Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Chocolate chip cookie bars pack all the buttery, chocolatey goodness of cookies into one easy recipe. Each soft, chewy bar is filled with melted chocolate chips and tastes amazing with cold milk or coffee.

Ready in under an hour and made in one pan, these bars are perfect for sharing with friends or enjoying at home. The optional walnuts add extra crunch, making them even more irresistible.

I love having a batch of these cookie bars ready to go when friends drop by. The recipe is so much quicker than making individual cookies - just spread the dough in the pan and you're done!

I usually cut them into squares right after they've cooled a bit, while the chocolate is still slightly melted. Sometimes I'll warm them up for a few seconds in the microwave to bring back that fresh-baked taste. My kids love them in their lunch boxes, and they're always the first thing to disappear at bake sales.

These bars are also amazing with vanilla ice cream on top. I like to add the optional walnuts for extra crunch.

Ingredient Notes

See the printable recipe card below for all ingredients, specific measurements, and complete instructions.

• Butter: Room temperature butter is key for even mixing. I use unsalted butter to control the salt level - if using salted butter, just cut the added salt in half.
• Brown and White Sugar: The mix of both sugars keeps these bars soft and adds great flavor. Dark or light brown sugar both work well here.
• Eggs: Room-temperature eggs blend better, but cold eggs will work if you're short on time. Just mix them in well.
• Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are my go-to, but milk chocolate or dark chocolate work great, too. You can even chop up your favorite chocolate bar instead.
• Flour: Regular all-purpose flour gives these bars their perfect texture. Make sure to measure it correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off.
• Walnuts: These are completely optional, but add nice crunch. You could swap them for pecans if you prefer.
• Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract brings out all the flavors. It's worth using real vanilla rather than imitation here.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These help the bars rise just enough to be soft but not cakey. Make sure they're fresh for the best results.

If you love cookie bars, you might like these delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars, Brookie Bars, and S'mores Cookie Bars.

How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. This prevents the cookie bars from sticking and makes cleanup easier.

First, let's get the butter and sugar ready. Add your room-temperature butter to the mixing bowl. If your butter isn't quite soft enough, use the paddle attachment to mix it until it softens up. Once soft, switch to the whisk attachment and add both sugars. Beat these together until the mixture looks light and the sugar is almost dissolved.

Next, come the wet ingredients. Add the eggs and vanilla, then beat everything for about 2 minutes. The mixture should look fluffy and the sugar should be completely dissolved by this point.

In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Now, gradually add this dry mixture to your wet ingredients, about a third at a time. This helps everything mix evenly without making a mess.

Once the dough comes together, fold in the chocolate chips using a spatula. If you're using walnuts, add those last. The dough will be thick and loaded with chocolate chips - exactly what we want.

Spread the dough onto your prepared baking sheet. Here's a helpful tip: spray your spatula with cooking spray or place a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough to help spread it evenly without sticking.

Bake the bars for 25 minutes or until the top turns golden brown. Let them cool for about 10 minutes before cutting into squares. The chocolate will be melted and gooey at first but will set up nicely as the bars cool.

Make-Ahead, Storing and Freezing

Make-Ahead: The cookie dough can be mixed up and spread in the pan a day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.

Store: Keep these chocolate chip cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Place wax paper or parchment between layers if you need to stack them to prevent sticking.

Freeze: These bars freeze really well! Once they're completely cool, wrap them individually in plastic wrap or place them in a freezer bag with parchment paper between layers. They'll stay fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature whenever you're ready for a treat.

Substitutions and Variations

• Mix up the chocolate. Try dark and milk chocolate chips together, or chop up your favorite chocolate bar instead of using chips.
• Add different nuts. Swap the walnuts for pecans, toasted almonds, or macadamia nuts for a new twist.
• Make them extra rich. Sprinkle some sea salt on top before baking, or drizzle melted chocolate over the cooled bars.
• Try other mix-ins. Add M&Ms, toffee bits, or white chocolate chips along with the regular chocolate chips.

Recipe Tips

• Use room-temperature butter and eggs for the best texture. If you forgot to take them out early, place the eggs in warm water for 5 minutes and cut the butter into small pieces to speed up softening.
• Don't overbake the bars - they'll continue cooking slightly as they cool. Take them out when the top is golden brown but still looks slightly soft.
• The dough will be thick when spreading it in the pan. Using cooking spray on your spatula or placing parchment paper on top makes spreading much easier.
• Let the bars cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting. This gives them time to set up and makes cutting cleaner and easier.
• When adding the dry ingredients to the wet, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the bars tough instead of soft and chewy.

These chocolate chip cookie bars bring all the comfort of homemade cookies with half the work. Warm from the oven or packed in a lunch box, they're guaranteed to make everyone smile. Pour a glass of cold milk and enjoy!