Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars: An Easy & Delicious Dessert Recipe

Craving a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie but don’t want the fuss of scooping and baking individual cookies? Then chocolate chip cookie bars are your answer! This recipe delivers all the comforting flavors of classic chocolate chip cookies in an easy-to-make, shareable form. They’re perfect for potlucks, bake sales, or simply satisfying your sweet tooth on a weeknight. Forget meticulously rolling out dough – these bars come together quickly and easily, making them a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. This recipe produces bars that are perfectly chewy, slightly soft in the middle, and packed with chocolate chips. Get ready to experience chocolate chip cookie bliss in bar form!

## Why You’ll Love This Recipe

* **Easy to Make:** No chilling, no scooping, just mix, press, and bake!
* **Quick:** From start to finish, you can have these bars ready in under an hour.
* **Perfectly Chewy:** The secret ingredient for that signature chewy texture.
* **Customizable:** Easily adaptable to your favorite mix-ins and dietary preferences.
* **Shareable:** Perfect for parties, gatherings, or gifting to friends and family.

## Ingredients You’ll Need

Before you get started, gather these essential ingredients:

* **All-Purpose Flour:** The base of our cookie bars, providing structure and texture.
* **Baking Soda:** Helps the bars rise and creates a soft, chewy texture.
* **Salt:** Enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients.
* **Unsalted Butter:** Use softened butter for easy mixing and a rich, buttery flavor. Make sure it’s properly softened, but not melted. You should be able to press into it easily with your finger, leaving a slight indentation.
* **Granulated Sugar:** Adds sweetness and helps create a crispy edge.
* **Brown Sugar:** The key to chewy cookie bars! It adds moisture and a caramel-like flavor. Light or dark brown sugar can be used, but dark brown sugar will result in a slightly more intense flavor and a chewier texture.
* **Eggs:** Binds the ingredients together and adds richness and moisture. Use large eggs at room temperature for best results.
* **Vanilla Extract:** Enhances the flavor and adds a warm, comforting aroma.
* **Chocolate Chips:** The star of the show! Use your favorite type of chocolate chips – semi-sweet, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or a combination.

## Equipment You’ll Need

* **9×13 Inch Baking Pan:** This is the standard size for cookie bars.
* **Parchment Paper:** Lining the pan with parchment paper makes it easy to lift the bars out after baking and prevents sticking. Make sure to leave an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
* **Mixing Bowls:** You’ll need at least two mixing bowls – one for dry ingredients and one for wet ingredients.
* **Electric Mixer:** A stand mixer or hand mixer will make the mixing process much easier. If you don’t have an electric mixer, you can mix the ingredients by hand, but it will require more effort.
* **Measuring Cups and Spoons:** For accurate measurements.
* **Rubber Spatula:** For scraping the sides of the bowl and folding in the chocolate chips.

## Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these detailed instructions to bake perfect chocolate chip cookie bars every time:

**Step 1: Preheat and Prep**

* Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Make sure your oven is properly calibrated for accurate baking.
* Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides. This will make it easy to lift the bars out after baking.

**Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients**

* In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisking ensures that the ingredients are evenly distributed.

**Step 3: Cream Butter and Sugars**

* In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This usually takes 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer. Proper creaming is essential for creating a light and airy texture.

**Step 4: Add Eggs and Vanilla**

* Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Make sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. This helps prevent the batter from curdling.
* Stir in the vanilla extract.

**Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients**

* Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter, as this can result in tough bars. Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears.

**Step 6: Stir in Chocolate Chips**

* Fold in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula. Distribute the chocolate chips evenly throughout the batter.

**Step 7: Press into Pan**

* Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared baking pan. You can use your hands or the back of a spoon to spread the dough.

**Step 8: Bake**

* Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set. The bars should be slightly soft in the middle but not jiggly. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs attached.

**Step 9: Cool and Cut**

* Let the bars cool completely in the pan before lifting them out using the parchment paper overhang. Cooling completely prevents the bars from crumbling when you cut them.
* Cut into squares and serve. Enjoy!

## Tips for Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

* **Use Room Temperature Ingredients:** Using room temperature butter and eggs helps them emulsify properly, resulting in a smoother batter and a better texture.
* **Don’t Overmix:** Overmixing the batter can develop the gluten in the flour, resulting in tough bars. Mix until just combined.
* **Measure Flour Accurately:** Too much flour can make the bars dry. Use the spoon and level method to measure your flour accurately. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level it off with a knife.
* **Don’t Overbake:** Overbaking will result in dry, crumbly bars. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the center is just set.
* **Let Cool Completely:** Letting the bars cool completely before cutting prevents them from crumbling. This also allows the flavors to develop fully.
* **Experiment with Mix-ins:** Add nuts, pretzels, M&Ms, or other candies to customize your cookie bars.
* **Use High-Quality Chocolate Chips:** Using high-quality chocolate chips will make a big difference in the flavor of your bars. Look for chocolate chips with a high cocoa percentage.

## Variations and Substitutions

* **Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:** Add ½ cup of peanut butter to the wet ingredients for a delicious peanut butter twist. You can also swirl peanut butter on top of the batter before baking.
* **Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:** Substitute ½ cup of all-purpose flour with ½ cup of rolled oats for a chewier, heartier bar.
* **White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Bars:** Substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips with white chocolate chips and add ½ cup of chopped macadamia nuts.
* **Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:** Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in place of regular all-purpose flour. Make sure the blend contains xanthan gum for binding.
* **Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:** Substitute the butter with vegan butter, the eggs with flax eggs (1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal mixed with 3 tablespoons of water per egg), and use vegan chocolate chips.
* **Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:** Use a combination of semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips, or add cocoa powder to the batter for a richer chocolate flavor. About ¼ cup of cocoa powder should do the trick. Decrease the flour by the same amount.
* **Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:** Drizzle salted caramel sauce over the bars after baking and sprinkle with sea salt.

## Serving Suggestions

* **Warm with Ice Cream:** Serve warm chocolate chip cookie bars with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a decadent dessert.
* **With a Glass of Milk:** A classic pairing! Enjoy these bars with a cold glass of milk.
* **In a Dessert Board:** Add cookie bars to a dessert board with other sweet treats like brownies, cupcakes, and fruit.
* **As a Snack:** These bars are perfect for a quick and easy snack any time of day.
* **Pack in Lunches:** Cookie bars are a great addition to lunchboxes for a sweet treat.

## Storage Instructions

* **Store at Room Temperature:** Store the cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
* **Freeze:** For longer storage, freeze the bars in an airtight container for up to 2-3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.

## Troubleshooting

* **Bars are too dry:** Make sure you are measuring the flour accurately and not overbaking the bars. Adding a tablespoon or two of milk to the batter can also help.
* **Bars are too greasy:** You may have used too much butter or the butter was too soft. Make sure the butter is softened, but not melted.
* **Bars are too crumbly:** You may have overmixed the batter or not used enough binding agents (eggs). Make sure to mix until just combined and use the correct amount of eggs.
* **Bars are too hard:** You may have overbaked the bars or used too much sugar. Reduce the baking time and use slightly less sugar in the next batch.
* **Bars are not chewy enough:** Make sure you are using brown sugar, as it is key to a chewy texture. You can also try adding a tablespoon of molasses to the batter.

## Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe

**Yields:** 16-24 bars
**Prep Time:** 15 minutes
**Cook Time:** 25-30 minutes

**Ingredients:**

* 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
* ¾ cup granulated sugar
* ¾ cup packed brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups chocolate chips

**Instructions:**

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Press the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set.
9. Let the bars cool completely in the pan before lifting them out using the parchment paper overhang.
10. Cut into squares and serve.

Enjoy these easy and delicious chocolate chip cookie bars! They’re perfect for any occasion and sure to be a hit with everyone.