Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (Printer-friendly)

Rich, chewy bars loaded with gooey chocolate chips. Ready in 40 minutes, perfect for sharing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
05 - 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Add-ins

09 - 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk melted butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth.
04 - Add eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture; whisk until well combined.
05 - Gradually stir in the dry ingredients using a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined—do not overmix.
06 - Fold in chocolate chips evenly throughout the dough.
07 - Spread the dough evenly in the prepared pan and smooth the top.
08 - Bake for 22–25 minutes, or until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
09 - Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting out and cutting into bars.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The centers stay incredibly soft and chewy days after baking, unlike regular cookies that tend to harden up
  • One pan feeds a crowd without the endless rotation of multiple cookie sheets in the oven
02 -
  • Overmixed dough makes tough bars, so stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • The toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not clean—clean means they're overdone
03 -
  • Room temperature dough spreads more evenly, so let it sit for 10 minutes if it's been in the fridge
  • A sprinkle of flaky sea salt right before baking creates a sophisticated sweet-salty finish

Go Back