Satisfy your sweet tooth with these irresistible chocolate chip cookie bars! This easy dessert has a perfect balance of gooey centers, crispy edges, and puddles of melted chocolate.
The gooey center, the crackling golden top, the melty chocolate chips – these chocolate chip cookie bars are almost too good to be true! Incredibly easy to whip up, an instant crowd-pleaser, and the perfect shareable dessert for any occasion.
Why you’ll fall in love with these cookie bars
- Customizable.The base recipe is a blank canvas ready to be stuffed with your favorite add-ins.
- Perfectly Portable. These bars are great for picnics, lunchboxes, or an on-the-go car treat.
- Versatile. Whether it’s a summer BBQ, school bake sale, or holiday feast, these cookie bars will always impress.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter – using unsalted butter allows you to control the salt content. If salted butter is used, simply reduce the added salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
- Brown Sugar – light or dark brown sugar is fine, but dark adds a deeper, molasses flavor.
- Eggs – be sure to use room temperature large eggs. They’re easier to mix and will result in a smoother batter.
- Vanilla Extract – enhances the flavors and adds that classic, sweet flavor.
- All Purpose Flour – spoon and leveled for accurate measurements. Too much flour will lead to a dry bar that crumbles when cut.
- Instant Pudding Mix – our secret ingredient that adds moisture and depth of flavor. We prefer vanilla, but feel free to use your favorite flavor!
- Salt – balances the sweetness and enhances the other flavors in the bar.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – our leavening agents that help the bars rise.
- Chocolate Chips – milk, dark, or semi-sweet. Experiment with different chips to find the one you love best.
- Maldon Sea Salt – enhances the sweet flavor and adds a little crunch.
How to make
- Preheat the oven and prepare the baking pan.
- Beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy using a hand mixer if you have one.
- Add in the dry ingredients, beat until combined, then stir in most of the chocolate chips.
- Press dough into the pan, sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips, and bake until golden and mostly set.
- Cool, slice, and enjoy!
Variations
- Use different mix-ins. Try adding nuts, dried fruit, or different types of baking chips for a fun flavor twist.
- Add in a swirl. Swirl in some peanut butter or Nutella before baking for an extra gooey surprise.
- Play around with pudding. Try vanilla, pistachio, chocolate, and more!
Tips for perfect cookie bars every time
- Measure correctly. Make sure to measure your ingredients correctly for the best results. It’s especially important to not over-measure your flour, which can lead to a very crumbly bar.
- Avoid overmixing. Over-mixing your batter can make your bars tough.
- Let cool. Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling.
How to store
Leftovers can be stored in a sealed airtight container for up to a week at room temperature, in the fridge for 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To enjoy again, microwave individual bars for 10-20 seconds from the fridge or 30-60 seconds from frozen.
– Jennifer
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Satisfy your sweet tooth with these irresistible chocolate chip cookie bars! This easy dessert has a perfect balance of gooey centers, crispy edges, and puddles of melted chocolate.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 16 bars
Equipment for this recipe
(equipment shown are affiliate links)
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 ¼ cups brown sugar packed (light or dark is fine)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour spoon and leveled
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant pudding mix we like vanilla
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 (12 oz) bag chocolate chips of choice reserve some for topping
- Maldon sea salt optional for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, grease an 8x8 non-stick square baking pan with cooking spray, then line it with a parchment paper sling. Set aside.
- Place melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla into a large bowl, then use a hand mixer to beat together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add in flour, pudding mix, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, beat until combined, then stir in the chocolate chips (reserving a handful or so for topping).
- Press the cookie dough into the prepared pan, top with the remaining chocolate chips, then bake for 30-45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out *mostly* clean.
- Sprinkle with maldon sea salt, if desired, then allow to cool in the pan for 1 hour, before slicing into bars and enjoying!
- Take 5 seconds to either rate this recipe below and/or PIN it. We greatly appreciate it!
STORING
Room Temp:1 Week
Refrigerator:2 Weeks
Freezer:3 Months
Reheat:Microwave to warm
*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Amount Per Serving (1 bar)
Calories 387 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 14g88%
Trans Fat 0.5g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 54mg18%
Sodium 312mg14%
Potassium 218mg6%
Carbohydrates 50g17%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 29g32%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 390IU8%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 100mg10%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Keywords: cookie bars with chocolate chips, easy cookie bars, homemade cookie bars, soft and chewy cookie bars