Description
Make soft, chewy 15-minute sheet pan cookie bars packed with melty chocolate, perfect for busy nights and winter gatherings. The dough mixes in one bowl, presses straight into a pan, and bakes up thick and chewy.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 13×18-inch rimmed sheet pan or line it with parchment, leaving a little overhang for easy lifting.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time until fully combined, then stir in the vanilla until the mixture looks glossy.
- Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, and salt over the wet mixture and stir with a spatula just until no streaks of dry flour remain and a soft, thick dough forms.
- Fold in the semisweet and white chocolate chips until evenly distributed, reserving a small handful if you want extra chips sprinkled on top.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared sheet pan and use a spatula or lightly damp hands to press it into an even layer all the way to the edges; scatter reserved chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips over the top and gently press them in.
- Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center looks just set and slightly puffed; a toothpick inserted near the center should come out with moist crumbs but not wet batter.
- Let the bars cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes so they firm up, then lift the slab out by the parchment or cut directly in the pan into squares or rectangles.
Notes
- Use all semisweet or all milk chocolate chips if you prefer one type of chocolate.
- Swap white chocolate chips for butterscotch or peanut butter chips for a different flavor.
- Add ½ cup chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans for extra crunch.
- Stir in ½ cup festive sprinkles for a fun, seasonal look.
- Replace ¼ cup of the flour with cocoa powder for double chocolate cookie bars.
- Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon to the dough for a cozy winter spiced version.
- Do not overbake; pull the bars as soon as the center is just set to keep them soft and chewy.
- Use room-temperature eggs so the batter mixes smoothly and bakes evenly.
- Press the dough into an even thickness so all bars bake at the same rate.
- If the edges brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil during the last few minutes.
- For clean slices, let bars cool longer and wipe the knife between cuts.
- Store cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- For longer storage, freeze cut bars in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months.
- To refresh, warm a bar in the microwave for 8 to 10 seconds or in a 300°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly warm and the chocolate is just melty again.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American