Chocolate Cookie Chip Bars - Easy & Addictive! - That Skinny Chick Can Bake (2024)

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posted by Liz Berg

on April 2, 2020 (updated 5/4/24)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars made with pantry ingredients are an effortless way for a chocolate chip cookie fix. Simple enough for a beginning baker!

No scooping, one bowl, one pan all make these Cookie Bars the perfect solution when time is short or kids are underfoot! Add your favorite chips, nuts, dried fruit (though my kids would revolt!) or even toffee chips to shake things up.

Why You Must Make

• They’re perfect for the times you don’t have time to make individual cookies.
• These chewy chocolate chip cookie bars have the exact flavors of your favorite chocolate chip cookies!
• They became a family favorite from the first time I made them. They dubbed them “chippy bars.”

This pan cookie recipe came from pure laziness. My family (my husband being the band leader) adores chocolate chip cookies. But when our 3 children were young, I didn’t always have time to make cookies. Scooping, baking, cooling, repeating. A bit of a pain with little ones underfoot. So spreading the cookie dough into a cake pan was the perfect solution for an easy dessert recipe.

Ingredient Notes

• Kitchen Staples – Sugar, Flour, Baking Soda, Salt
• Butter – At room temperature for easy blending.
• Brown Sugar – Regular or dark brown. See how to make your own dark brown sugar in the frequently asked questions below. It adds moisture to the bars. Dark brown sugar adds even more caramel undertones than regular brown sugar, but both work equally well.
• Eggs – Have them at room temperature for easier incorporation.
• Vanilla Extract – It should be real vanilla, not artificially flavored.
• Semisweet Chocolate Chips – Or you can use 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips plus ¾ cup white chocolate chips and ¾ cup milk chocolate chips. If you have some extra chocolate chips, carefully press them into the fresh out of the oven bars. This will give a bakery-worthy appearance to your bars.

How to Make

Expert Tips

I have made this dessert more than any other. From bowl to plate it takes only about an hour. Much quicker than cookies, and so well-loved. My family is willing to eat these chocolate chip cookie bars fresh from the oven while they’re warm and gooey. Wouldn’t you? I hope these cookie bars will become a favorite of your family, too. I’m sharing a couple of tips for making bar cookies the best they can be.

• PRO-Tip: An hour or so before baking, set the eggs and butter on the counter to come to room temperature. Both will incorporate more easily if not ice cold.
• Line your pan with non-stick foil. Besides preventing the bars from sticking, the foil can be used as a sling to remove the cooled bar cookies from the pan onto a cutting board. This will help you slice them into nice even bars. You can also use parchment paper to line the pan.
• Add whatever kind of chocolate chips you enjoy. Semisweet is a classic choice, but try my combination of milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and white chocolate, or even butterscotch or peanut butter chips. You can also shake things up by using half M&Ms and half chocolate chips.
• I typically use light brown sugar, but for chewier blondies, try dark brown sugar.It has more molasses which provides extra moisture. Plus, it gives a richer caramel flavor.
• PRO-Tip: Did you know you can make your own dark brown sugar if you don’t have any in your pantry? Simply mix 1 tablespoon of molasses into 1 cup of light brown sugar for each cup needed.
• Use an offset spatula to spread the dough in the pan. It will help make a smooth level surface.
• Slightly underbaking makes these bars moist and chewy. But you don’t want them to be raw in the middle. The timing of anything you bake depends on your oven. I suggest baking them for the time listed in the recipe first, then adjusting the next time if you want them chewier. Because I know you’ll want to make them again.
• To bake like a pro, reserve some chocolate chips to carefully press into the warm bars after they come out of the oven–remember that the pan is very hot! It will make a prettier presentation. Of course, my family just cares about the taste, but it’s something you might like to do if making these chocolate chip bars for friends.

Frequently Asked Questions

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• More Easy Bar Cookies