Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
About these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:
This is not just another chocolate chip cookie recipe. These are the most soft, chewy, chocolatey and delicious cookie bars, and I think you need to make them.
Recipe Snapshot
EASE: Definitely easy to make.
PROS: Have a batch of cookies all done at once!
MAKES A BIG BATCH: You get 40 rich little cookie bars.
Cookie Bars are the best.
The best thing about cookie bars is that you get a whole batch of ‘cookies’ all at the same time. Instead of waiting for 2 or 3 batches of cookies to bake at a time, you get the whole batch done at once. Then cut them into 24 – 36 squares, and you have an instant completed batch of cookies.
An easy tip for pretty bars.
Before baking the cookie bars, press some chocolate chips into the top of the dough. This is always a nice decorative touch!
Make them fun for different seasons!
Add candy coated chocolate (like m+m’s), in different colours for the different holidays. Red and green for Christmas, red and pink for Valentine’s Day, green for St. Patrick’s Day, pastels for Easter…you get the idea!
Cutting cookie bars:
These cookie bars are baked in a 9 x 13 inch pan, and when they’re done baking you cut the cookie slab into about 40 squares. But you can cut them into smaller or bigger pieces, depending on how you like them. Here’s a quick look at how I made them:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe Tips
- Chocolate: You can use milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. Chocolate covered candy like m+ms look great too! If you want to get fancy, use festive colours for the holidays!
- Brown Sugar: Yes, there is a lot of brown sugar, but this is what makes these cookie bars so soft and chewy.
- Questions about basic ingredients? Read my FAQ page!
- Line the baking pan with parchment. Make sure to line the baking pan with parchment paper so you can easily remove the bars when they’re done.
- The dough is sticky! So here’s a tip for pressing it into the baking pan: The dough must chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before pressing it into the pan, it’s just too sticky when it’s warm.
- Baking Time: I bake these cookie bars for 30 minutes which results in soft and chewy bars. If you want them a little more crisp, bake them a little longer.
- When are the cookie bars done? The edges should look more puffed up than the centre of the pan, this is the key to chewy chocolate chip bars!
- Let them cool! Let the cookie slab cool completely before cutting it into bars. You can put it in the fridge to cool if you like.
- Storage: Keep these bars soft by storing them in an airtight container.
- Freezing: These cookie bars freeze well.
Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup butter at room temperature
- 2 cups plus 2 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup chocolate candy
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a 9 × 13 baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Using an electric mixer beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Then add in the eggs, one at a time. Beat until smooth.
- Then add in the vanilla. Mix.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to butter mixture, and stir until just combined.
- Mix in chocolate chips.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 15 minutes. You will notice that the dough is quite sticky, so you must do this step so you can spread the dough in the baking pan.
- After the dough has cooled, press it evenly into the baking pan, making sure to spread the dough to the edges.
- If you want to press coloured candy or extra chocolate into the top of the slab, do it at this point.
- Bake until the cookie bar is golden around the edges, about 30 min.
- When the bar is done, the sides should look more puffed up than the centre.
- Cool in the pan until the cookie slab is completely cooled. You can even put it in the fridge if you like.
- Once the slab is has completely cooled, remove the slab from the pan, by holding the parchment paper. Place it on a cutting board and cut into 24 – 36 squares.
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Hi Jo-Anna, quick question, for these bars pictured in the recipe, did you add all the chocolate chips called for in the recipe and then additionally add the m and m’s and chocolate squares on top before baking? They look so pretty with the coloured candy on top! Can’t wait to try them!! Thank you!
HI Lola! I’m so sorry for the delay in my answer! Yes, I added those on as extra!
Hi ! If I want to freeze them , should I leave it in a slab or cut up then freeze ?
Hi! I would cut them up first, it’s just much easier to freeze them that way. But if you wanted to freeze the slab you totally could.