Do you love Chocolate Chip Cookies? Then you’re going to LOVE these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars! They’re thick, sweet, chewy and loaded with chocolate chips and M&M’s!
Did I mention this great recipe is super easy to make and there’s no cookie scoops and minimal bake time! And you can swap out the M&M’s to match the occasion!
If you love these blondies, you’re going to enjoy my Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake and my Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies, too!
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You can’t go wrong with this Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Recipe! These chewy, chocolate-studded goodies are easy to make and share for parties, get-togethers, after school snacks, and more!
🍪 What Are They?
Cookie bars have all the goodness of a regular batch of cookies, but they’re served in a slightly different shape. The dough isn’t scooped or rolled into balls then baked into circles; instead, the dough is spread in a baking pan.
Once cooked, the bars are cut into rectangles, making them the perfect grab-and-go treat! They’re ideal for dipping, packing into lunches, and sharing with kids and adults alike, no matter the occasion.
What I love most about this recipe is that it’s just one batch! You don’t have to spend an hour baking off batches of cookies, just 20 to 25 minutes of total baking and you’re done!
🍫 What’s In Them?
Pretty much all of the ingredients needed for this recipe can be found in your pantry or refrigerator. The only thing you might need to pick up is M&Ms. However, you don’t have to include them at all if you don’t want to.
- All-Purpose Flour – Using a different kind of flour (whole wheat, cake, bread, etc) could result in different cookies. So I recommend using unbleached all-purpose. If you need to make this recipe gluten-free, use a 1-for-1 or Measure for Measure Flour.
- Cornstarch – My secret ingredient! Just a little bit of this helps soften any harsh proteins in the flour and makes the cookie bars tender and chewy!
- Baking Soda – While other leavening agents could be used in cookie recipes, we’re working with baking soda in this one to make sure the cookies have a slight rise, stay soft, and aren’t too cake-like.
- Unsalted Butter – You should almost always use unsalted butter when baking to give you more control over the recipe! But if all you have is salted, go ahead and try it and omit the salt.
- Kosher Salt – DON’T SKIP THE SALT! Seriously, I know so many people who do this and I get that some do it for a dietary reason but many do it because they think dessert = no need for salt. But they don’t realize that salt intensifies the overall flavor and aids the butter and sugar in the recipe from falling flat on your palate.
- Sugar – It wouldn’t be a chocolate chip cookie unless you blended brown sugar and granulated. These add sweetness, caramelization, and a slight crispness to the top and edges of the cookie bars.
- Vanilla Extract – For flavor, of course!
- Eggs – In my opinion, eggs in cookies should only ever be skipped if you’re making Edible Cookie Dough. They help bind the ingredients together and keep them light and chewy.
- Chocolate Chips – Use a mix of milk and dark chocolate chips for an added depth of flavor!
- M&Ms – Pick regular for everyday occasions or seasonal colors for holidays!
👩🍳 How To Make Cookie Bars:
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugars, and vanilla until pale. Add the eggs one at a time mixing just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips and M&M’s – reserve some for the top of the bars.
- Spread the cookie dough out in a parchment-lined 9×13-inch cake pan and top with the reserved chocolate chips and M&M’s. Bake in the oven preheated to 350 degrees F until the edges are a nice golden brown and the center is soft but raised. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before slicing them into squares.
📃 Recipe Tips
- For easy cutting, I highly recommend using a pizza cutter! Cutting them this way will take just a few seconds and you’ll end up with perfectly clean lines.
- For best results, make in a baking pan with no curvature to the edges on the bottom (popular among pyrex dishes).
- Line your 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper for easy removal and to prevent sticking – even if you’re using a non-stick pan!
- If you are trying to cut back on sugar, you can safely reduce the light brown sugar by 1/3 cup. But if you can, use the full amount.
- You can also use just 1 cup of chocolate chips and they will still be delicious, just less chocolaty.
- Top with flaky sea salt before baking for another level of flavor.
Variation Ideas:
- Nuts – Replace some of the chocolate chips with your favorite chopped nuts. I recommend toasting them first for extra flavor!
- Butterscotch – Replace some of the chocolate chips with butterscotch chips.
- Peanut Butter – Replace some of the chocolate chips with peanut butter chips. You could also make my Peanut Butter Blondies!
- White Chocolate – Replace some of all of the chocolate chips with white chocolate.
- Sprinkles – Add to this recipe with 1/2 cup of fun colored sprinkles.
- Coconut – Swap out the M&M’s for some toasted coconut, yum!
- Brown Butter – Brown your butter and let it resolidify at room temperature before using in the recipe.
🗓️ How Long Do They Last?
They can be stored in a container at room temperature for about 3 days. But honestly, good luck trying not to eat the whole pan on day 1 😉
❄️ Can They Be Frozen?
These bar cookies can also be frozen for up to 6 months; simply wrap them in plastic wrap or tinfoil. For an added layer of freezer protection, place the wrapped bars in a zip freezer bag and seal.
😋 More Chocolate Chip Recipes:
- Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies – Made with chocolate chips and ooey, gooey caramel.
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies – Chocolate lovers will go crazy for these!
- Chocolate Chip Cookie For One – A quick and easy dessert for when your sweet tooth strikes … sharing optional.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – Because who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate?
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Sticks – Thinner than cookie bars, these are perfect to serve with coffee or tea or for dipping in milk!
- Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies – If made with allergen-friendly chocolate chips, these are a great alternative for anyone who’s dairy- or lactose-free.
- Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies – A scrumptious chocolate chip dessert with a sophisticated twist.
- Cookie Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – Fans of cookie butter won’t be able to resist these goodies!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar1
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups chocolate chips2,3
- 1 cup M&Ms4,5
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch cake pan with parchment paper.6,7 Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugars, and vanilla until smooth and pale.
- Add the eggs one at a time mixing just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and M&M's – reserve some for the top of the bars.
- Spread the cookie dough out evenly in the cake pan and top with the reserved chocolate chips and M&M's.8
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes minutes. The edges should be a nice golden brown and the center is soft but raised. Allow the bars to cool for at least 20 minutes in the pan before removing and slicing them into squares.9
Notes
- If you are trying to cut back on sugar, you can safely reduce the light brown sugar by 1/3 cup. But if you can, use the full amount.
- You can also use just 1 cup of chocolate chips and they will still be delicious, just less chocolaty.
- Use a mix of milk and dark chocolate chips for an added depth of flavor!
- You could also omit the M&M’s if you prefer more traditional bars.
- Swap the M&M’s colors out to match the occasion.
- For best results, make in a baking pan with no curvature to the edges on the bottom (popular among pyrex dishes).
- Line your 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper for easy removal and to prevent sticking – even if you’re using a non-stick pan!
- Top with flaky sea salt before baking for another level of flavor.
- For easy cutting, I highly recommend using a pizza cutter! Cutting them this way will take just a few seconds and you’ll end up with perfectly clean lines.
- Shelf Life: They can be stored in a container at room temperature for about 3 days.
- How To Freeze: These bar cookies can also be frozen for up to 6 months; simply wrap them in plastic wrap or tinfoil. For an added layer of freezer protection, place the wrapped bars in a zip freezer bag and seal.
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