Cookie Bars

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Cookie Bars are so much faster to make than chocolate chip cookies and just as delicious! These bars are rich, soft, chewy, and loaded with plenty of chocolate.

Course Dessert, Snack, Vegetarian

Cuisine American

Keyword cookie bars

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings bars

Calories 201kcal

Cost $4.50

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup (215g) light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup (100g) white granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk Note 1
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup Note 2
2 and 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour Note 3
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (175g) milk chocolate chips (semi-sweet also works if you'd prefer less sweet bars)

Instructions

PREP: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal of the bars. Lightly spray with cooking spray and set aside. Melt the butter in the microwave and then set aside for about 5-7 minutes to cool to room temperature. (If it is hot it will melt the sugars and cause greasy cookie bars.)
WET INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, add the melted butter (use a spatula to scrape every bit into the bowl), brown and white sugar. Stir until sugars and butter are incorporated. Add in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and maple syrup, stirring until smooth.
DRY INGREDIENTS: Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined, being careful to not overmix (which will result in denser bars). Add in the chocolate chips and again mix until just incorporated, being careful to not overmix. If the dough is too stiff to stir, you may need to knead the chips into the dough with your hands. Transfer this dough to the prepared pan and press it firmly into an even layer.
BAKE: Bake in the preheated oven for 23-28 minutes or until the top of the bars is no longer glossy and the edges are a very light golden brown. Be careful to not overbake; the bars will not be as soft and flavorful. Remove from the oven and let the pan cool on a wire cooling rack until they reach room temperature. Use the parchment paper overhang to remove the bars, cut into bars, and serve. Cookie Bars are best enjoyed 1-2 days after being made. Leftover bars can be tightly wrapped and frozen but they do lose some taste/texture after being frozen and thawed.

Video

Notes

Note 1: You can save the egg white and add it to breakfast the next morning (we love this Egg Skillet) or use it in our favorite Egg Wrap. Or simply discard the leftover egg white if desired.

Note 2: Maple syrup is the "secret ingredient" in a lot of my cookie recipes. Any sticky sweetener will work, and in a pinch, you can leave it out, but the bars do lack a bit of tenderness and a certain level of sweetness. If leaving it out, remove 2 tablespoons of flour from the recipe. Honey is more detectable flavor-wise, but works. Agave nectar and even regular corn syrup will also work. Maple syrup is our favorite -- it adds a very subtle maple flavor, a slightly more intense sweetness, and keeps these bars soft and wonderfully chewy. I use pure maple syrup, not to be confused with pancake syrup.

Note 3: Flour is the most important measurement in this recipe. If you press a measuring cup into a bag of flour, you are likely packing in way too much flour, which will yield thick and flavorless cookie bars. Spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level the top with the back of a table knife.

Nutrition