Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are a chewy, buttery dessert that’s easy to make and ideal for gatherings, lunchboxes, or a cozy night in. With common pantry ingredients and simple steps, you can have a pan of warm, chocolate-studded bars in under an hour.

The combination of sweet, buttery dough and rich chocolate chips is hard to resist. These bars make it easy to serve cookie flavor by the square—cut them large for sharing or small for bite-sized treats.

Making Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Start by lining an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Lining the pan makes removing the bars easy and gives cleaner edges; foil works as a second option, but non-stick sprays or greasing alone are less reliable.

Begin the dough by melting the butter and letting it cool slightly while you prepare the other ingredients. In a medium bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, corn starch, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl combine the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the melted butter and mix until smooth, then fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture to form the cookie-bar batter.

Reserve about 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips for topping. Stir the remaining chips into the batter until evenly distributed. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the reserved chips evenly across the top for a pretty, chocolatey finish.

Baking

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the bars for 34–38 minutes. They are done when the top is golden brown. Because melted chocolate can coat a toothpick, the usual toothpick test can be misleading; look for a firm, golden top and slightly pulling away edges as good indicators.

Cooling and Serving

Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan so they set before cutting. If you prefer to serve them warm—especially topped with ice cream—note that they will be softer and more gooey, similar to a hot fruit pie, and will not hold perfectly neat squares. For clean-cut squares, refrigerate the pan briefly before slicing.

Store the cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. They also freeze well—wrap individual squares or the whole slab tightly for longer storage.

Recipe Details

Servings: 16

Prep time: 15 mins • Cook time: 35 mins • Cooling time: 1 hr • Total time: about 1 hr 50 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. corn starch
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (reserve about 1/4 cup for the top)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Melt the butter in a small bowl and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Stir in the melted butter until incorporated.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a cohesive dough forms.
6. Reserve 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips, then stir the remaining chips into the batter. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared dish and sprinkle the reserved chips on top.
7. Bake for 34–38 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely so the bars can set before cutting. Serve and enjoy.

Notes and Variations

Semi-sweet chocolate chips can be swapped for milk, dark, white chocolate, or flavored chips. Add-ins such as chopped nuts, toffee bits, or M&Ms work well. For chewier bars, avoid overbaking; for crisper edges, bake a minute or two longer. Refrigerating briefly before slicing will produce neater pieces.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 367 kcal | Carbohydrates: 48 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 18 g | Saturated Fat: 11 g | Sugar: 30 g | Sodium: 219 mg

More Recipes and Inspiration

• Chocolate Cutout Cookies
• Chocolate Oat Bars
• German Chocolate Chip Squares
• Classic German Chocolate Cake
• Orange Cream Cheese Bars
• Zucchini Dessert Bars
• Peanut Butter Brownie Bars
• Brown Sugar Praline Cookies
• Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

Explore other dessert recipes in the desserts category for more ideas.