Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Sep 23, 2016, Updated May 21, 2025
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Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie bars, a.k.a. “Chango bars,” are soft, buttery, and loaded with chocolate chips and crunchy nuts. They’re so easy, even my kids make them from scratch! It’s a classic dessert bar recipe everyone will be asking for.
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Today is the day I’ve been looking forward to all week. Because it’s the day I share these decadent chocolate chip cookie bars, a.k.a. my kids’ favorite recipe. And yes, like sugar cookie bars, it’s one they proudly make all by themselves.
These cookie bars are basically blondies loaded with brown sugar, chocolate chips, and walnuts. The recipe comes from a children’s book, Jalapeño Bagels, and that’s how my kids first discovered it. In the book, these are called “Chango bars.” My girls have made them countless times, with just a little help from me.
You’ll Need These Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed for this chocolate chip cookie bar recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for the printable recipe with exact ingredient amounts.
- Unsalted Butter – Melted butter gives these bars that rich, chewy texture.
- Light Brown Sugar – Adds sweetness, moisture, and that signature caramel-y flavor. You can use dark brown sugar for a deeper flavor.
- Eggs – These help bind the bars and give them structure. Room temperature eggs are best for easy mixing.
- Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt – The essentials! All-purpose flour creates the base, baking powder gives a little lift, and salt balances the sweetness.
- Chocolate Chips – The star of the show. Use semi-sweet, milk, or even dark chocolate—whatever makes you happy!
- Chopped Walnuts – Adds crunch and a toasty, nutty contrast to the sweet cookie base. You can leave them out or swap in pecans if you’d like.
Tips for Perfect, Chewy Cookie Bars
- Don’t overmix the batter. Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Overmixing will result in tough bars (and no one wants that).
- Line your baking dish with parchment. Greasing works, but parchment makes it so much easier to lift the bars out and slice them cleanly.
- Slightly underbake for chewy centers. If you love a gooey middle, take them out when the edges are golden and the center is just set. They’ll continue to cook as they cool.
- Cool completely before cutting. I know, I know, it’s hard to wait. But letting them cool means clean slices and no falling-apart mess.
- Switch up the mix-ins. Not into walnuts? Use pecans, chopped pretzels, or skip the nuts and add more chocolate chips, white chocolate, or butterscotch.
Can I Freeze These Cookie Bars?
Yes! You can freeze the extras (if there are any). Wrap the bars individually or together, and freeze for up to 2 months. Pop a chocolate chip cookie bar in the microwave for a warm, chewy treat anytime.
Proper Storage
- On the counter: Keep the chocolate chip cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If your kitchen runs warm, you can store them in the fridge to keep them extra fresh, but let them come to room temperature before serving.
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish and set aside. Melt the butter.
- Cream the eggs and sugar. In your mixer's bowl, cream the brown sugar and eggs with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the melted butter to the brown sugar mixture and mix just until combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix the flour mixture into the brown sugar mixture until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Bake. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 45 minutes.
- Cool and serve. Remove the cookie bars from the oven and let them cool completely before cutting and serving.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I have made this several times in the past, as I was a second grade teacher and wanted to give my students a little treat after reading the story. I’m retired now, but I’ve always wondered if I could just use 2 sticks of butter instead of 1 each of butter and margarine. Has anyone tried this? I don’t generally buy margarine.
love this! i am going to have to make this very soon!
I wish I could have this for breakfast today! It looks terrific!
These bars bring back such wonderful memories of when my mom used to make them when I was growing up. She didn’t bake often, but she did bake these!
Your girls are too cute! These blondies sound fabulous and we will have to check out that book!
Ana and Aleksandra are so stinking cute!!! They should ask chef outfits from Santa!
and you’re right, calories don’t count on the weekend!
I am already a fan of chango bars just by the description alone.