Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

There's something about the smell of melted butter and brown sugar hitting a hot oven that instantly brings me back to my kitchen on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I was tired of fussy desserts that required chilling time and finicky technique, so I started playing with a cookie dough idea but decided to bake it all in one pan instead. The result was these chocolate chip bars—soft enough to practically melt on your tongue, but sturdy enough to grab with your hands while standing at the counter with a cup of coffee.

I made these for a potluck once and watched people reach for thirds without even realizing it, which is the highest compliment a dessert can receive in my book. My friend Marcus kept asking what bakery I'd bought them from, and when I told him I'd made them that morning, he looked genuinely shocked.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: The foundation that gives structure without being heavy—280 grams keeps everything tender.
• Baking soda: Just one teaspoon is all you need to help them rise gently and develop that golden color.
• Salt: Half a teaspoon might seem small, but it's the secret ingredient that makes the chocolate taste deeper and richer.
• Unsalted butter: Melted and cooled slightly so it blends smoothly with the sugars and eggs without scrambling anything.
• Brown and granulated sugar: The combo of both gives you chewy texture from the brown sugar and the subtle crunch from the granulated—together they're better than either alone.
• Eggs: Two large eggs bind everything and add moisture that keeps the bars soft days later.
• Vanilla extract: Two teaspoons of the pure stuff makes all the difference in flavor depth.
• Semisweet chocolate chips: Two cups of these little pockets of joy scattered throughout—use the good quality stuff if you can.

Instructions

Set the stage:

Heat your oven to 350°F and line your 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper so you can lift these beauties right out when they're done. If you don't have parchment, a light coating of butter or cooking spray works just fine.

Build your dry team:

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set it aside—this step keeps the leavening evenly distributed so you don't get dense patches.

Cream the sweet base:

In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with both sugars until the mixture looks smooth and slightly creamy. You'll notice it comes together almost immediately, which means you're ready for the eggs.

Bring it all together:

Add the eggs and vanilla to the wet mixture and whisk until everything is fully combined and looks like it's singing together. Pour the dry ingredients over the top and fold gently with a spatula—stop as soon as you don't see any white flour streaks, because overmixing toughens these bars.

Scatter the treasure:

Stir in all the chocolate chips, making sure they're distributed evenly so each bar gets a generous share. This is the moment that feels a little like Christmas morning.

Spread and bake:

Pour the dough into your prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula—it doesn't need to be perfect, just even. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until the edges turn a deep golden brown and the very center looks just barely set, almost like it might jiggle slightly if you poked it very gently.

The hardest part:

Let them cool completely in the pan—I know it's torture, but this is when they firm up into that perfect chewy-but-structured texture. Once they're cool, cut them into 16 bars and watch them disappear.

Save

These bars have a way of becoming the thing people ask you to bring to gatherings, and suddenly you're known as the chocolate chip bar person, which is honestly a title I wear with pride. There's something deeply satisfying about a dessert that's simple enough for a beginner but impressive enough to make people wonder if you've been holding out on them.

Why This Pan Over Cookies

I used to make traditional cookies, dropping dough by the spoonful and watching them spread unevenly on the sheet, but somewhere along the way I realized that baking them all together in one pan solved half my problems. The edges caramelize and crisp up while the center stays gloriously soft, and you don't have to worry about rotating trays or waiting for them to cool between batches.

The Chocolate Chip Question

Semisweet chips are my go-to because they're not too sweet and they melt into soft little pockets throughout, but I've made these with dark chocolate when I wanted something with more edge and sophistication. Milk chocolate works too if you're feeding people with a sweeter tooth, and I've even stirred in chopped nuts, caramel pieces, or brown butter for different occasions.

Storage and Serving Secrets

These keep beautifully in an airtight container at room temperature for about five days, though honestly they rarely make it past day two in my house. I've learned to cut them into smaller pieces because somehow people eat more of them when they're modest in size, and they actually warm up beautifully in the microwave for 10 seconds if you want that fresh-from-the-oven texture.

• For extra elegance, sprinkle flaky sea salt on top right before they go in the oven—it adds a sophisticated edge that makes people pause and notice.
• Store them in an airtight container to keep them from drying out, and if they do get a little stale, a slice of bread in the container for a few hours brings back the chewiness.
• These freeze beautifully for up to three months, so make a double batch and have them waiting for unexpected guests or late-night cravings.

Save

These chocolate chip bars are proof that the simplest recipes often become the ones people remember most fondly. Make a batch, share them with someone, and watch what happens.

Recipe FAQs

→ What baking pan size is recommended?

A 9x13-inch baking pan works best to ensure even baking and proper thickness.

→ Can I substitute different chocolate types?

Yes, you can swap semisweet chips for milk or dark chocolate to adjust sweetness and flavor.

→ How do I prevent overbaking these bars?

Bake just until edges turn golden and center is nearly set; bars will firm up as they cool.

→ Is it possible to add nuts to the bars?

Absolutely, chopped nuts can be mixed in for added texture and flavor.

→ What storage method keeps bars fresh?

Keep bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days to maintain softness.