Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Chocolate chip cookie bars are a sheet-pan version of the classic cookie, baked as a single thick layer and cut into squares. They have the chewy center and crisp edges of a good cookie, but come together faster and more reliably than individual cookies. The trick is baking them just until the edges set while the center stays soft.

Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Butter creams with sugar to trap air and give lift. Brown sugar adds moisture and chewiness, while granulated sugar helps the edges brown and crisp. Eggs bind the dough and add richness. Vanilla extract deepens the flavor. All-purpose flour gives structure without making the bars tough. Baking soda reacts with the brown sugar to spread the dough slightly and help it brown. Salt balances sweetness and strengthens the vanilla flavor. Chocolate chips are the main mix-in.

Why This Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Works

The bars start with creamed butter and both sugars, which incorporates air and helps them rise slightly in the oven. Eggs and vanilla go in next, creating a smooth batter. The dry ingredients are mixed in gently to avoid toughening the dough, then the chocolate chips are folded through.

In the oven, the edges set quickly while the center stays underbaked, which means it keeps cooking as it cools on the pan. This timing is what gives you crisp edges and a chewy middle. You pull them out when the edges look set but the very center still jiggles slightly.

Cooling in the pan is essential. The residual heat finishes cooking the center gently, and the bars firm up enough to cut cleanly without falling apart.

Mistakes To Avoid

Overmixing the dough after adding flour makes the bars tough and dense. Mix just until the dry ingredients disappear and you see no white streaks, then stop. A few lumps of flour will smooth out in the oven.

Baking too long turns the center cakey instead of chewy and dries out the whole pan. Pull them out when the edges are golden and set but the center still moves slightly when you shake the pan gently.

Cutting while the bars are hot causes them to crumble and fall apart. Let them cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes so they firm up enough to hold their shape when you cut them.

Using cold butter straight from the fridge means it will not cream properly with the sugar, leading to a dense, flat dough that does not rise or spread correctly in the oven.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (165 grams) packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups (255 grams) chocolate chips

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on two sides so you can lift the bars out later.
2. In a large bowl or with an electric mixer, beat the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides once halfway through.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl once.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or the mixer on low speed until just combined, about 20 to 30 seconds; stop while you still see a few dry streaks.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.
7. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan, pressing gently with your hands or an offset spatula so it reaches the corners.
8. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and set but the very center still jiggles slightly when you shake the pan gently.
9. Remove the pan from the oven and let the bars cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, or until they are completely cool and firm enough to cut cleanly.
10. Lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment overhang and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts if the chocolate sticks.