Easy One-Bowl Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Why You’ll Love Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

• Crowd Pleaser – This best cookie bar recipe is a major crowd pleaser and couldn’t be easier to make. They cut up nicely into small squares to serve for a crowd, just like my favorite Derby Day Bars. I’ve also made these ahead of time and frozen them with great success.
• Quick and Easy – Using melted butter in this recipe means that these cookie bars can come together super fast, no mixer needed! Just when you thought the classic chocolate chip cookie couldn’t get any easier to make, these chewy cookie bars have arrived. There’s nothing easier than pressing cookie dough into a pan—no shaping required for these cookies!
• Switch it Up – These cookie bars are so versatile. Use milk chocolate chips, M&Ms or even toss in some toffee chunks like I do in my Sourdough Blondies. Whatever you choose to add to this cookie dough, it’s going to be yummy!
• Crispy & Chewy – Are you a fan of crispy edges? Or do you choose the bars in the middle of the pan? The gooey middles definitely went first at our latest family gathering, but that didn’t stop the whole pan from being devoured in about 30 minutes flat. These bars are the perfect amount of chewy, gooey and crispy. Basically they have something for everyone to enjoy, just like these Fudgy Sourdough Brownies.

Important Ingredients

• Unsalted Butter: I always use unsalted butter in my cookie recipes. Salt content varies wildly between brands, so using unsalted allows you to control the flavor perfectly. For these bars, we use melted butter for a chewier, denser texture. If you choose to use salted butter, decrease the added salt in the recipe by about 1/4 teaspoon.
• Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture and that deep molasses chew, while granulated sugar helps create those crispy edges.
• Eggs: These provide structure and lift. Room temperature eggs will incorporate more smoothly into your melted butter and sugar mixture (but I often just use them straight from the fridge).
• Vanilla Extract: Adds that classic, warm bakery flavor.
• All-purpose flour: This gives the bars their classic soft crumb.
• Baking Soda: Helps the cookie bars rise slightly and promotes a beautiful golden color.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
• Chocolate Chips: I love semi-sweet chocolate in this recipe, but any high quality chocolate chip or chunk will work beautifully!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (One Bowl)

Mix the Dough

Step 1: Use a spoon or dough whisk to combine melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Add large eggs and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.

Step 2: Add the flour on top of the wet ingredients—do not mix yet. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the flour and gently fluff together with a fork to evenly disperse. Then stir the flour mixture and wet ingredients together until fully combined into a thick batter.

Step 3: Add 2 cups of chocolate chips (or your preferred mix-ins—M&Ms are also delicious in these cookie bars) and stir until evenly combined.

Chilling Dough? At this point, you can chill the cookie dough if desired. Resting the dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and the sugars to dissolve, which can create a deeper flavor with a chewier center and crispier edges. That said, this is a one-bowl recipe—and most of the time I want cookies now—so I usually skip the chill.

Press the Dough Into Pan

Step 4: Press dough into a prepared pan (9 by 13-inch pan is my preference), lined with parchment paper.

What size pan should I use? This recipe works best in a 9×13-inch baking pan for thick, chewy chocolate chip cookie bars. If you prefer slightly thinner bars, you can use a slightly larger pan and reduce the baking time by a few minutes.

For best results, line your pan with a parchment sling. It makes lifting the bars out easy, helps you cut clean, even squares, and keeps clean-up simple. While I wouldn’t fault anyone for eating them straight from the pan with a fork (or fingers), parchment makes these cookie bars much easier to handle and serve.

Bake the Cookie Bars

Step 6: Bake the cookie bars for 25-30 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit. Let cool for 20-30 minutes before slicing and serving. The bars will puff up and be mostly baked through, though the center may be a little bit gooey. For crispier cookie bars, bake for 5-10 more minutes.

Once the bars have cooled completely, slice into squares and serve (or serve warm with a scoop of ice cream – no judging ehre!)

Uneven Baking? Every oven bakes a bit differently. If your cookie bars are browning on the edges but still raw in the center, loosely tent a piece of foil over the top and return them to the oven. This prevents the edges from over-browning while the middle finishes baking.

If you pull them out and realize they’re not fully set, simply place the pan back in the oven for a few more minutes until the center is cooked through.

How to Store Leftovers

Once the bars have cooled completely, slice them into squares and store in an airtight container or cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap. They’re great at room temperature for the first 24 hours.

After that, I like to freeze them for longer storage (up to 3 months). I often wrap individual bars in sandwich bags so my kids can grab one for a special treat—or enjoy them straight from the freezer. They’re surprisingly delicious chilled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Family Favorite Cookie Recipes

Derby Day Bars

Family Favorite Toffee Bars

Erika’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you tried these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars or any other recipe on my website leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Happy Baking!