Ooey gooey Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars in a 9 x 13 pan are perfectly soft and chewy with ooey gooey centers and tons of melty chocolate chips. Easy recipe that bakes in under 30 minutes, perfect treat for when you want a batch of Nestle chocolate chip cookies, but don't feel like scooping individual cookies.
Be sure to try my family's favorite Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chocolate Chipless Cookies next.
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❤️You're Going to Love This
- Warm, gooey, chewy chocolate chip cookie bars. No cilling, no scooping
- No guesswork or cookie spread fails. They bake up thick and perfect every time
- Just like Nestle's classic chocolate chip cookies, but in a 9 x 13 cake pan
- Fast, easy, quick dessert for a potluck, bake sales, or holiday cookie exchange
Ingredients
Please refer to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients.
- All-purpose flour. Measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling off the top with a knife. If you scoop it directly from the bag, you may add too much flour, which can make cookies dry or hard.
- Baking soda. Baking soda gives cookie bars a softer, chewier texture. Test baking soda for freshness by placing a teaspoon of it into a dish with 2 tablespoons of vinegar. If it fizzes, the soda is still fresh.
- Unsalted butter. Soften butter to room temperature so it blends easily with the sugar. If all you have is salted butter, just skip adding the salt -- one stick of butter has about ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Granulated sugar. White sugar gives Nestle cookie bars the right amount of crispiness.
- Dark brown sugar. I prefer dark brown sugar because it adds richer flavor. You can also use light brown sugar.
- 3 cups of mix ins (nuts are optional). I use ¾ cup chopped pecans and 2¼ cups of mini, semi-sweet, and dark chocolate chips, plus a chopped bar of premium dark chocolate. The tiny slivers of chocolate melt into the dough, while the larger shards create gooey pools on top. Use whatever chocolate or nuts you love!
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 large bowl, beat the butter, brown and white sugar, and vanilla extract with a hand or stand mixer until creamy. Mix in eggs one at a time.
Step 2: In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts on low speed.
Step 3: Gently press chocolate chip cookie dough into a 9 x 13 inch pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Optional, press chocolate chips or chocolate chunks on top of the dough.
Step 4: Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown, the edges are set, and the center looks underbaked. Cool bars in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares and serve. Delicious warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, glass of milk, or decadent English Toffee Cappuccino Bombs.
✅Top Tips
- Use 3 cups of various mix-ins, including different types of chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, and/or 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.
🎁How to Store and Freeze Toll House Bars
- Store Toll House pan cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds.
- To freeze baked chocolate chip cookie bars, wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature.
❓FAQs
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. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out gooey, but should be cleaner near the edges.
Use any chips you like-semi-sweet chocolate chips are a classic option, but you can also use dark, milk, white, peanut butter, butterscotch, even cinnamon chips. I love adding chopped premium chocolate for melty bits throughout and big gooey pockets on top.
This recipe makes 12 to 24 bars, depending on how big you cut them. For clean, even pieces, score the top with a knife before cutting and wipe the blade between cuts.
12 large bars: 3 columns × 4 rows
15 bars: 3 columns × 5 rows
24 smaller bars: 4 columns × 6 rows
No, they're not named after Phoebe Buffay's "Nestle Toulouse" 🤣. According to Nestle, the name for the famous Toll House cookies comes from the Toll House restaurant in Massachusetts, where Ruth Wakefield invented this classic chocolate chip cookie recipe in 1939 using chopped Nestlé chocolate. Her recipe became famous after being published in a Boston newspaper.
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📖 Recipe
Toll House Chocolate Chip 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 pure 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.
Video
Notes
- Use 3 cups of various mix-ins, including different types of chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, and nuts. Nuts are totally optional!
- Be careful not to overbake or the cookie bars will be hard and dry once they cool.
- Baking time will be shorter in a darker pan and longer in a lighter/shiny pan.
- A toothpick inserted into the center may not come out clean, but there should be no wet dough as you check closer to the edges. The internal temperature should read 175-185, with 175 being on the gooeyer side
Marilyn says
When I was a kid the Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe used Crisco instead of butter. Can I use Crisco for this recipe?
Cara Lanz says
Hi, Marilyn, Sure, I don't see why not! They'll probably have an even softer texture, but, of course, won't have the same butter flavor. You could always go half and half, too. Let me know how it goes! Cara 🙂
Sandhya S says
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.
Cara Lanz says
So wonderful to hear that, thank you for your nice note! Cara
Brandi says
Making these into bars was epic! The texture and flavor is out of this world.
Cara Lanz says
That's awesome, I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Cara
Mahy says
These cookie bars are absolutely amazing! I mean, they are exactly what I have been looking for. Yum!
Cara Lanz says
Oh, good, so happy to hear that! Cara
Ashley says
I can't think of a better recipe right now. All I need in my life are these tollhouse bars!!! 🙂
Cara Lanz says
Haha, I hear you! Enjoy :). Cara
Bobby says
These cookie bars are incredible. They were super soft and chewy and I love the chocolate/nuts combo. Will definitely be making this again!
Cara Lanz says
Thank you, Bobby, I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Cara
Judi says
Everyone loved these!
Cara Lanz says
Oh, good, I'm so glad! Thank you for the nice note :). Cara
Stacie says
Ok I want use a standard cookie sheet for a little thinner cookies. Should I double recipe?
Thanks
Cara Lanz says
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
Casi says
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.
Cara Lanz says
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
S K says
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.
Cara Lanz says
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.
Deb W says
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!
Deb W says
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!
Cara Lanz says
Yum, we like them gooey too :).
Cara Lanz says
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 🙂
Del says
I’ve made these many times. Always a hit!
Cara Lanz says
That's awesome, it's hard to beat a classic Toll House cookie bar! Thanks so much for the note :). Cara
Kristy Hubert says
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.
Cara Lanz says
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