The secret to these chocolate chip cookie bars is their brown butter base! Studded with chocolate chunks, the cookie bars bake up soft and chewy inside with deliciously crispy edges. This easy dessert bar recipe is quick to make too - there's no need to chill the cookie dough. Simply press the cookie dough into an even layer in a prepared 8" non-stick baking pan, and into the oven they go!
Hi hi! Popping in to share the recipe for these chocolate chip cookie bars with you! I have a bunch of bar recipes and chocolate chip cookie recipes on the site already, but bar cookie recipes so far, so it was about time that I fixed that! I make my perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe the most often, but these bars are the perfect quick recipe, especially if you're after a baked dessert bar recipe!
These chocolate chip cookie bars are super easy to make - they are a bar cookie version of my brown butter chocolate chip cookies. You make a super simple cookie dough, then press it into a baking dish and bake until perfectly golden. The result is these perfect chocolate chip bars - they are soft and chewy, and you still get chocolate chip cookie vibes with a wee bit less effort. These cookie bars make a super easy dessert that is great to make ahead. I'm obsessed. They are the perfect thing to add to your chocolate chip cookie recipe collection.
Cookie bar ingredients
These brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars are super simple, and can be made with things most bakers already have in their kitchen.
- Brown Butter. The base of the cookie and where that delicious toasty flavour comes from. I have a bunch of brown butter recipes on my site - it is one of my favourite ingredients!
- Two types of sugar. Both brown and white sugar are in play here - the ratio of them determines spread and texture. Either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar works, or you can use muscovado sugar if you're feeling fancy.
- Dry ingredients. The usual suspects here - flour, baking powder, and salt. My original chocolate chip cookie recipe has both baking powder and baking soda, but I left the baking soda out to help reduce the rise just a tiny bit.
- Egg. I just use one in this cookie to hold everything together.
- Chocolate. You can use whatever you like here, either all dark chocolate or a mix of dark, semi-sweet or milk chocolate. I usually do at least half chopped dark chocolate then make up the rest with what I have on hand.
- Flaky Sea Salt. Not compulsory, but a little sprinkle gives the most delicious crunchy finish to chocolate chip cookie bars!
How to make chocolate chip cookie bars
These cookie bars are super simple to make - the process is basically the same as making a regular homemade chocolate chip cookie, except instead of scooping it into balls and baking them individually on a pan, you pop the entire thing into a pan and bake into bars. Easy easy.
- Brown the butter. Set aside to cool slightly, just so that you don't scramble the egg in the recipe.
- Mix wet ingredients. Add the sugars and the egg to the brown butter, and whisk until thickened slightly and slightly lighter in colour. This also helps to give you a nice shiny top to your cookie bars.
- Add flour mixture. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until just combined. I often stop while there are still a lot of flour streaks, and finish off mixing when the chocolate is added.
- Add chocolate. I use chopped chocolate - add it in and stir to combine.
- Press into pan. Press the cookie dough into your prepared pan. I use an 8" pan for slightly thicker, chewy chocolate chip cookie bars, but if you want something thinner, you can use a 9" pan here too.
- Bake the cookie bars. Bake until golden and set, then leave to cool for as long as you can stand, and serve. These are great at room temperature but also amazing warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Why are there two measures of butter in the recipe?
You will notice that there are two different quantities of butter in the recipe - the initial quantity in the ingredients list, then a 110g measure of brown butter within the body of the recipe.
Different butters will have different moisture levels, which affects the yield of brown butter. American style butter have a higher water content, so will produce less brown butter when the water is cooked off. European or New Zealand style butter, which is higher in fat than American butter, will have less water that needs cooking off, so you will end up with a higher yield of brown butter.
The quantity of the butter in these browned butter cookies is important here, so the best way to measure it is by using a scale. You start with an initial quantity of butter - in this case 150g, and then cook it down. You then re-measure the weight of the brown butter, and use 110g of that in your cookie dough. I have accounted for the moisture loss from the initial quantity of brown butter in the recipe.
How do you know when bar cookies are done?
When the chocolate chip bar is baked, the surface will be set and lightly golden brown, and the edges of the cookie bar will be set and slightly firm. I prefer to underbake my cookie bar rather than over bake it, but if you like super crunchy edges you can bake it for a little longer.
How to line a square pan with parchment paper
When you are making a bar cookie recipe or something similar that you want to be easily removed from the pan, it helps to use a parchment paper 'sling' to line the pan. To do this I use two pieces of paper, cut to the size of the pan, then clip the extra paper to the sides of the pan to stop flapping.
If you like you can also lightly butter or grease the pan to help the parchment paper stick.
The best chocolate to use for cookies
I love to use chopped chocolate over chocolate chips in my cookie bars. There are a few reasons for this:
- Sizing - Cutting up chocolate into chunks gives you a great range of size in your chocolate. This means you get a good distribution throughout
- Melty Pockets of chocolate - Chocolate chips often have a stabiliser in them which means they don't melt. This makes them great for things like muffins, but I much prefer using chopped chocolate for cookies because the chocolate melts, and you get pockets of chocolate throughout.Quality - if you use chopped chocolate, you can use whatever quality you like. It's also a great way to mix up the types of chocolate you use too - I like doing a mix of dark and then sometimes a fun flavour
- Chocolate Dust - This is a name I made up, but the dust is what's left from chopping chocolate. It all goes into the bowl and you get tiny chocolate specks all throughout the cookies.
If you did want to make these chocolate chip cookie bars with chocolate chips, either semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips would work great. I often use cookie recipes as a way to use up lots of odds and ends of chocolate - another benefit of using a scale is that you can just dump it into a bowl until you have the right amount!
Frequently Asked Questions
What tools and equipment do you use?
You can see a full list of all the tools I use here
What pan did you use to bake cookie bars?
I used an 8" (20cm) non stick baking pan. If you want to make your cookie bars a little thinner, you can use a 9" (23cm) square baking pan.
How do you store cookie bars?
Store your chocolate chip cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to three days.
Can Cookie bars be frozen?
Yes, this recipe freezes well. Once the chocolate chip bar is baked, cut it and place into an airtight container, then place into the freezer. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature before eating.
Can I add nuts to this recipe?
I haven't but it should work fine - you can replace some of the chocolate with chopped toasted pecans or walnuts.
Do I have to brown the butter?
No, if you want to just use regular melted butter, you can sub the brown butter in the recipe for 110g melted butter.
Can this recipe be made ahead of time?
Yes, you can make these cookie bars up to a day ahead of time and store them wrapped or in an airtight container. I want to try testing if you can press the dough into the pan and then chill until you are ready to bake - watch this space!
Is it ok if I only have salted butter?
Yes - you can sub salted and unsalted butter easily in a recipe, just make sure to dial back the added salt in the recipe so they do not taste too salty.
For more cookie bar recipes, check out:
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
- Category: Cookie bars
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Description
The secret to these chocolate chip cookie bars is their brown butter base! Studded with chocolate chunks, the cookie bars bake up soft and chewy inside with deliciously crispy edges. This easy dessert bar recipe is quick to make too - there's no need to chill the cookie dough. Simply press the cookie dough into an even layer in a prepared 8" non-stick baking pan, and into the oven they go!
Ingredients
- 150g unsalted butter, cold from the fridge is fine
- 100g light or dark brown sugar
- 60g granulated sugar
- 1 large (50g) egg
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 150g all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 3g (1 tsp) salt
- 220g dark chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Grease and line an 8" (20cm) non stick baking pan, leaving the parchment extending over the sides to form a sling. Secure with binder clips if desired.
- Place the butter in a medium saucepan, and place over medium heat. Cook until the butter has melted, and then continue to cook, swirling the pan often and stirring with a whisk, until the butter foams and turns golden brown and nutty - this should take 3-4 minutes.
- Weigh out 110g (see Notes section below) of the brown butter into a medium bowl and leave to cool for 15-20 minutes so that it does not scramble your eggs.
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl with the brown butter, and mix to combine.
- Add the egg and whisk well for 1-2 minutes, or mix using an electric mixer, until the mixture has lightened in colour and has thickened.
- Add the vanilla and mix well.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine with a rubber spatula until there are some flour streaks remaining - this is to ensure you do not over work the dough.
- Add the chocolate and mix to incorporate with a rubber spatula.
- Press the dough into the prepared pan, smoothing down with an offset spatula. Add a few extra chocolate chunks to the top of the cookie if desired.
- Bake the cookie bars for 20 to 22 minutes, until the top of the cookie is golden brown and set and the edges have started to firm up slightly. If you would like the edges of your cookie bar to be crispy, bake for a little longer.
- Remove the chocolate chip cookie bars from the oven and leave to cool in the pan on a wire rack. Remove from the pan using the parchment paper sling. Cut into pieces using a sharp knife.
- Store cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
You will notice that there are two quantities of butter in the recipe - the initial quantity of butter, then a second measurement in the method which is the quantity of brown butter. The larger initial quantity is to account for water loss when browning - read more about that in my FAQ.
You will notice that there are two quantities of butter in the recipe - the initial quantity of butter, then a second measurement in the method which is the quantity of brown butter. The larger initial quantity is to account for water loss when browning - read more about that in my FAQ.
If you are using the recipe scaling feature (2x or 3x) be aware that any quantities, measurements, pan sizes, and cooking times given in the method do not scale automatically - it's only the quantities in the Ingredient List that scale automatically.
Comments
JSR says
These are top-notch flavours, fast & easy. I love that your recipes never, ever disappoint! I don’t think twice about trying something for the first time - from your portfolio - and serving it to guests; I know it will be fantastic. Thanks for doing the heavy lifting so the rest of us can just enjoy 😋.
Jen says
These have become a firm favourite in our house! So easy to make and a real crowd pleaser. I have to make a double batch every couple of days as it seems to disappear rather quickly! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
Brf says
Love this recipe! Make it all the time. So quick and easy and delicious. I'm a time poor mum so don't do the brown butter so I can whip them up quick but they're still amazing.
Alana Satherley says
Made these the other weekend! A great success! Friends have asked for the recipe and I guide them to your site! Thank you for sharing your recipes with us.
amy says
wanted to whip up something quick and easy and this was exactly it! the smell of brown butter was heavenly. rich, chocolatey, and so easy. love it! hadn't realise i ran out of baking powder so used baking soda and some orange juice instead. worked perfectly.
Kat says
this was a last minute decision yesteday to bake for a friends festivities today. And the whole recipe was just fun to make. I browned butter for the first time and it worked out. in the meantime, while the butte cooked down, I prepared all the other ingredients. It just worked out so quickly. I love love love that you are a defender of the scale. it makes everything so easy and accurate. this morning I tried the cookie bars and oh. my. God. they are chewy and slightly firm on the outer layer I absolutely love it. I can't wait for people to try it. also: How good do they look? I'm absolutely in love. what a great recipe. thank you so much
K. says
My review disappeared, I think so I'll make another quick five star review: amazing recipe, super fun and easy, incredibly delicious. loved it. Will move into my book of favorite recipes.
Victoria says
What an easy recipe that resulted in an absolute hit! We've got a circle of family and friends who are salty-sweet lovers, and this hit all the marks. These are fun, too, because you can kind of just use up whatever chocolate you've got around (and there's always something around...). And I will definitely try them with nuts next time, as suggested.
Thanks for another great recipe, Erin!
Glenda says
Erin, I’m wondering if you ended up testing leaving these in the fridge for a while before baking? I was thinking of doing that (more so that I could save some time to bake later than actually “marinating” for flavor enhancement), but wanted to see if you have and what the results were.
I’ll probably try it anyway because… well, when did I ever refrain from experimenting? Lol it probably wouldn’t be refrigerated for long anyway. We will see, I guess!
Glenda says
I did end up chilling these in the fridge for a couple of hours - mostly because I needed to be able to prepare the dough beforehand to save some time - and it worked fine! I really can’t say if there was any improvement in taste or texture since it was my first time making this (the batter was pretty hard right out of the fridge) but it baked perfectly, for around 22-23 min.
Sometimes I find it hard to know when cookie bars are done, but these were really easy to tell. The texture was chewy but not gooey, just right!
Another win 🙂
kit says
DELICIOUS! I did not have any dark chocolate, so I used semisweet morsels..tasted great!
Christine says
Super quick and easy with great flavour. Using the scale makes it so easy to throw together in just a few minutes. Thanks Erin!
Al says
This recipe is my go-to cookie, it never fails. I saw another of Erin’s recipes where she upped the brown butter toastiness with milk powder. If you’re wondering what happens if you accidentally use malt powder, it’s amazing. Extra toasty bits but also turned into these chewy, caramelised lil morsels. Soooo good!
When I make bars I like to under cook a lil and then smother in shitty chocolate icing.
Erin Clarkson says
Omg yummmmmmm I bet that was so good!
Katie says
YUM! Quick and easy to throw together, and so delicious! Are these supposed to be distinctly salty-sweet? I used unsalted butter and the amount of salt listed, and sadly did not have flaked salt for the top so I left that off. But the salt is pretty prominent in this batch! Not a bad thing, I'm just wondering if that's how theyre intended or if I accidentally overdid it?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! If you didn't use kosher salt then other salts are more salty which is why you may be noticing it more!
Margaret says
Doubled these, slapped them in a 9x13 pan and topped them with shitty chocolate frosting. It was fuck me up level good. Literally never unsatisfied with any of Erin’s recipes.
Erin Clarkson says
Yussssss I love to hear it!
Hilary says
Unbelievably good. The brown butter provides incredible flavor. This is one American who really appreciates the weights in the recipe! It makes it foolproof. Highly recommend.