Double Chocolate Cookie Bars
Posted Jan 31, 2025, Updated Feb 07, 2025
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These double chocolate cookie bars are a delicious dessert for chocolate lovers. They are easy to make in 5 minutes (plus baking time), and contain three forms of chocolate!
If you get the craving for chocolate cookies, but don’t have time to roll and bake multiple batches – then these chocolate cookie bars are for you!
They are rich, gooey and chocolate and are topped with flaky sea salt (aka: adult sprinkles). They are simple and delicious but taste like they came from a famous bakery!
Chocolate Cookie Bars: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Salted Butter. unsalted butter, ghee or coconut oil are all good substitutes. Or, try using brown butter.
- Granulated sugar. white or organic cane sugar are great choices.
- Light brown sugar. use dark brown sugar if you prefer a stronger molasses taste.
- All-purpose flour. I recommend using unbleached, all-purpose flour. For a gluten-free version, use an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour.
- Chocolate chips/bars. Choose your favorite – milk, dark, semisweet, even white chocolate chips are great choices. I like using peanut butter chips as well.
How to Make Chocolate Cookie Bars
Let’s walk through this chocolate cookie bars recipe together, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by lining an 8×8″ baking dish with parchment paper & lightly greasing. Then set aside.
Then, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, sea salt and baking powder in a medium bowl, then set the dry ingredients aside.
Next, cream the butter, brown sugar and white sugar together for 1 minute – either in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachement, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer.
Then, add the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional 1 minute.
Next, add the dry ingredients and beat until combined.
Stir in chocolate chips on low speed.
Then, evenly spread the chocolate cookie bars batter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Press the chopped chocolate bar into the top of the bars.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are set and the chocolate cookie bars are only slightly jiggly.
If desired, sprinkle the bars immediately with flaked sea salt after removing them from the oven.
Let the baking pan cool completely on a wire rack.
Use the parchment paper to lift the chocolate cookies bars out of the pan, cut and serve.
Serve
I suggest serving them room temperature, or slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream.
Store/Freeze
Store these chocolate cookie bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Let them thaw at room temperature, or warm them slightly in the microwave.
Chocolate Cookie Bars Recipe FAQS
Yes, double the ingredients and bake it in an 9×13″ glass or ceramic baking dish for 25 minutes.
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Double Chocolate Cookie Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter (softened)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 6 oz chocolate chips (1 cup)
- 2 oz chopped chocolate
- Optional: Flaked sea salt for the tops
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease, set aside.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, sea salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together for 1 minute.
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 1 minute.
- Next, add the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips on low speed until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Spread the dough in an even layer in the prepared pan.
- Gently press chopped chocolate over the top of the dough.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until the edges look set and the bars are only very slightly jiggly.
- If desired, sprinkle the top of the chocolate cookie bars immediately with flaked sea salt after removing them from the oven.
- Cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
- Use the parchment paper to lift the chocolate cookies bars out of the pan, cut and serve.
Video
Notes
- Salted Butter. unsalted butter, ghee or coconut oil are all good substitutes. Or, try using brown butter.
- Granulated sugar. white or organic cane sugar are great choices.
- Light brown sugar. use dark brown sugar if you prefer a stronger molasses taste.
- All-purpose flour. I recommend using unbleached, all-purpose flour. For a gluten-free version, use an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour.
- Chocolate chips/bars. Choose your favorite – milk, dark, semisweet, even white chocolate chips are great choices. I like using peanut butter chips as well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These were delicious! I added toasted walnuts as I like a little crunch. Will definitely make them again!
Love the addition of toasted walnuts, Beth!
These were delicious. The dough was hard and stiff after mixing, and I had to literally press it into the pan. However, the final baked product was yummy chocolatey heaven. The whole pan was gone within a day here. Will definitely make again.
I’m so glad you love them, Laura! Make sure your butter is softened and the eggs are room temperature, this will help with “stiff” dough!
This is absolute perfection. Loved sharing them with family and friends. Well done. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Stacey!!
These are delicious & were quick to put together! I opted for using mini peanut butter cups in place of the chocolate bar pieces for the “topping” and think it was an excellent choice. 😍
LOVE the idea of using mini peanut butter cups – YUM!