Skip the cookie scoop and make these chocolate chip cookie bars within the pan for a golden-brown, tender crisped exterior and completely chewy center, loaded with semi-sweet chocolate goodness.

Chocolate chip cookies: amazingly scrumptious and everybody’s favourite, however a time-sucker on the subject of portioning out massive batches of particular person scoops on baking trays ’til the dough runs out.

Resolution? Spend much less time within the kitchen if you skip the inside track. As a substitute, press the dough right into a single baking pan to prepare dinner suddenly in my grandma’s tremendous simple recipe for chocolate chip cookie bars.

Are these bars higher than chocolate chip cookies? I haven’t determined but. Guess I higher bake up one other batch…

What’s In Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

As a substitute of constructing a giant batch of our favourite Milk Bar salted chocolate chip cookies or my household recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that makes 36 cookies, this recipe makes a pleasant and tidy 16 squares for days when the cravings strike and also you don’t want quite a lot of tempting leftovers.

This recipe requires almost the identical record of substances as common chocolate chip cookies, however in smaller parts:

• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Kosher salt
• Gentle brown sugar
• Butter (Grandma referred to as for shortening, however I discovered it didn’t give the cookies sufficient taste)
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips (or milk chocolate)
• Chopped nuts (elective)

Easy methods to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Put together the baking pan. Flippantly butter an 8″ X 8″ baking pan, or for thinner bars, use a 9″ X 9″ pan. As a result of it has straighter sides that don’t curve and slope, that is my favourite 8″ X 8″ baking pan. I’ve additionally made these in 9″ pie tin and so they end up superior when minimize into pie shapes.

Elevate the warmth. I bake these cookie bars at 375°F as a substitute of the usual 350°F cookie baking temp. The upper warmth bakes the bars sooner with much less unfold, thus, a thicker cookie bar.

Combine dry substances first. Like all cookies, toss the dry substances collectively—flour, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt—in a small bowl. I don’t trouble sifting, a easy whisking with a fork does the trick.

Mix softened butter with the brown sugar. Earlier than mixing with the brown sugar, make certain your butter is comfortable and pliable. As a result of it is a small batch recipe, I take advantage of my hand mixer as a substitute of the stand mixer, and if the butter isn’t comfortable, it’s so much tougher to include the large chunks. As soon as the egg is added, the batter will come collectively higher with the extra moisture.

Mix the dry substances with the moist. Mix the flour with the sugar combination, then stir within the chocolate chips and nuts.

Skip the Scoop and Press As a substitute

Dig in and press. Add the batter to the ready baking pan and calmly press the dough into corners of the pan, night out the tops as you go. Holding a light-weight hand is finest whereas night issues out.

Add extra chips. Tuck in a couple of extra chocolate chips to the highest of the dough for the prettiest after-baking presentation.

Refrigerate for half-hour as much as 3 days earlier than baking. Permit the dough time within the fridge earlier than baking, This hydrates the flour and corporations the butter so the dough doesn’t soften and unfold on the first indicators of excessive warmth.

Easy methods to Inform When the Cookie Bars are Performed

Figuring out when these cookie bars are completed is one thing you’ll each see and scent. The cookies ought to nonetheless be considerably comfortable within the center as they may proceed cooking as they cool.

Right here’s the telltale indicators of figuring out when the cookie bars are completed:

• My primary barometer for doneness is when the cookie edges brown and draw back from the pan.
• Search for a golden crust. If the cookies start to brown an excessive amount of, loosely place a bit of aluminum foil excessive whereas ending baking.
• Take a sniff, scent the aroma, and also you’ll realize it’s time.

Easy methods to Launch the Bars From the Pan

Then, to launch the bars from the pan, comply with these simple steps:

• Cool the bars within the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
• Run a pointy knife across the edges of the cookies.
• Then, like we used to do on the Hostess Bakery the place I labored summers throughout school, give the pan a bang on the counter to launch it from the underside.
• Unfold your hand large onto the cookie bars and rapidly tip out onto your hand, then straight again to the cooking rack to complete cooling. Watch out and quick so the cookies don’t break aside.

Another choice is to line the baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil so the edges cling over, creating handles to tug the bars out of the pan suddenly.

Or, minimize the cookie bars whereas nonetheless within the pan, and use a spatula to dish out.

In case you make this recipe, please let me know! Go away a star ranking on this recipe under and go away a remark, take a photograph and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.