Soft Chewy Chocolate Chip Bars (Printable Version)

Soft, chewy bars filled with melty chocolate chips, baked to golden edges in a single pan.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
05 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Add-Ins

09 - 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.
04 - Add eggs and vanilla extract to wet mixture, whisking until fully combined.
05 - Gradually fold in dry ingredients using a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Stir in semisweet chocolate chips evenly throughout the batter.
07 - Spread batter evenly into prepared baking pan and smooth surface.
08 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until edges are golden and center is set but not overbaked.
09 - Allow bars to cool completely in pan before slicing into 16 bars.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One pan, minimal cleanup, and you get enough to share without feeling like you're being stingy.
  • The texture is that perfect sweet spot between a cookie and a brownie—chewy, not cake-like.
  • They come together in under 40 minutes from start to eating, which means you can satisfy a chocolate craving before dinner.
02 -
  • The center will seem underdone when you pull them out, but bars keep cooking as they cool—overbaking is the biggest mistake people make, and it turns these soft treasures into hockey pucks.
  • Brown sugar is hygroscopic, which means it absorbs moisture from the air; if your bars seem too soft or spongy, your brown sugar might be old or your kitchen might be humid, so adjust by baking an extra 2-3 minutes.
  • Chocolate chips stay whole and distinct, which is different from melting chocolate into the dough; if you want a more fudgy bar, you'd need to use melted chocolate instead.
03 -
  • Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off rather than scooping directly from the bag—this prevents you from packing too much flour into the recipe and ending up with dense, dry bars.
  • If you like your chocolate chips extra melty, nestle them slightly into the dough before baking so they sink partway in, creating pockets of melted chocolate throughout.

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