Julie Clark
Updated:
Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookie Bars
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If you like sugar cookies and chocolate, you’ll fall in love with these Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookie Bars! Easy dessert recipe with chocolate frosting.
Some of our most loved recipes are our sugar cookies. Whether bakery style or confetti filled, ya’ll love your sugar! Last year we shared sugar cookie bars with frosting and even M&M sugar cookie bars, but today it’s double chocolate.
Because…why not?
These easy bar cookies are thick and rich due to all that butter, but by adding in a sprinkling of mini chocolate chips you make them something just a little more special. And the frosting on top? Top notch. Your friends and family will LOVE these!
How to Make Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
When people think of sugar cookies, they may often also think “time consuming”. Our mind goes to rolling and cutting and re-rolling cookie dough. With sugar cookie bars, you get all that amazing buttery flavor with half the work. No rolling necessary!
- The first key to the chocolate chip sugar cookie bars is to cream the butter and sugar really well. The butter should be at room temperature, but not melted. The butter should be completely blended in. No chunks at all. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to ensure it all gets mixed well.
- After you add the flour, mix just until combined. You want it well combined, but don’t overmix.
- Mini chocolate chips work best in this recipe so that every bite has some chocolate.
- Bake these bars in 8×8″ baking pan. I love that this makes them thicker…and doesn’t make a huge pan. Perfect for when the chocolate craving hits!
**Pro Tip: We lined the baking pan with parchment paper. By doing this, after baking you can pull up on that paper to easily remove the bars from the pan. That way you can make clean, even cuts. Plus, it helps keep the pan clean!**
Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
Many sugar cookie bars call for vanilla buttercream, but today it’s all about the chocolate!
You can buy your favorite brand of store frosting to keep things easy, but we highly recommend trying this chocolate cream cheese frosting. It’s amazing and will make these bars melt in your mouth.
Be sure the cream cheese and butter are at room temperature, but not melty. If the butter is too melty, it will give the frosting a strange texture.
Cream the butter and cream cheese together really well before adding the other ingredients. Then whip the frosting a full 3-4 minutes so that it gets light and fluffy.
How to Store Sugar Cookie Bars
Store the sugar cookie bars at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 24 hours. If you have them longer than that, refrigerate them.
Can you freeze sugar cookie bars?
Yes! These bars freeze well. Place them in a plastic container with parchment paper between layers. Snap the lid closed to seal the air out. They’ll keep in an airtight container in the freeze for up to 2 months.
To defrost, bring the container to room temperature before opening it. This will keep all that moisture in the bars so that they taste fresh.
You’ll also love our Hershey brown sugar shortbread bars!
Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookie Bars
If you like sugar cookies and chocolate, you’ll fall in love with these Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookie Bars! Easy dessert recipe with chocolate frosting.
Servings 16
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
For the cookie bars:
- 3/4 cup salted butter (room temperature) 6 ounces
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 grams
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 325 grams
- 3/4 teaspoon salt 6 grams
- ½ teaspoon baking soda 3 grams
- 1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips 9 ounces
Frosting-
- 4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature) 4 ounces
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder 33 grams
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar 325 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 grams
- 2 tablespoons milk 30 grams
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
To make the cookie bars:
- Cream together butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla; mix until thoroughly incorporated.
- Add the flour, salt and baking soda. Mix again just until combined, scraping the side of the bowl as needed.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Evenly press dough into prepared pan.
- Bake cookie bars until edges begin to golden, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool completely.
To make the frosting:
- Cream together cream cheese and butter.
- Add cocoa powder and ½ of the powdered sugar. Mix on low until combined.
- With mixer running on low, add remaining powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.
- Once all the ingredients have been added, increase mixer speed to medium high and beat until frosting is light and airy, about 4 minutes.
To assemble:
- Evenly spread cookie bars with frosting and garnish with additional chocolate chips, if desired.
- Slice and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
The calories shown are based on the bars being cut into 16 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 frosted bar. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**
Nutrition
Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 265mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 613IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg
