Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
These super soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie bars are easy (one bowl!) and so delicious! The perfect fix for that chocolate chip cookie craving.
This is one of those recipes where I think it would be best for me to probably zip my lips and let the pictures, simple recipe, and prior reputation do the talking.

But…since I have an inability to stay quiet when there are important things (ok, anything) to say, you won’t get off quite that easy.
Apparently I consider decadent, chewy, chocolate chip cookie bars to be firmly in the “important” category, because I can’t stop talking about these perfect little blondies.
And if you’ve made them, I think you’ll probably agree with me.
This recipe has lived on my site for a long time (since 2010!), and they continue to be a staple treat recipe for us. The only change I’ve made over the years is to streamline the recipe a bit to make them one-bowl and even easier.
I’m not going to sit here and say that there’s no place in the world for good, old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies. I’d be turning my back on some pretty fabulous recipes if I did so:
Super Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
But there’s definitely a time and a reason to go for the quick and easy bar cookie.
And with chocolate chip cookie bars this delicious, you may find that you’re making them way more often than even your most favorite go-to cookie recipe (no scooping! no multiple baking sheets! no risk of eating all the cookie dough before the last batch of cookies bakes!).
In the interest of full disclosure, my kids whip up these easy chocolate chip cookie bars more often than I do. Even my 9-year old can get them in the oven quickly and relatively painlessly (it’s the cleaning up that inspires lots of juvenile angst).
And bonus: a recipe this classic and this easy is open to some flavor swaps with the chocolate chips. And M&M’s on top? A really, really good decision.
Brian waxes poetic when I live on the edge and throw in some butterscotch chips. But if anyone dares swap out my beloved dark chocolate chips for milk chocolate chips or (gasp!) white chocolate chips, I tend to lose all sense of right and wrong and say things I’ll regret later.
I’ll let you make your own decisions about which chocolate chip feels eternally right, and I even promise to try and be an adult about it just as long as your white chocolate doesn’t get too close to my cookie bars. 🙂
Also, if you’re looking for a delicious oatmeal cookie bar variation, here are two I love:
Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars
One Year Ago: Instant Pot Indian Vegetable Rice
Two Years Ago: Doubletree Hotel Copycat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Three Years Ago: Sweet Molasses Bread {Restaurant Knock-off}
Four Years Ago: Baked Shrimp and Orzo with Feta Cheese
Five Years Ago: Italian Lasagna Rolls
Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons (170 g) salted butter, 1 1/2 sticks, melted and cooled slightly
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (212 g) light brown sugar
- ½ (106 g) cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (298 g) all purpose flour
- 2 cups (340 g) chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, semisweet, bittersweet, milk, white, peanut butter…the options are endless!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch so you can grab those edges and pull the brownies from the pan after they have baked. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, salt and baking soda together until well combined. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and stir until evenly combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well.
- Add the flour. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon start folding the flour into the wet ingredients. After a few stirs (with streaks of flour remaining), add the chocolate chips or chocolate chunks and mix until combined. Don’t overmix, just stir until no dry streaks remain (sometimes I use my hands as the dough gets thick).
- Press the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake until the bars are light golden brown on the edges, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 24-28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Cook’s Illustrated
Made these last night for a weekly community group we do in our neighborhood. I was told I had to bring these next week, and to please double the batch. So easy to make and turned out exactly as pictured above. Gotta love a recipe like that! Thanks!!
Sarah – glad these were such a hit…sounds like you’ve made yourself a reputation to always have these in hand!
I just got done baking these — my 17 yr. old daughter and 11 year old son both love these! (and I am also enjoying them with a glass of milk!)
When I tried making these in the past the middles always tasted undercooked….I don’t have that problem with this recipe. Maybe it has something to do with baking them on the lower middle oven rack. Thanks!
Bobbi – glad your kids loved these bars! Thanks for letting me know.
I came across your blog from another yesterday & found this recipe. What a coincidence that I have all the ingredients in my house 🙂 Made them as soon as I got home & they are outstanding!!!!
Thanks SO much for sharing!!!
Heather – welcome! And I’m thrilled that your first recipe try was one you loved. Thanks for letting me know!
I just cut a batch of these and OH MY are they good..the BEST bars ever..I have tried a LOT of them, including the ones on the bag, and THESE, for some reason, are the best… :o) YUM!
Diana – so glad you’ve found the best bar recipe! Thanks for letting me know.
These are amazing! I made them with M&M’s and I can’t stop making them over and over again! I’ll never bother with regular cookies again. These are so darn easy to whip together! Thanks for the fantastic recipe.
Lizzy – so glad you liked these, thanks for checking in to let me know!
Thanks for this recipe. I hate making individual cookies. They make you a slave to the oven and timer. Also like this because i always have all the ingredients in house. I buy butter,eggs, brown sugar and chocolate chips in large quantities from Costco or Sam’s .
Made these and took them to a gathering. Good thing I took them somewhere because I would’ve ended up eating them all by myself. They were delicious. Thanks for the great recipe.
Carmen – thanks for letting me know you liked these bars! They are perfect for gatherings/potlucks.
Made these and loved them, thanks! I too struggle with blondies and these were easy peesy! I just did 1 cup of dark choc chips and loved them – though I think my hubby would have liked a few more chips. These are my new go to blondies – been searching for this kind of recipe so feeling very happy you shared it with us!
Thanks, Jenny!
Fantastic! They’re buttery and a perfect chewy bar!
Danielle – I’m excited to know the white wheat flour worked so well. I use it a lot, also. And I agree, ice cream on these babies would be heavenly!
I almost forgot, a little vanilla ice cream and these bars while they are still warm would be absolute heaven!
I made these Sunday when we needed a little something sweet. I also used white wheat flour, which I love to use in baking. They were just wonderful. I spent most of Monday “evening-out” the edges.
i made these and took them still warm to our new neighbours! fabby – thanks!
scrappysue – so glad these were a perfect hit with the neighbors. Still warm = big yum, in my book!
Marie – I'm loving all these recent comments with people using white wheat flour. Yay! Thanks for your comment, it means a lot that you like my blog. Thanks for letting me know!
Wow, these are AWESOME! I used white wheat flour instead, lowered the sugar by 1/4 cup for each, used 1 cup chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup walnuts and it was still yummy! We loved it; definitely a keeper. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe! I can’t wait to try more recipes from your site! It’s my favorite out of all the food blogs I visit.
Kara – thanks for letting me know!
Lori – thank you for your nice comment! I’m so glad that you have enjoyed the recipes…if you ever start a food blog, be sure to let me know…I’ll be a follower for sure!
I had to run and make these over the weekend and boy, were they delish! and it was easy! I have seriously lost count of all the recipes I’ve tried from your blog. Sometimes, I consider creating a food blog, but all I would have is a link to your blog! 🙂
Thank you!
I made the bars, and everyone loved them!
Kara
Jschmalle – how did they turn out??
Sweet Baker Babes – so glad you liked these and that they helped with the unmotivation to bake – they certainly help with mine!
Thanks for a fantastic recipe!! I think they tasted better than most regular chocolate chip cookies, and so much easier!! I too just returned from a trip less than a week ago and was feeling so unmotivated, this was the perfect recipe to get me out of my baking funk!
Ooooo, these are in the oven right now! I can’t wait to eat em.
Ann – yum, I think the butterscotch chips would be delightful in these!
SBShell – glad you liked these – thanks for letting me know!
Jessanna – I had my fourth baby when my oldest was only five, too, so I know how you are probably feeling and I’m glad you commented! Thank you!
Made these last night. They are AWESOME. So much easier than making individual cookies (yes I am that lazy LOL!)
Thanks and awesome blog.
these look very familiar to me, melanie. they also look like they have the perfect texture for a hearty snack. lovely execution, and hey–good luck in getting things back into ship-shape!
I made these tonight. Mine did take a little longer to bake, but only about 30 minutes total.
I used half chocolate chips and half butterscotch chips. Amazing.
Perfect recipe for tonight. Thanks!
I’ve made something similar to this, too! I know these bars are really good.
EBPitcher – thanks for checking in to let me know that these came out ok. Also, thanks for weighing on the time in case someone else has a question about it (not sure why they took so much longer).
Erin – I’m glad to have a comment so quickly from someone who has made these! Thanks for letting me know they hit the spot on your cloudy day!
Oh man those look fantastic!!! Good luck with getting back in gear with life, I know how that goes!
I saw this post and since I was in need of making something for a school function, I whipped them up today. I just wasn’t sure when they were done, though. 28 minutes ahd past and they still seemed jiggly in the middle. So I ended up baking them for a total of 38 minutes. They are very good!
So glad you said that! I’m making these for a work lunch and just checked them and they seemed a bit on the squishy side. Going to try the 38 minutes
I love, love, love chocolate chip cookie bars. These look delicious.
Thanks for the great recipe! My family loves bar cookies.
I have a question–how do you do a link for printable versions? My mom does a recipe blog and wants to know how to do that. 🙂 Thank you!
(You don’t know me, but I’ve been following your blog forever; I hope that’s okay! My sisters kept recommending your recipes!)
I have been looking for a recipe for cookies bars like this. I can’t wait to try it.
hey girl, I just recently found your blog (actually a friend who lives across country sent me the link to your amaaazing baked past with chicken sausage recipe:) Any ways I’m a recent mother of 4- ages almost 5 to 2 months- and just had to share how your blog-and ultimately YOU inspire me!! Thanks for sharing the goods!!
Jessanna
YUM! I may have to go to the store yet tonight to pick up some chocolate chips. These look perfect! Thanks!
Ok, right after I hit the “publish your comment” button I saw someone had already suggested that. Oops, I guess I should have read the comments first. Maybe that means it is an extra good idea. 🙂 -Liz K.
These would make a fun and easy dessert for Valentines day. They would be so yummy cut out into a heart shape. My kids would love a heart shaped chocolate chip cookie with a scoop of ice cream on top! Yep, I just decided these are going on the menu for Valentines day. Now I just have to think of the perfect dinner to serve that day. Thanks for the easy idea.
this looks like the perfect pick-me-up! good luck my friend!
this is my kind of cookie… EASY! =)
I just made these because they looked so good. (For some reason they just called my name and I happened to have everything I needed on hand.) Really easy (didn’t even need to get my mixer out,) and really, REALLY good! Hit the spot on a cold cloudy day! Thanks Melanie!!
These are totally Delish! I strongly recomend these!!
Ahhh yes…all hell breaks loose when us Moms leave the house. Makes me wonder if they would ever survive without us!!
Sometimes I get home from a trip and think, “was that really worth it?”. It’s so much work for the mom!
I think I’ll hurry and make these up so they are warm when the kiddos get home from school.
I just fainted. Cookie bars are my serious weakness!
I struggle with blondies–they fall and are gooey in the middle. But I will keep trying, these look great.
These look great! But honestly, I really think you need to try the ones from my blog – Bugs Bunny Bars. They beat out any other chocolate chip cookie bar in my mind. 🙂
http://whatmegansmaking.blogspot.com/2009/02/bugs-bunny-bars.html
With Valentine’s coming up, one could use a heart shaped cookie cutter on this bar.
Whatever your troubles are, I’m praying they will be short lived. Keep this in your mind: This To Shall Pass
I have a very similar recipe that came off the bag of the choc chips. I love them. Will definitely try out this recipe.