Chewy Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies

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

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.

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.
Add the rest of the dry ingredients about a quarter of a cup at a time as the dough is mixing.
Stir in chocolate chips and spread the cookie dough out evenly on a lined sheet pan (9x13 pan).
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.