These double chocolate cookie bars are a chocolate cookie bar studded with chocolate chips and finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. They bake up chewy, intensely chocolatey, and require no mixer — perfect for when you want a hands-off, deeply satisfying chocolate treat.
These bars are ideal for chocolate lovers who want a quick, impressive dessert. The recipe comes together in about thirty minutes and doesn’t require shaping individual cookies or using a stand mixer — you simply prepare the dough, spread it in an 8×8 pan, bake, and slice. The result is a fudgy, chewy interior with slightly crisp edges and pockets of melted chocolate from the chips.
If you enjoy dense, rich chocolate desserts, try pairing these cookie bars with other favorites like inside-out chocolate chip cookies, a rich black chocolate cake, or moist double chocolate zucchini muffins for variety.
Why You Will Love These Bars
- All the chocolate: A chocolate cookie base plus plenty of chocolate chips makes these intensely chocolatey.
- No mixer required: Everything is mixed by hand in bowls, which keeps prep simple and cleanup minimal.
- Chewy, fudgy texture: The combination of brown sugar and a little cornstarch yields bars that are tender and chewy rather than cakey.
Ingredient Notes
Full ingredient amounts and the complete method are in the recipe section below. A few notes on key ingredients:
- Cocoa powder: Use dark or Dutch-process cocoa for a deep chocolate flavor. Regular unsweetened cocoa will work, but the bars will be slightly lighter in color and flavor.
- Butter: Melted and cooled butter keeps the batter easy to mix and contributes to a fudgy texture.
- Sugars: A mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar gives chewiness plus a touch of crisp edge.
- Eggs: The recipe uses one whole egg plus one additional yolk to enrich the batter without over-leavening it.
- Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chips are used here, but you can swap in milk, dark, white chocolate, or even peanut butter chips depending on your preference.
Step by Step Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Spray or line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment and set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1¼ cups (175 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (21.5 g) dark cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl whisk together ½ cup (113.5 g) melted salted butter, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar and ¾ cup (165 g) brown sugar until combined. Add 1 large room-temperature egg, 1 large egg yolk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla; mix until smooth.
- Combine: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Avoid over-mixing to keep the bars tender.
- Add chocolate chips: Fold in 1 cup (180 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Spread and top: Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan and sprinkle extra chocolate chips across the top for an attractive finish.
- Bake: Bake for 23–27 minutes, or until the edges look set and the center no longer jiggles. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with flaky salt. Cool completely before slicing for the cleanest bars.
Expert Baking Tips
- Mix-ins: Swap or add peanut butter chips, M&M’s, or white chocolate chips for a different flavor profile.
- Pan choice: Metal pans conduct heat more evenly than glass and often produce better edges on bars and brownies.
- Cutting bars: Use a plastic knife or a sharp knife wiped clean between cuts to keep edges neat.
- Measuring flour: Weights in grams are more precise. If you measure by volume, spoon flour into the cup and level it off rather than scooping directly from the bag.
- Browned butter: You can brown the butter for a nutty flavor — just cool it to lukewarm before combining with sugars and eggs.
FAQ
Yes. Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. Results will vary slightly depending on the blend used.
If the center sinks, they likely needed a few extra minutes in the oven. Make sure the center isn’t jiggly when you remove them, and allow the bars to cool fully; they continue to set as they cool.
Yes — browned butter adds a rich, toasty flavor. Let it cool slightly before combining with the sugars and eggs so it doesn’t cook the eggs.
Storing & Freezing
Store cooled cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days. They keep their chewy texture well.
For longer storage, freeze the bars in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3–4 months. Thaw at room temperature; these bars remain pleasantly soft and gooey even after freezing.
Other Popular Recipes to Try
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Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats -
Blueberry Peach Muffins -
Chocolate Chip Potato Chip Cookies -
Strawberry Doodle Cookies
For more recipes and baking ideas, follow the creator on social media and tag any photos of your bakes — it’s always fun to see how readers adapt recipes!
Double Chocolate Cookie Bars
Servings: 12 | Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 24 mins | Total: 39 mins
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (175 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (21.5 g) dark cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113.5 g) salted butter, melted and cooled
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (165 g) brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (180 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Flaky salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Spray and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk the melted butter with granulated and brown sugar. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan and top with extra chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake 23–27 minutes, until the edges are set and the center no longer jiggles. Sprinkle with flaky salt and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Try different chips or mix-ins for variety: white chocolate, peanut butter chips, or candy pieces work well.
- Weights in grams are provided for precision. If using volume measurements, spoon the flour into the measuring cup rather than scooping directly.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 288 kcal | Carbohydrates: 37 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 15 g | Sugar: 23 g