Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are the perfect cross of a brownie and a cookie. They’re chewy, rich, and loaded with big ol’ chunks of chocolate chips. Basically, everything you could hope for as a cookie lover! I like to make these a little fancy too with some flaky sea salt. Easy to make and hard to resist.

A hand holding a chocolate chip cookie bar with more in the background.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Thick Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Serves: 24 bars
Main Ingredients: unsalted butter, 1¼ cups light brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda
Why You'll Love It: These thick and chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are the ultimate mashup of a brownie and a cookie, loaded with chocolate chunks and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

Ever wondered what magic unfolds when the worlds of fudgy brownies and classic chocolate chip cookies collide? Well, this right here is my best shot at satisfying that sweet curiosity.

Now, I gotta say, nothing can replace my Grandma Jenny’s chocolate chip cookies, but you know I like to get creative in the kitchen! These chocolate chip cookie bars are thick, chewy, and loaded with chocolate chunks – the perfect balance of cookie and brownie in every bite.

My favorite thing about this is that you can really add some pizzazz to these if you want. A little flaky sea salt and some big chunky chocolate chips really kick things up a notch. And of course, you can customize these very easily to whatever tasty indulgences you’re craving – I’ve mentioned some ideas down below!

Ingredients

Unsalted butter
Light brown sugar, packed
Granulated sugar
Eggs
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Cornstarch
Baking soda
Baking powder
Salt (fine salt for the batter and a pinch of flaky sea salt sprinkled on top)
Semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chocolate chunks)

A stack of three chocolate chip cookie bars.

Sometimes I like to swap out the chocolate chips for white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or even peanut butter chips. You could also mix in some chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts for a little crunch, or toss in some dried cranberries or raisins.

To really take things to the next level, add a swirl of peanut butter or Nutella into the batter before baking. SO good. You can even throw in some crushed pretzels or graham crackers for a sweet and salty twist.

Or, you can always go ahead and make my Peanut Butter Cup S’mores Cookie Bars or Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars instead!

Don’t Skip These Tips!

I always make sure my eggs are at room temperature before I start, as it makes mixing the batter way easier.
I like to pull these cookie bars out of the oven a little early for that extra chewy texture. It’s soooo good.
I’ve found that a metal baking pan gives you a much better browning than glass. It makes a bigger difference than you’d think!

Chocolate chip cookie bars scattered on a plate.

1. Preheat the Oven

Preheat oven to 350°F. While it’s warming up, grease your 9×13-inch metal baking pan and line it with parchment paper.

A baking pan lined with a sheet of parchment paper.

2. Make the Dough

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth.

A glass blue mixing bowl with melted butter and brown and granulated sugar.

Next, whisk in your eggs and vanilla. Then add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Whisking eggs and vanilla into a glass blue mixing bowl.

Adding dry ingredients to a mixing bowl.

Stir just until everything comes together (don’t overmix!). Then fold in 1½ cups of the chocolate chips.

Folding chocolate chips into a bowl of dough.

Chocolate chip cookie bar dough in a glass blue mixing bowl.

3. Bake

Now go ahead and spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top.

Chocolate chip cookie bar dough spread flat on a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Bake for 22–28 minutes. You’re looking for lightly golden edges and a center that’s just set. Don’t worry if it looks a little underdone – it’ll firm up as it cools!

Chocolate chip cookie bars in a baking sheet fresh out of the oven.

4. Let Cool & Serve

Once it’s out of the oven, let it cool completely in the pan before slicing into squares.

Enjoy!

Chocolate chip cookie bars stacked on each other beside a glass of milk.

Storage

Store your delicious cookie bars in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, warm individual squares in the microwave for 10–15 seconds before serving to get that fresh-from-the-oven taste.

What are common cookie bar mistakes?

Overbaking is the biggest one! I’ve made this mistake more times than I’d like to admit. You get distracted, leave them in just a little too long, and suddenly your bars are dry and crumbly instead of soft and chewy. My biggest tip? Pull them out of the oven when the center still looks slightly underdone. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool, and you’ll be left with perfectly gooey bars every time.

Can I use a glass pan instead of a metal one?

I’d stick with metal if you can. Glass pans heat up more slowly and retain heat longer, which can make your bars overbake or cook unevenly. Metal pans give you that perfect golden edge without overdoing the center.

Can I use melted coconut oil instead of butter?

Technically yes, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Butter gives these bars that rich, classic flavor that’s hard to replicate. Coconut oil can also change the texture, making them a little greasier and less chewy.

I hope these hit the spot! Let me know by leaving a star rating and a comment below.