Olivia is a food stylist, recipe developer & cookbook author living in NYC. Her work has appeared both on the pages of magazines and on billboards in Times Square. Helping people cook with more confidence is her #1 passion.
If you're looking for an easy treat with a nostalgic taste, how about everyone’s all-time favorite cookie but in bar form? These chocolate chip cookie bars are a fast and easy way to be everyone’s hero. This is a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe that gets put into an 8"-by-8" square pan, baked until golden on the outside and still soft on the inside, and cut into squares. No rolling or scooping little balls, no multiple sheet pans, and you can store them right in the pan you baked them in. For a crowd, serve a batch of these in a stack with other blondies and brownies.
Just like your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, these bars get loads of flavor from brown sugar, vanilla, and, of course, a whole bag of chocolate chips. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the top gives every bite that amazing contrast between salty and sweet. The flaky salt is optional, but if you’ve never tried this trick, trust us on this one—it’s going to blow your mind!
These bars would taste great with any number of mix ins. Swap in oats and raisins for oatmeal raisin cookie bars, or stir in white chocolate chips and toasted macadamia nuts, instead.
- Yields:
- 12 - 16
- Prep Time:
- 15 mins
- Total Time:
- 2 hrs
Ingredients
Cooking spray
- 2 1/2 c.
(300 g.) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp.
baking soda
- 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1 c.
(2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 c.
(215 g.) light brown sugar
- 1/4 c.
(50 g.) granulated sugar
- 2
large eggs
- 1 tbsp.
pure vanilla extract
- 2 c.
(340 g.) semisweet chocolate chips, from 1 (12-oz.) bag
- 1 tsp.
flaky sea salt (optional)
Directions
- Step 1Preheat oven to 350°. Spray an 8"-by-8" (20-by-20 cm) baking pan with cooking spray. Line pan with a sheet of parchment, leaving a 2" (5 cm) overhang on 2 opposite sides.
- Step 2In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using an electric mixer), beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Using a flexible spatula, scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
- Step 3Reduce mixer speed to low. Add dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms, about 30 seconds. Add chips and mix on low speed until combined.
- Step 4Scrape dough into prepared pan. Using damp hands, evenly spread dough in pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with sea salt, if using. Bake until edges are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan 1 hour before cutting into 12 rectangles or 16 squares.