This foolproof recipe has everything you love about your favorite homemade chocolate chip cookies, but baked in a 9×13 pan and no mixer or chilling of the dough needed! An extra egg yolk and brown sugar leads to their soft and chewy texture, and each bite is full of rich butter flavor and loaded with chocolate chips. Whenever I show up with this treat at a potluck or family gathering, these bars are the first thing to disappear!
My Family’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dream-Come-True. In One pan!
There’s nothing like a warm-from-the-oven, soft and chewy homemade chocolate chip cookie. For me, just the thought of it brings a flood of memories — of baking cookies with Mom and my sisters on the farm, and sharing them with family and friends. Mom was never without some CCC’s stashed away in the big chest freezer. And my friends were well aware of that fact, with regular requests for “Barb’s chocolate chip cookies”.
Well, fast-forward a few decades and having a family of my own. Life got real full, real fast.
So my goal became this: a bars recipe that is quicker, easier, and 1000% reliable, with rich butter flavor and soft, chewy texture. Isn’t that just so “Midwest” of me? I adore bars recipes!
The secret to this recipe’s craveworthy success is in the combination of melted butter, an extra egg yolk, and more brown sugar than white sugar (I will never, ever make a chocolate chip cookie that does not include the moistness and deeper molasses flavor of brown sugar!).
Each one of these ingredients unlocks its own individual moist qualities, and when combined with the classic ingredients of a truly great chocolate chip cookie — to include really good chocolate (Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips are my favorite) — this recipe is a soft and chewy force to be reckoned with.
These bars have now become my own family’s go-to. Our oldest daughter Hatti even requested this to be her “birthday cake” one year instead of my mom’s ultimate fudgy brownies, her other favorite. She’s awesome like that, not concerned about following the any birthday cake rules, only asking for what she wants!
“I’ve made these several times now and they are excellent, just excellent! They are a hit with everyone! Easy and over-the-top good!”
—Melody
baking soda is key to the chewy texture
Yes, this is a common baking ingredient, but I love what it does to these bars! You see, when baking soda mixes with brown sugar (which has acid from the molasses), it releases little bursts of carbon dioxide gas (our youngest daughter Tessa would appreciate this little bit of nerdy science as she’s currently in year 2 of her bio-chem degree). This causes the pan of bars to puff up slightly while it’s baking, then sink a bit as it cools. Which is GOOD – this helps to give you that incredible dense, chewy center.
OH, AND ONE LAST THING: DO NOT OVER-BAKE!
Yes, that’s my yelling voice! If your goal is to have the softest, chewiest chocolate chip cookie bars on the planet, it’s VERY IMPORTANT to not over-bake. I’d even go so far as to say, for the ultimate soft bars, slightly under-bake them!
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (no mixer!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, gently melted and then cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus a bit more for sprinkling over the top of the dough (I recommend Guittard semisweet chocolate chips)
- sea salt flakes, optional for sprinkling over the top (I recommend Maldon Sea Salt Flakes)
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly spray a 9" x 13" metal baking pan with non-stick spray. For super clean cuts, see Notes below.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and sugar until combined. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and whisk until well combined.
- With a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. When about half-way combined, add chocolate chips and continue to fold until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Transfer dough to prepared pan. Dough will be thick and sticky. Press evenly into pan using a spatula and/or your fingertips. See Notes below for more pressing tips.
- If desired, sprinkle a few more chocolate chips over the top, pressing them in a bit. It's also fun to sprinkle M&M's over the top – the mini M&M's are our first choice!
- Bake for about 23 minutes or so, or until top is light golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. For the chewiest bars, do not over-bake. I even recommend to slightly under-bake!
- Remove pan to wire cooling rack. Optional: Sprinkle some sea salt flakes over the top IMMEDIATELY (so they stick) after the pan comes out of the oven.
- Let cool to room temperature and then cut into individual bars.
Notes
- Other chocolate. Try milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white chocolate chips — or a combination. Or chop up your favorite dark chocolate bar for a more indulgent adultified treat.
- Candies. Our daughters like to sprinkle mini M&M’s over the top.
- Nuts. Throw in some chopped walnuts or pecans for some nutty crunch. I recommend using roasted, salted nuts for the best flavor and texture.
- Counter – To preserve the soft texture, leave the cooled bars in the pan, covered tightly, and store them on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Fridge – Store the bars in the pan, covered tightly, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer – Place bars in an airtight, freezer-safe container, then store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the bars in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition Information:
For the memory book: This photo was taken while staying with my sister’s family in Florida in 2019, when we celebrated our daughter Hatti’s and my dad’s shared birthday with – yes, you guessed it – these chewy chocolate chip cookie bars!
Why not a glass pan? I don’t have a metal one.
From what I know, when people have had any issues with this recipe, saying it’s underbaked or they had to increase the baking time from my instructions, it’s because they are using glass pans. So just know that before you start, that you may need to increase the bake time. And please report back, I’d truly love to hear back from you with your use of a glass pan!! :)
I remember reading that when using a glass pan, decrease the temp. by 25 degrees.
I think this is one of the best cookie bar recipes I’ve ever tried! I halved the recipe & used one whole egg & baked in a metal loaf pan. Also used half semi-sweet chocolate chips & half butterscotch chips. Gooey, chewy, deliciousness! My new go-to recipe from now on – thank you!
Very good cookie bar ! Everyone enjoyed it !!
Hi, I love these bars but I’m having to add about 7-8 more minutes to the recipe which says 23. Have you heard other bakers say the same thing? Thanks!
Hi Kathy, I’m happy to hear you like these bars! – There have been a few comments about this, but it’s not a common comment. First, everyone’s ovens and heat are different. Second I would ask what kind of pan you are using. I always use a metal pan, never bake over 23 minutes, and the bars are perfectly set while still being soft and chewy – and I’m not even kidding when I say we make this recipe at least once a month! I believe that some of the issue comes from using something other than a metal pan. And lastly, I would just make sure that the recipe’s ingredients, quantities, and instructions are being followed.
I live for this recipe!!! Everyone that taste this cookie bars love them!! I was wondering, do you think this will be okey if I freeze them?
Hi! I’ve made this dozens of times already, they are a HUGE hit in my house. I’m making them again for my sons birthday but was thinking of making it into a 9in round layered cookie cake with icing between… any recommendations/thoughts on cooking times? thanks!
I loved these. Took the hint and slightly undercooked. I only used 1/2 bag chips any family loved them.
These were easy to make and taste outrageously good. Yum!!!
These are outrageously good!!! Unfortunately, that means more time at the gym.
I’ve made these twice! Soooo good! I use one bag of dark chocolate chips.
I made these on Sunday morning and they were a hit. So easy and quick to pull together. The sprinkle of salt was a nice touch on top. My family loved them. Thanks for a great recipe!
Yum!
Made the bar cookies yesterday. My clan wiped out 3/4 of the pan in one sitting! Not only do they taste great but they are so easy to make. Will definitely be keeping this recipe handy.
These turned out awesome! Thank you- this will be my new go-to recipe for take along treats.
These are sooo easy and sooo good! My coworkers loved them! Then I whipped up another batch tonight with no notice to bring to the hospital for a close friend who’s sister was in a very bad car accident. Brought her comfort. I think 2 cups of chocolate chips is a bit too much so in the future I will do 1 to 1.5 cups. To each their own though!!!
If I want to make them into huge cookies instead of cookie bar, how long should I pop these into the oven? My SO loves these bars, trying to tweak them into stuffed cookies. Thanks!
If I am only using half the ingredients how long should I bake??
I’ve made this recipe now twice this week! I first made it for my husband and I. & Today, just put one in the oven for a friends birthday. Awesome recipe, thank you. I also substituted 1/3 of the flour for whole wheat flour to lessen the guilt
Made this tonight. I did use a glass pan with parchment paper. Turned out great! The best chewy cookie with a little crunch.. husband added ice cream and rediwhip and he thought he was at a bakery.