I hope you guys are hungry today, because I’ve got a decadent chocolate chip cookie bar recipe coming your way!
I always get a little nervous about labeling something I make as “the best ever.” I mean, you can never appease every appetite, so there’s surely going to be somebody who doesn’t agree. So when I share recipes with you all, anything dubbed “best ever” has definitely earned its title. For example…my Best Ever Chicken Salad and my Best Ever Crockpot Applesauce. I still stand by my claims that they are both the best I’ve ever had (and many of you have told me the same!).
So today, here I am again…sharing something I’m claiming as the best ever. And I feel absolutely confident in telling you this because, they are, the. best. ever. chocolate chip cookie bars I’ve ever made.
And it’s not only me that who thinks so. Jay said so AND my college girlfriends did too, who had the pleasure of trying them when they came to visit me in the new digs just recently.
Why they’re the best ever, I’m not really sure. Maybe it’s because they were the first recipe I baked in the new house and was just SO excited to make them? Maybe it’s because they were made with love? Or maybe it’s because I had a special helper (who looooves chocolate chips) while I was making them.
Little man can bake…aka, he can scoop flour out ALL over the place like it’s nobody’s business. Yeah, I had to let my hair down a little on that one and not get too caught up with the extra mess, but we survived! And I just loved having him as a little helper.
But really…back to the bars. I actually think part of the reason I love them so much is because they’re super simple. I feel like sometimes I get so caught up with all these snazzy recipes with salted caramel this, or quadruple layer that…but these? Talk about easy.
And not only that, but they’ve got the most amazing soft, doughy texture that is basically (what I think) every chocolate chip cookie (and bar) should have.
So if you agree, then you’ve got to give these bars a try. I promise, they’re going to be a hit…and they’re not going to last long either. 
The Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips *I love using the mini ones because you get them better dispersed throughout the batter, but any would be fine
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and spray a 9 x 13 inch pan and set aside.
- Combine butter, shortening, sugar and brown sugar with a mixer until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
- Add in eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add in flour, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Spread the dough into your prepared baking dish and bake for 15-17 minutes. *They might appear undercooked, but that's okay. It's how you'll get the gooey soft texture!
- Allow to cool then cut into squares, serve, and enjoy!
Mini chocolate chips are the way to go in my book, too!
These look heavenly. I think I’ll be giving them a try very soon! Thanks for sharing!
They look awesome! Wonder could I make a grain free version!? Lucas is so cute! I’m a bit of a clean freak when it comes to baking but having a cute little helper I could make an allowance! :)
Sounds fantastic! Nothing beats a good chocolate chip cookie :)
Your helper is so cute and the bars look delicious!
If you could mail this verrrry pregnant lady some that would be greaaaaaat.
These wouldn’t last long in my house. I’ve been a cookie monster lately, and since I’m potty training E with cookies, he’s always asking for them too!
Oh man. I’m just picturing these fresh out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Man, these look AH-MAZING!! Luckily I’m already baking today otherwise I would have gotten a serious urge to bake after reading this ;) I’ve used the same cookie bar recipe for years and love it, but I’m definitely going to try these out soon, yum :)
Mmmmm, what are you baking today??? :)
I baked some sugar cookies! I got some new cutters at the weekend and had to try them out! So I made milk carton cut ones and chocolate chip iced ones. It took FOREVER to decorate but so worth the cute cookies.
I was just telling a friend this morning that I wanted to make cookie bars. It’s fate! :-) Can’t wait to try these!
Oh my…I think I need to try these out with GF flour in a small batch, because I will eat ALL of them!
Hey Courtney! Do you think wheat flour will be okay to use as a substitute for all purpose flour?
Hey Janay! I think it would probably change the texture a bit but it’s always worth a try, right?! Let me know if you do!
We made these today….will likely never use another recipe again. They were definitely the BEST ever!
YAY!!! When I first read it, I thought you said you’d never use the recipe again lol. So glad you guys agreed!! :)
These look delicious! Definitely pinned these to try soon!
A few weeks ago I needed a quick treat to take to a party. I had no time for multiple pans of cookies so I opted to make ccc bars. They were sooo good & I’ve been looking for an excuse to make them again. I think a brand new, best ever recipe is all the excuse I need!!
And not gonna lie, I’m going to turn them into ice cream sandwiches too because I refuse to admit that summer is on its way out, and ice cream sandwiches=summer.
Uhhhh, yum! These look amazing, girl!
I ended up making these twice this past weekend, they are amazing! I made a batch to bring my best friend who just had a baby, and my husband and his friend had to “test” them for me. We were all obsessed, so I made another batch just for us the next day! They taste like the middle of a slightly under-baked cookie–YUM.
Can I make these a few days ahead of time and freeze them? Will they defrost and still taste delicious?
Hey Mandy! I’ve actually never tried, but I will often freeze my cookies and have never had a problem with them turning out okay when defrosted so I’d say go for it! If you do, let me know how it goes?!
I love chocolate cookies. It’s so yummy to eat it.