 285 grams because on your website you say a cup of flour weighs 125 grams I believe. I just wondered which is correct? I ended up going by your weight and I think they could have used a bit more flour but they’re still very tasty. Thanks for your patience. I think I’ve asked it correctly this time. :-0
Nancy Ward
Gosh. Never mind. It says 2-1/4 cups of flour. I need to learn to read. Sorry.
Sam
Sorry I didn’t get to you sooner, but I’m glad you figured it out. 🙂
Brittany
Super good. I made it gluten free and vegan to suit my family’s dietary needs and it still worked out beautifully. I used vegan butter and replaced half the butter with applesauce. I used 2 flax eggs and added an extra 2 tsp of baking powder. I used a combination of brown rice flour and tapioca starch. After it was done baking, I drizzled peanut butter over the top. So good. Thank you.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Brittany! Thank you for the substitution updates. 🙂
Michael
I followed this recipe to the letter. Absolutely the BEST chocolate chip bars I have ever made! The whole 9×13 was devoured in one day. Yes, I had some help. 😀
Sugar Spun Run
Were all gone in ONE day? It is safe to say they were a hit. So happy to hear it, Michael! 🙂
Maria L Spoolstra
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! I made 1/2 a batch because it is just me and my husband. I used 1 egg + the yolk. OMG!!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they turned out so well for you and you enjoyed them, Maria! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Star
Mine came out dry and not gooey but tasted good though. Where did I go wrong?
Sam
I am so sorry this happened! My best guess is that they were over-baked or there was a little too much flour added. You can always check my post on how to properly measure flour if you didn’t use weights. 🙂
evan
Hi! Can I halve this recipe by adding 1egg + 1 egg yolk? Or just 1 egg will do? 🙂
Sam
Hi Evan! I would just use 1 egg here. They should still turn out for you. 🙂
Maria L Spoolstra
I cut this recipe in half and did it with 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. FREAKING AWESOME!!! Glad I only made half because I would eat WAY too much!
Deb Kress
I followed the recipe exactly. My husband and I were both disappointed that they weren’t more flavorful. They are lacking something.
Sam
Hi Deb! I am so sorry you didn’t enjoy them. These should be pretty flavorful. I accidentally over-measured my flour once and had this happen, so maybe that is what went wrong. 🙁
Melanie
I just stumbled across this recipe and have already made it twice! These are so delicious and perfect. My family and I can’t get enough. Thanks!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Melanie! 🙂