Chocolate chip cookies but make them bars! These Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars recreate familiar Toll House chocolate chip cookies as delicious, easy-to-bake bars.
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Pin RecipeWho doesn’t love chocolate chip cookies? Warm, chewy, and full of melted chocolate, this is a classic favorite for a reason. However, when I want to make a little twist on chocolate chip cookies, I bake them as bars! It cuts down my prep time, and they taste just as good. Plus, you get the benefit of crisp edges like you would with brownies for a dessert no one can resist!
Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe
If you’ve ever made the Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chips Cookie recipe, you’ll know it’s totally reliable. It’s also straightforward, quick, and doesn’t call for any fancy ingredients like hard-to-find specialty chocolate or salt, and this Toll House chocolate chip cookie bars recipe is just the same! Featuring basic ingredients like flour and brown sugar you probably already have on hand, it’s easy to whip up on the spur of the moment.
One tip is to use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor – because the rest of the ingredients are simple, real vanilla makes a big difference in the overall taste! I use unsalted butter to make these cookie bars. However, if you prefer a stronger hint of salt to balance the sweetness of the chocolate, you can use salted butter instead.
Chocolate chip cookie bars make the best after-school snack or can be packed as a sweet treat in a lunchbox. You can use them to make ice cream sandwiches or just enjoy them warm from the oven. However you eat these cookie bars, they are sure to be a hit!
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Ingredients for Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Butter – Unsalted butter at room temperature is best for these cookie bars.
- Brown sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar if needed.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract will give the best flavor.
- Eggs – Eggs help bind the bars.
- Flour – All-purpose flour forms the base of the cookie bars.
- Baking soda – To give the bars a lift!
- Salt – A hint of salt balances out the sweetness of these bars.
- Chocolate chips – I like semi-sweet chocolate chips for this recipe.
- Walnuts – For a nice bit of crunch.
Variations
- Go nut-free: Skip the walnuts, and use 3 cups of chocolate chips for a nut-free cookie bar.
- Use chocolate chunks: Use chocolate chunks in place of chocolate chips for a classic Toll House cookie bar.
- Try different chocolate: You can throw in some milk chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips, or include a mix of both along with the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
How to Make Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Preheat the oven and prepare the pan: Preheat your oven to 350℉, and spray a 9×13 pan with cooking oil spray. Set the pan aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar: Add the butter and light brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat with the paddle attachment until it is light and fluffy. You can also use a large bowl and an electric mixer. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl so that all of the butter is blended in well!
- Beat in the eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Mix in the vanilla: Mix in the vanilla.
- Beat in the dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix slowly as the batter will be very thick.
- Add the chocolate and nuts: Fold in 1 ½ cups of the chocolate chips and nuts, stirring them in slowly.
- Spread the dough in the pan: Dump the cookie dough into the greased pan, and use your hands to press it into the pan, making an even layer.
- Sprinkle the top of the dough with chips: Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips over the top of the top of the dough in the pan. Then, gently press the chips into the dough.
- Bake: Bake the bars for about 22-25 minutes. The top of the cookie bars and the edges will be golden brown, but the bars will still be a little soft to the touch (this is good!).
- Cool: Let the cookie bars cool to room temperature, cut, and enjoy!
How to Store Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Store leftover Toll House chocolate chip cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
To freeze, these bars, allow them to cool completely, and wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Then, transfer them to an airtight container or sealable bag, and keep them frozen for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to eat, let them thaw in the fridge overnight, and enjoy cold, set them out to come to room temperature, or heat them in the microwave for a few seconds!
Serving Suggestions
Cookie bars, like cookies, are perfect when eaten just as they are, preferably with a glass of cold milk! You could also serve them with scoops of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or topped with chocolate sauce.
FAQs
Your Toll House chocolate chip cookies may be flat if you overmixed the batter or your baking soda is old.
The company Nestle makes Toll House chocolate chips.
You can chill the cookie dough before you bake it (up to 3 days!), and make sure to follow the recipe exactly as written so the proportions of flour to sugar to fat are correct.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
Cookies
Banana Pudding Cookies
Cookies
Carrot Cake Cookies
Easter
Cadbury Egg Cookies
Quick & Easy Desserts
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
No Bake Desserts
No Bake Cookies (Without Peanut Butter)
Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ and spray a 9×13 pan with baking spray. Set the pan aside.
- Add the butter and light brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until it is light and fluffy. You can also use a large bowl and electric mixer. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl so that all of the butter is blended in well.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.2 eggs
- Mix in the vanilla.1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix slowly as the batter will be very thick. Sometimes I use my hands at the end to make sure everything is really well blended and the batter is smooth.2 ¼ cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Mix in 1 ½ cups of the chocolate chips and nuts, stirring them in slowly.2 cups chocolate chips, 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- Dump the cookie dough into the greased pan and use your hands to press it into the pan, making and even layer.
- Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips over the top of the top of the dough in the pan then gently press the chips into the dough.
- Bake the bars for about 22-25 minutes. The top of the cookie bars and the edges will be golden brown but the bars will still be a little soft to the touch (this is good!).
- Let the cookie bars cool to room temperature then cut and enjoy!
Notes
- Skip the walnuts and use 3 cups of chocolate chips for a nut-free cookie bar
- Use chocolate chunks in place of chocolate chips for a classic Toll House cookie bar
