Ooey gooey Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars in a 9 x 13 pan are perfectly soft and chewy, chock-full of chocolate chips, and bake in under 30 minutes.
Easy recipe when you want a batch of chocolate chip cookies fast!
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When I'm craving warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies, but don't feel like scooping, waiting for dough to chill, or baking batch after batch of cookies, I make an easy pan of Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.
There's no need to chill the dough AND I never have to wonder if the individual cookies will spread too much, not enough, or just not turn out.
This classic recipe for Toll House Bars is a quick dessert that turns everyone's favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe into a 9 x 13 pan of THE BEST thick, chewy cookie bars.
They're the perfect treat for after school or anytime, as long as there's a cold glass of milk involved.
Next, try whipping up a batch of Nutter Butter Bars or shortcut Million Dollar Bars. These delightful treats offer unique flavors and textures, sure to satisfy any craving.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No chilling, no scooping -- just warm, gooey chewy chocolate chip cookie bars
- The most popular chocolate chip cookie of all time in bar form
- Delicious recipe for a potluck or cookie exchange
Ingredients
Please refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients.
All-purpose flour. Measure flour carefully by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling off the top with a knife. If you scoop the flour, you may accidentally add too much which can make the cookie bars dry and hard.
Baking soda. If your box of baking soda has been in the cupboard for a while, test it for freshness. Place a teaspoon of soda into a dish with 2 tablespoons of vinegar. If it fizzes, the soda is still fresh.
Salt. Salt enhances all the yummy flavors of the cookies.
Unsalted butter. Use butter that has been softened at room temperature for 1-2 hours. If it's too hard, it won't cream well with the sugar. If it's too soft, it can make the dough greasy.
Granulated sugar. White sugar gives Nestle cookie bars the right amount of crispiness.
Dark brown sugar. The original Toll House chocolate chip pan cookie bar recipe doesn't specify dark or light brown sugar. I prefer dark brown sugar because it adds richer flavor. You can use either one.
Vanilla extract. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
3 cups of mix ins. The original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip pan cookie recipe calls for 2 cups of Nestle semi sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup of nuts.
I use about ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans and 2 ¼ cups of various types of chocolate. I use Nestle chocolate chips -- mini chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and dark chocolate chips -- and a bar of chopped premium dark chocolate.
The tiny shards of chopped chocolate melt into the cookie bars and the large chocolate chunks on top melt into gooey chocolate pools.
Is Brown or White Sugar Better for Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars?
Short answer: both. There's a reason why most chocolate chip cookie bar recipes call for both brown sugar and white sugar. They each offer different qualities (besides sweetness) that add up to the most delicious chocolate chip bars ever.
White sugar contributes to the crispiness of the cookies, and brown sugar offers moisture, a denser texture, and yummy molasses flavor.
Plus the acidity of brown sugar interacts with the baking soda and makes a cakier cookie.
But what happens if you run out of brown sugar?
You can still make really delicious chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar. Get my recipe right here along with an easy substitute for brown sugar in chocolate chip cookies.
How to Make Nestle Toll House Cookie Bars in a 9 x 13 Pan
Before you get started: Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper or aluminum foil with an overhang for easy removal.
Step 1: In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt together.
Step 2: In a large bowl, use a stand or hand mixer to beat the butter, brown and white sugar, and vanilla extract together until creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, mixing well between each one.
Step 3: Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The dough will be very thick. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts on low speed.
Step 4: Transfer dough to 9 x 13 pan and gently press it into the prepared pan.
Optional, press chocolate chips or chocolate chunks into the top of the dough.
Step 5: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges are set. Cool bars in the pan on a wire rack.
Step 6: Cut into squares and serve. Delicious warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, glass of milk, or decadent English Toffee Cappuccino Bombs.
Expert Tips
- Use 3 cups of various mix-ins including different types of chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, and nuts.
- Be careful not to overbake or the cookie bars will be hard and dry once they cool.
- Don't rely on the toothpick test to check for doneness. It won't work because the center will still be gooey right out of the oven. It will firm up as it cools.
- Baking time will be shorter in a darker pan and longer in a lighter/shiny pan.
FAQs
20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the edges are set.
Bake until risen, the top is golden brown, and the edges are set. The toothpick test won't work because the center will still be gooey and firm as they cool -- but there should not be wet batter as you check closer to the edges.
I like to check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer. 175-185 is the range to look for with 175 being on the gooeyer side.
You can use any kind of chocolate chips you like in these Toll House cookie bars including semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate chips.
You can even throw in some white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or cinnamon chips.
I also like to use a bar of chopped premium chocolate. The tiny slivers melt into the batter making it super chocolatey and the large shards give big mouthfuls of chocolate -- and look impressive.
Store Toll House pan cookies tightly wrapped in plastic at room temperature for a few days. Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds.
Yes. To freeze baked chocolate chip cookie bars, wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature.
This recipe for Nestle Toll House cookie bars in a 9 x 13 pan makes 12-24 delicious cookie bars, depending on how large you want the bars to be.
For the most evenly sized bars, use a ruler to measure out your cuts. Gently score the top of the bars with a paring knife to mark your path on each end and in the middle. Use a sharp chef's knife to make decisive, clean cuts. Wipe the blade clean between each cut.
For 12 very large chocolate chip bar cookies, slice the slab of bars into (3) 3-inch columns down and (4) 3.25-inch rows across.
For 15 large bar cookies, slice the bars into (3) 3-inch columns and (5) 2.6 inch rows across.
For 24 medium bar cookies, cut the bars into (4) 2.25 inch columns and (6) 2.16-inch rows across.
Ever wonder where the name Nestle Toll House cookies came from? No, it's not from Phoebe Buffay's French grandmother "Nestle Toulouse." (where my Friends people at? 🤣)
According to Nestle, in 1939, Ruth Wakefield made a batch of cookies for her successful Whitman, Massachusetts restaurant, the Toll House. She added broken pieces of Nestle semi-sweet chocolate hoping they would melt into the cookie batter. Instead, they softened and held their shape, creating the first ever batch of chocolate chip cookies. Her invention, which she called the Toll House Crunch Cookie, took off after it was published in a Boston newspaper.
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Toll House Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened 2 sticks
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed light brown sugar also works
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups mix-ins: chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, and coarsely chopped nuts you can use a variety of types of chocolate or all the same, nuts are optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper or aluminum foil with an overhang for easy removal.
- In a small bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, and salt together.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to beat the butter, brown and white sugar, and vanilla extract together until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each one.
- Gradually add the flour (I add it a third at a time) and mix until combined. The dough will be very thick.
- Add the chocolate chips and nuts. Set aside some chocolate chips or chocolate chunks for the top -- totally optional.
- Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts on low speed until combined into the dough.
- Press or spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Press the reserved chocolate chips or chocolate chunks into the top of the dough.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges are set. Internal temperature should read 175 to 185 on an instant read thermometer. A toothpick inserted in the middle won't come out clean, but should as you check closer to the edges. The middle will set as they cool.
- Cool the bars in the pan on a wire rack.
- Store tightly wrapped in plastic at room temperature for a few days. To freeze, wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or freezer bag.
We made these over the weekend and they were a super hit! This recipe is a keeper and will be a frequent treat in our house.
So wonderful to hear that, thank you for your nice note! Cara
Making these into bars was epic! The texture and flavor is out of this world.
That's awesome, I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Cara
These cookie bars are absolutely amazing! I mean, they are exactly what I have been looking for. Yum!
Oh, good, so happy to hear that! Cara
I can't think of a better recipe right now. All I need in my life are these tollhouse bars!!! 🙂
Haha, I hear you! Enjoy :). Cara
These cookie bars are incredible. They were super soft and chewy and I love the chocolate/nuts combo. Will definitely be making this again!
Thank you, Bobby, I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Cara
Everyone loved these!
Oh, good, I'm so glad! Thank you for the nice note :). Cara
Ok I want use a standard cookie sheet for a little thinner cookies. Should I double recipe?
Thanks
Hi, Stacie, it depends on the dimensions of your pan. I think I know what you mean by standard, but just to make sure... If you double the recipe in a full sheet pan, 18" x 26", you'll end up with half the thickness -- which would be pretty thin, these really aren't that thick. If you double the recipe in a half sheet pan, 18" x 13", your cookies will be the same thickness. For a thinner cookie, I would try tripling the recipe for a full sheet pan or 1.5 for the half sheet pan. If you haven't already, take a peek at the video so you can see how thick they are as written, you'll see when I hold one in my hand (for reference, my hands are smalllll). I hope all of this helps! Let me know what you end up doing and how it turns out! Cara
Amazing! My kiddos named them “crack brownies “. Lol. We did a cup of butterscotch chips and 2 cups chocolate…irresistible!! We will be making over and over again.
Haha, your kids are so funny :). I'm so glad everyone loved them -- and your butterscotch/chocolate combo sounds really yummy. Thank you so much for the nice note, enjoy! Cara
Easy to make but very dry and crumbly. Cooked for suggested time & temperature but ended up burned on top and raw in the middle…pretty tasteless.
Darn, I'm bummed this recipe didn't turn out for you and would love to help you troubleshoot this. Dry and crumbly sounds like too much flour and/or they were baked past the recommended internal temp range of 175 to 185. Burned on top and raw in the middle sounds like the oven may have been too warm. If you try this recipe again, I would recommend baking at a lower temperature and checking the internal temperature with a thermometer. As for tasteless, I recommend trying chopped chocolate -- the big chunks of chocolate are obviously delish, but the tiny shards flavor the dough, too.
Have I ever made Toll House Cookie bars before? Yes! Have they ever turned out this good? No! Instead of just mixing up the cookies and putting it all in a cake pan, as I've done for all of my 71 years, and since I was bringing it to an office potluck, I actually followed directions this time! It made all the difference. I took the internal temperature this time and see that I've always overbaked them before. Then, I have always just dipped my measuring cups in the flour, instead of gently spooning it into my measuring cup, when making cookies. Well, this time I spooned in the flour and that made a difference, too. Then, the 3 cups of add-ins...That just made it all the more special. Since mine were all eaten, quickly, at the office potluck, I made them again today. This time I used up some white chocolate chips, as last time I used little M&Ms for baking as one of the 3 add-ins, and was out of those. Thanks so much for the great up-scaled Toll House bar recipe!
I forgot to mention, I did bake them until the temp went to 175 degrees as I was in a hurry to get them out of the oven. Perfect temp for us!
Yum, we like them gooey too :).
Hi, Deb, thank for your kind note, I am so happy you found the tips helpful and that you and your co-workers enjoyed your yummy bars! The M&Ms sound delicious -- and the white chocolate chips, too. This is definitely a fun recipe to mix in whatever you're craving. Thank you again, Deb! Cara 🙂
I’ve made these many times. Always a hit!
That's awesome, it's hard to beat a classic Toll House cookie bar! Thanks so much for the note :). Cara
I’ve made a lot of chocolate chip cookies and bars in my life, and this bar recipe is the best yet! We loved how the cookies stayed soft and fresh (they didn’t dry out!) after a day. Easy and delicious!
P.S. I did bake a few minutes longer that the recipe said, even tho it had hit the determined “done” temperature.
Hi, Kristy, I'm so glad you loved them! Like you, we also love how these cookies stay soft for ages -- even after being frozen. Thank you so much for sharing your nice note :). Cara