Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (Printer-friendly)

Buttery, chewy bars studded with chocolate chips and toffee for a delightful, shareable treat.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
05 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Mix-ins

09 - 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 - 1 cup toffee bits

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk melted butter with brown and granulated sugars until smooth and creamy.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture using a spatula until just combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Gently fold in chocolate chips and toffee bits, reserving some for topping if desired.
07 - Spread dough evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle reserved chocolate chips and toffee bits on top.
08 - Bake for 23 to 26 minutes until edges are golden and center is just set; avoid overbaking to retain chewiness.
09 - Cool completely in pan on a wire rack, then lift out using parchment and cut into 16 bars.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They taste like a chocolate chip cookie and a toffee candy had the most delicious argument right in the middle of your mouth.
  • No shaping, no second-guessing whether they're done enough—just spread, bake, and cut into perfect squares.
  • The edges get crispy while the center stays soft, so you can choose your own texture adventure with every bite.
02 -
  • Overbaking is the silent killer here—bars that look slightly underdone in the center will be perfect once they cool, but bars that look fully set will be dry and disappointing.
  • Brown sugar really does need to be packed into the measuring cup, otherwise the whole texture suffers and you'll get something closer to a cake than a bar.
  • Room temperature eggs are not a suggestion; cold eggs won't emulsify properly and you'll end up with a grainier, less luxurious crumb.
03 -
  • Use parchment paper with a slight overhang on two sides so you can lift the entire slab out of the pan—this transforms cleanup from annoying to non-existent.
  • Don't skip cooling the melted butter slightly; if it's hot when the eggs hit it, you'll get scrambled bits instead of a smooth emulsion.
  • Cut the bars while they're still slightly warm and on the parchment for the cleanest edges—waiting until completely cold makes them shatter.

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