Sheet Pan Cookie Bars are a great way to feed a crowd. These delicious cookie bars come together quick and have both white and milk chocolate chips in them.
Do you need to bake for a crowd? With this super easy recipe for large batch cookie bars, you’ll be happy to do it anytime. Moist, soft, and so delicious, these cookies come out perfect every time. With the full bags of chocolate and white chocolate chips, these are guaranteed to be a hit with everyone!
Looking for other delicious cookie recipes? Don’t miss my Triple Chip Cookies and super-moist Pumpkin Spice Cookies! For another delicious chocolate cookie, try these Italian Almond Chocolate Cookies!
Why this Recipe is the Best!
The best part about these sheet pan cookie bars is how easy they are to make. All of the chocolate chip cookie flavors you love, without having to make individual cookies.
Also, clean up is a breeze! All you have to clean is the one bowl you made them in and the sheet pan.
You can also customize this recipe with your favorite chips and add ins. Once you have the base recipe, you can bake and customize these to your liking.
Because this recipe is so simple and yields so many bars, it’s perfect for work gatherings, potlucks, teacher appreciation lunches, or any party or get together you may be hosting or bringing a dish to! You’re going to love these bars, try them today!
Ingredients
The ingredients for making Sheet Pan Cookie Bars include: butter, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Chocolate Chips: For this recipe I like to include both white and milk chocolate chips. I like the way the flavors play off each other. You can always use all milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips, or switch it up with peanut butter or butterscotch chips.
- Brown Sugar: The brown sugar helps make these cookie bars extra soft and sweet. The original recipe called for 3 cups of brown sugar instead of 2. If you are looking for a truly decadent and sweet bar, you can increase the sugar amount.
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter in baking. Be sure that your butter is at room temperature before you get started.
Read on to see how easy this recipe is to make!
How to Make Sheet Pan Cookie Bars
First, make sure you are using a large mixing bowl or stand up mixer. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare your sheet pan by coating it with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar using a hand mixer; about 2 minutes. Then add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined. To the same bowl, add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix again until just combined.
Step 2: Then, pour in a bag of milk chocolate chips and a bag of white chocolate chips, saving some chips to sprinkle on top of the bars.
Step 3: Use a rubber spatula to mix in the chocolate chips, scraping downs the sides of the bowl as you go. Be sure to incorporate all of the ingredients into the batter.
Step 4: Press the batter into your prepared sheet pan. The mixture will be sticky. My best advice to get the batter into the pan is to press it down using damp hands. To do this, wet your hands slightly and press the cookie dough into the pan.
Sprinkle the remaining chips over the top of the cookie batter. No need to press them in.
Bake on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden.These bars will bake fast. Be sure to pull them out of the oven when they start to turn golden in color.
Next, let the cookies cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes. Then, you can cut the bars directly in the pan and lift them out.
This recipe easily makes 40 large cookie bars, 60 medium, or 80 if you are cutting them smaller. You and refrigerate them for up to two weeks or store them in an airtight container at room temperature for three days.
Cookie Bars Tips and FAQs
Sheet Pan Cookie Bars are a great way to make treats for a crowd. To ensure the best bars every time, check out my expert tips:
- Use room temperature unsalted butter.
- Mix the butter and sugar until the batter is light and fluffy; about two minutes.
- Use good quality chips for this recipe. I like Nestle or Ghirardelli brand.
- The best way to get the batter into the sheet pan is to press it down with damp hands.
- Don’t over bake the bars. Take them out right when they start to turn golden brown.
The dough for a cookie bar is the same as the dough you would make for a cookies. However, instead of making individual cookies, they are baked in a baking pan, or in this case a sheet pan. The result is a fluffier more brownie-like cookie texture.
Yes! You will just need to double the recipe in most cases. Press the cookie batter into a greased sheet pan and bake until golden in color.
There are a couple of options on how to store cookies bars. Either way, they must be kept in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to three days, in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or freeze for up to two months.
More Treats Recipes!
Be sure to try out these other fan favorite bar and cookie recipes!
Sheet Pan Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan (standard sized – 18 x 13)
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened (two sticks)
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 cups flour (430 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 12 ounce bag chocolate chips
- 1 12 ounce bag white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 18 x 13 half sheet baking pan (standard sized baking pan) with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand up mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix to combine. Fold in the two bags of chocolate chips, save a few for sprinkling over the top of the bars.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread with rubber spatula or damp hands. Sprinkle on the remaining chips. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden brown. Cool on wire rack completely. Cut into squares.
Video
Notes
- You can easily change the flavor of the bars depending on what types of chips you use. Butterscotch, peanut butter, or dark chocolate chips would all be delicious here.
- Bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week, or frozen for up to a month.
- This recipe can make 40 large bars, 60 medium bars, or 80 smaller bars.
Julie
These are absolutely fabulous, but be forewarned it’s impossible to eat just one. I’ve made them about 4 times since June and they are so quick and easy to make. I recently took them to a family gathering and they got rave reviews from everyone and a request for the recipe. I love that they feed a crowd. There’s nothing I don’t like about this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it. : )
Angela Allison
This made my day!! I’m so happy you love them! Thanks for the great comment 🙂
Rayann
Could you make half the mixture if you have a smaller crowd?
Angela Allison
Yes. Just bake them in a quarter sheet pan or a 9 x 13 baking pan.
Marita DOTY
Do you line just the bottom with parchment paper?
Angela Allison
Yes. I usually spray the entire pan with cooking spray and then just place a liner at the bottom of the pan.
ange
guys! – LIFT the parchment paper and don’t drag it out like i did b/c they cracked 🙁 (???i don’t what i was thinking!)
I just made these and they are soooooooooooooo good!
Thank you for an easy recipe.
I baked for 30 minutes plus a tad more because i couldn’t tell if they were done even though they were golden.
Used a bag of peanut butter & choc chips and a bag of choc chips just b/c i’m not a white choc fan.
angelakallison
Thanks for the tip! Also, I love that you used peanut butter chips instead… one of my absolute favorites. YUM!! 🙂
ange
i will say that even though i had cracks, with the texture of these, they still held together well when cooled completely and cut. Also they did not need the extra cook time beyond the 30 minutes b/c the inside texture was still the same (soft).
Plan to make them again and try butterscotch & choc chips!! The chip manufacturers have just gone wild with all the choices out there these days!!
Vanessa Madrigal
What size pan? 9×13 or larger like a cookie sheet?
angelakallison
standard sheet pan works here
Gayle
But what size do you consider standard? I have a quite large one but I’d love to know dimensions of pan you used.
angelakallison
I use a 18 x 13 inch pan, which is actually considered a baker’s half sheet.
Korinne
So if I don’t have an 18×13 pan, I guess I could use 2 9×13’s?
angelakallison
Yes, that would work!
Julie
Perfect for a crowd for sure! Thanks for sharing!
Suzy
This is such a great idea! So much easier then making dozens after dozens of cookies!
Carrie Robinson
These look absolutely amazing! Perfect for feeding a crowd. 🙂