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    Home Recipes Desserts

    Chewy Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies

    Modified: Jan 26, 2022 · Published: Sep 21, 2020 by Kristi Ruth RD · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    ↓ Jump to Recipe

    Learn how to make the absolute best chewy Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies in less than 30 minutes from a dietitian!

    Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars on a white plate with a sheet pan of chocolate chip cookie bars in the background.

    These are the exact same Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars that I've been making for years. I've just given this post a new name, new photos, and a nicer flow. 😍

    If you know me, you know I love everything about fruit and veggies... and chocolate. Yes, I'm a dietitian and I don't just 'let' my kids eat cookies - I eat them too!

    Once I nailed down this recipe for chewy cookie bars, I pretty much stopped making traditional cookies because they take so much time. In fact, sheet pan cookies are so easy that you may just find yourself making them on repeat. Sorry, not sorry:)

    If you know me or have tried made my chocolate cupcakes with homemade frosting, you know I'm all about keeping things simple. This recipe is no different. See, I've got you!

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Dietitian Tip
    • Ingredient Notes
    • How to Make Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies
    • Helpful Tips
    • Questions You May Have
    • Related Recipes
    • More Easy Dessert Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    These chocolate chip sheet pan cookie bars are the perfect answer to making great tasting cookies in less time and with less mess!

    • Easy Recipe No need to spoon balls of cookie dough or use multiple baking sheets like you do when making individual cookies. This is the perfect recipe to make on busy weeknights or when feeding a crowed. And are the perfect size to pack in lunches.
    • Simple Ingredients All of these ingredients can be found at most grocery stores. In fact, you likely already have them on hand. If you don't have white whole wheat flour, you can use all-purpose flour instead.
    • Easy Cleanup All you have to do is toss the parchment paper in the trash and put everything else in the dishwasher.
    • 'Healthier' These bar cookies are made with less sugar, less butter, and fewer chocolate chips than traditional recipes and they still have the all the flavors and chewy texture that everyone loves. This means fewer grams of added sugar and less saturated fat. And the fiber from the white whole wheat flour in these cookie bars makes these a little more filling.

    Dietitian Tip

    Sometimes making minor changes to a recipe can give you the same or even better results as when making the original recipe. The key is starting small and substituting some, but not all of an ingredient at first.

    For instance, you'll notice that I use a mixture of flours and white whole wheat flour instead of just one type of flour. This is because when I've used more or used regular whole wheat flour it didn't taste very good.

    To be clear, I'm all about enjoying food and not feeling guilty about eating anything, especially a cookie (even when it's served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, haha!). I'm also all about helping people figure out easy and delicious ways to increase their fiber intake and reduce saturated fat and added sugar intake. 🤩

    Ingredient Notes

    Ingredients for making chocolate chip cookie bars, labeled.
    • White whole wheat flour Lighter in color and texture than traditional whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour is unbleached and has the same nutritional value as whole wheat flour. I use King Arthur brand.
    • All-purpose flour I use unbleached all purpose flour to maintain the familiar texture of cookie bars that kids love.
    • Butter Use unsalted butter at room temperature. Butter helps with the structure of the cookie bar.
    • Chocolate chips I almost always use semi-sweet chocolate chips. I have made them with a mixture including white chocolate chips and they also tasted so good! If you prefer milk chocolate chips, use them!

    How to Make Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies

    Four numbered images showing how to make chocolate chip pan cookies.

    Here’s a quick overview of the steps to make these chocolate chip cookie bars. For the full list of ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the recipe.

    1. Use an electric mixer (stand mixer or hand mixer) to cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Add eggs to the creamed mixture and continue to mix.
    2. Add the rest of the dry ingredients about a quarter of a cup at a time as the dough is mixing.
    3. Stir in chocolate chips and spread the cookie dough out evenly on a lined sheet pan (9x13 pan).
    4. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 16-17 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

    Helpful Tips

    • Using parchment paper to line the rimmed bar pan makes clean-up super easy. If you don't have parchment paper, use a well-greased baking sheet instead.
    • Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.
    • If you don't have a sheet pan, any 9x13 baking pan will work. Just be sure the baking pan you use is rimmed.
    • Use the palm of your hand to spread out the cookie dough.
    • When spreading out the cookie dough, leave a small amount of space on all sides (to allow for the cookie dough to expand).
    • To save time, mix the rest of the dry ingredients together (flours, baking soda, and salt) while the sugar and butter are mixing.
    • Butter at room temperature will be soft but still hold its shape. Don't place butter on the counter above your dishwasher while it's running, or it will get too soft. Clearly, I'm speaking from experience 😉
    • Baking time is pretty specific because they bake at a higher heat. Keep a close eye on them as they cook so they don't overcook.
    • If you don't have chocolate chips, take a chocolate bar and break it into chocolate chunks. I did this when I was in The Netherlands a few years ago because we couldn't find chocolate chips anywhere.
    • If you have oat flour, you can substitute up to half of the all-purpose flour with oat flour. Incorporating oat flour will soften the cookies a bit more - we love them both ways!

    Questions You May Have

    Can you freeze these cookie bars?

    Yes, they can be stored in the freezer. Once cooled completely, they can be stored in a freezer-safe airtight container or re-sealable plastic bag and placed in the freezer. I suggest placing a piece of parchment paper in between the cookie bars to keep them from sticking together. Once defrosted, they won't be as soft as when freshly baked but they will still taste great!

    What kind of chocolate chips should I use?

    Use what you have or what your kids love! I always keep semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips on hand. My kids prefer semi-sweet, of course!

    Can I use melted butter or oil instead?

    You can but the texture will be very gooey, more like a blondie than a cookie.

    Related Recipes

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    • Vegan Blondies with Chocolate Chips
    • Chocolate Covered Pineapple

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    Did your kids love these incredible cookie bars? Please leave a 5-star rating below or a review in the comments section!

    Don't forget to snap a pic of their cookie bars and tag @carrots.and.cookies on Instagram so I can see it. Enjoy!

    📖 Recipe

    A stack of chocolate chip cookie bars on a white plate.

    Chewy Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies

    Kristi
    Learn how to make the absolute best chewy Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies in less than 30 minutes from a dietitian!
    5 from 21 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 17 minutes mins
    Total Time 27 minutes mins
    Course Dessert, Recipes
    Cuisine American
    Servings 30 2 inch square cookie bars
    Calories 107 kcal

    Equipment

    • Stand or hand mixer

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ¼ cup white whole wheat flour
    • 1 cup all purpose flour see notes section for option to substitute some of this with oat flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ⅔ cup brown sugar packed.
    • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
    • ½ cup butter at room temperature (see notes below)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla use pure vanilla extract
    • 2 large eggs
    • 6 ounces chocolate chips ½ of a standard size package

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit
    • Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Using a stand mixer, cream together softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla
      ⅔ cup brown sugar, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • While this is mixing, combine flours, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside
      1 cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 ¼ cup white whole wheat flour
    • Add eggs to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix well.
      2 large eggs
    • Mix in dry ingredients about one-quarter cup at a time.
    • Stir in chocolate chips using a spoon or small rubber spatula.
      6 ounces chocolate chips
    • Spread mixture out evenly on a lined rimmed baking sheet.
    • Bake for 16-17 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
    • Let cool, cut into squares, and enjoy!

    Notes

    *Nutrition facts are estimated based on a database this owner is not responsible for maintaining. Exact nutrition information will depend on actual ingredients and amounts used when making this recipe. And remember, there is so much more to food than what you will find on a Nutrition Facts Label 🙂
    • Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.
    • If you don't have a sheet pan, any 9x13 baking pan will work. Just be sure the baking pan you use is rimmed.
    • Use the palm of your hand to spread out the cookie dough.
    • When spreading out the cookie dough, leave a small amount of space on all sides (to allow for the cookie dough to expand).
    • Butter at room temperature will be soft but still hold its shape. Don't place butter on the counter above your dishwasher while it's running, or it will get too soft. Clearly, I'm speaking from experience 😉
    • Baking time is pretty specific because this bakes at a higher heat. Keep a close eye on the chocolate chip bars as they bake so they don't overcook.
    • If you don't have chocolate chips, take a chocolate bar and break it into chocolate chunks. I did this when I was in The Netherlands a few years ago because we couldn't find chocolate chips anywhere.
    • If your kids prefer thinner, gooier cookies, just use 1 cup of white whole wheat flour (instead of one and a quarter cup) and bake for an additional 2 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
    • If you have oat flour, you can substitute up to half of the all-purpose flour with oat flour. Incorporating oat flour will soften the cookies a bit more - we love them both ways!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 107kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 86mgPotassium: 58mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 25IUCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Comments

    1. Mykaela says

      May 22, 2024 at 9:31 pm

      5 stars
      So so good!! Can’t stop eating these!!

      Reply
      • Kristi says

        May 24, 2024 at 7:33 pm

        Haha! I can totally relate!

        Reply
    5 from 21 votes (20 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




    Kristi Ruth RD wearing a green top with jeans and holding a white platter with tri-colored carrots.

    Welcome to Carrots & Cookies! I'm a busy working mom of three and can now say that I've been a dietitian for 20 years!! I'm on a mission to show you that eating well doesn't have to be complicated by providing you with easy recipes and practical nutrition tips! More about me...

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