Name: Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: Makes 24
Ingredients: Nonstick vegetable oil spray; 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour; 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt; ¾ tsp. baking powder; ¾ tsp. baking soda; ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled; 1 cup (packed; 200 g) dark brown sugar; ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar; 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (12 oz.), divided

Cookie bars made with semisweet chocolate chips.

Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Mira Evnine

Chocolate chip cookie bars are always a good idea, whether you’re baking them for sleepovers, school lunches, or simply snacking. This version, which comes together quickly without the need for an electric mixer, is a chocolate chip-studded treat that leans into nostalgia. A simple cookie dough, made with both white and brown sugars, is flavored with a generous splash of vanilla extract balanced by a hefty pinch of salt. Baking the bars at a low temperature (325°) ensures they are soft from edge to edge and prevents the exterior from overcooking. The bars are chewy, while staying crisp on top, and strike the just-right balance between sweet and salty.

If you don’t plan to eat all of these chocolate chip bars within a week, stash any leftovers in resealable freezer bags and freeze. This way, whenever your craving hits, all you have to do is let a piece defrost on the counter for about an hour. You can even pack a frozen bar for lunch and it will be perfectly thawed and just as crisp and chewy as the day it was baked by the time you are ready to eat.

Get more of our favorite cookie bar recipes →