Chocolate chip cookie bars are an easier way to get your cookie fix without having to scoop! Press this soft and chewy dough into an 8×8″ brownie pan and get 12 cookie bars.
Why the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Recipe Works
I’m calling all lazy cookie bakers with a cookie craving today! If scooping cookie after cookie isn’t your thing, you can just press this dough right into an 8×8 pan! It’s the same pan you use for brownies so you’ll enjoy a chocolate chip cookie with the hard edge you get with the brownies. This recipe makes 12 cookies in one batch!
However, if scooping tons of cookies aren’t your thing, I hope you’re at Dessert for Two for small cookie recipes. Most of my small batch cookie recipes make one dozen cookies or less, which is perfect for a small household, or perfect for gifting to a friend!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Ingredients
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (can use Starbucks Via)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 375, and lightly spray an 8×8″ brownie pan with cooking spray (or line it with parchment paper or foil, leaving excess on the sides to form handles that help you remove the bars after cooking).
- Combine – In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until combined. Next, sprinkle the flour, salt, espresso, baking soda, and baking powder on top of the butter mixture. Beat until just combined, do not over-mix. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Bake – Press the batter into the pan, and bake for 15 minutes. The edges of the cookie should start to brown, but be careful not to overcook, or they’ll be too dry.
- Cool – Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then use the handles to remove the cookies from the pan. Place them on a cooling rack, and let cool completely before slicing and serving.
Tips
- Instant espresso powder is optional in these cookies, but it really gives a depth of flavor to the chocolate. I almost never bake chocolate chip cookies without espresso powder.
- I recommend baking cookies on a silicone mat or piece of parchment paper. For these chocolate chip cookie bars, I recommend lining the pan with aluminum or parchment paper. Be sure to leave excess on the edges to serve as handles to help you remove the cookies from the pan. If you’re using a silicone pan, no need to line it, as silicone is 100% nonstick!
- Your 8×8 pan can be glass, metal or silicone; this cookie bar recipe will work in any pan! This is the exact pan that I use because the grooves in the bottom help baked goods release.
- You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or even white chocolate chips. However, if you use mini chocolate chips reduce the quantity by 1/4 cup.
How to Store
- Room Temperature – Keep your finished cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature
- Refrigerate – Make ahead the cookie dough and store it in the refrigerator for up to a day.
- Freeze – Or you may freeze the dough to make later.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
You may also love some brownies for two recipes or even my white chocolate chip cranberry cookies.
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie bars made in an 8x8 pan.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder* (can use Starbucks Via)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375, and lightly spray a 8x8" brownie pan with cooking spray (or line it with parchment paper or foil, leaving excess on the sides to form handles that help you remove the bars after cooking).
- In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until combined.
- Next, sprinkle the flour, salt, espresso, baking soda and baking powder on top of the butte mixture.
- Beat until just combined, do not over-mix.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Press the batter into the pan, and bake for 15 minutes. The edges of the cookie should start to brown, but be careful not to overcook, or they'll be too dry.
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then use the handles to remove the cookies from the pan. Place them on a cooling rack, and let cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
*Instant espresso powder is optional in these cookies, but it really gives a depth of flavor to the chocolate. I almost never bake chocolate chip cookies without espresso powder.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 217Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 135mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 2g
My 4 yr old and I made mini cc cookies on the weekend, but I had to try these cookie bars! Because they are different, right ;) Just tried one and they are delicious! Especially still warm. Another yum recipe of yours for the files! Congrats on babe #2! So exciting!
I made this tonight and unfortunately it didn’t work out at all :( 15 minutes was far too little, it was still unbaked inside. I left it to cool and harden, but it never did. I had to put it back into the oven hours later, at 375 again for another 15 minutes. Very disappointing.
Hi Samantha,
That’s nuts! I make these all the time! I’m making a how-to video for them tomorrow, and maybe that will cover some issues? I’m thinking your oven isn’t as hot as it says it is. Do you have an oven thermometer? What kind of pan are you using?
I do have an oven thermometer, and the oven was at 375. I used a 9″ pie pan with PAM spray. With 30 minutes they were good to go! :)
I’m in the same boat as Samantha. 15 minutes was definitely not enough time.
Wish that I had read the comments before baking these. I checked at 13 minutes but toothpick came out wet, baked another few minutes until edges were brown, since I was afraid they’d be dry, I took them out of the oven to cool in the pan. I was a bit stuck, as I had sprayed the pan beforehand but didn’t make a parchment paper sling, so placed the cooling rack on top of the pan and inverted-could see right away that the center isn’t cooked through. On the plus side, some of the bar that stuck to the pan tasted yummy. Will definitely try these again but will bake much longer.
I loved the flavor of the baked portion, but had the same problem as Samantha. Totally undercooked in the middle. I guess the toothpick test fails for cookie bars! I used a glass 8×8 pan. I will make these again and just plan for a longer bake time. Or try increasing the oven temp.
Loved these! Served them for dessert at a casual dinner party and my guests loved them. I used mini chips and served them with a scoop of ice cream. Will be making these a lot this summer!! Thank you, Christina!
I used Pamela’s All-Purpose Gluten-Free flour with these, and it worked! They were a little crumbly, which is common with GF baking, but they did bake through in 15 minutes. I might use 2 eggs next time.
I ran into the same problem. Put them in for 15 and they were still not cooked after letting them sit for 5 minutes when they got out. Just put them in for another 15 minutes to see if they cook through. Usually I have such good luck with all your recipes.
This is blowing my mind! I think I need to have my oven temp checked. My mom said she added another 5 minutes. I’m wondering if it’s because I let my cookie bars cool in the pan completely, which does carry-over cook the bars?
Oh! Yum!!! These bars are so wonderful. I added an extra 10 minutes baking time. They were perfect.
Just made these and they are amazing! Super comforting and tasty- I think the espresso powder really does make a difference! Funny enough, mine only needed 13 minutes so just goes to show you every oven is different and to check early! Perfect quick birthday treat for a friend (and I may have taken one as quality control).
I made these last night and they were so yummy! I didn’t have espresso powder so I skipped that. Still good! I also had to increase the baking time. I made the whole recipe then froze half the dough for a later date so I only made a loaf pan size. Worked great!
I’m so glad, Hilary :) Thanks for writing!
Hi Christina! Well, I decided to bake these tonight (not remembering that I had already made these not too long ago). I’m happy to say that this time, before I started baking, I read the comments (and was surprised to read my forgotten comments!) and the bars came out GREAT! I did bake the bars for 30 minutes this time and boy, oh boy, de-lic-ious! Thanks!!
These were so delicious! The perfect lunch dessert on a sunny afternoon. Plus, I feel like I channeled my inner Christina, since I halved the recipe and baked it in a metal loaf pan. I halved all the ingredients except the vanilla, and I used the yolk as my half-an-egg. It needed 17 minutes in my oven to fully bake, and it was a trial letting it cool… They came out just the way I like them – a hard, almost crunchy, edge and a chewy center. I’m glad I halved the recipe since there is no way I could be trusted with 12!!
Yay, Cindy! I love this :) Thanks for sharing!