Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These chocolate chocolate chip cookie bars are a chocolate lover’s dream. The texture is the perfect blend of fudgy and chewy with a gooey chocolate center that’s out of this world! In addition to being delicious, this is an incredibly easy recipe.

It’s the prefect make-ahead treat, especially for those holiday cookie boxes!

 Every bite has that ideal balance of sweet and rich chocolate flavors, chewy edges, and a soft, almost fudgy center.

Plus, the gooey melted chocolate chips on top of the bars makes them look gorgeous and bakery-worthy! Serve with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate fudge sauce and it’s the perfect dessert – the answer to all of your chocolate cravings!

(full list of ingredients in the recipe card)

When it comes to these Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, each ingredient plays a key role in bringing that rich, chocolatey goodness to life. Here’s why each one is essential:

• All-Purpose Flour and Almond Flour: These flours combine to give the bars structure and a slight nutty flavor. Almond flour makes them a bit softer, creating a tender, chewy bite that’ll melt in your mouth.
• Cocoa Powder: The star of that rich chocolate flavor! It brings depth to the bars, giving them that ultra-chocolatey goodness that chocolate lovers crave.
• Room Temperature Butter and Oil: Unsalted Butter adds richness and flavor, while the oil helps keep the bars extra moist. Room temperature butter is a must for blending smoothly, making the dough creamy and easy to work with.
• Brown Sugar and Powdered Sugar: The dark brown sugar make the cookies nice and chewy and enhances the chocolate flavor. The corn starch in the powdered sugar gives the bars a softer, almost fudgy texture.
• Room Temperature Egg and Egg Yolk: The egg yolk adds richness, and both create structure, so the bars hold their shape while remaining gooey in the center.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla is the supporting player here, balancing the chocolate and giving it a fuller flavor.
• Kosher Salt: Just a touch helps intensify the chocolate flavor and brings out the sweetness without overwhelming.
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and Dark Chocolate: This is where the magic happens! The semi-sweet chips bring classic sweetness, while the dark chocolate provides that satisfying bitterness. Together, they create pockets of melty, rich chocolate that elevate these bars to the next level.

Step-by-Step: How to make Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper with about 1 inch overhang. This will make it easier to lift the cookies out of the pan. Sift flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and kosher salt into a large bowl. Whisk together and set aside. 

• In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients – butter, oil, brown sugar, and powdered sugar. Use a hand mixer to mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, until all ingredients are combined and fluffy. Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract and continue to mix until all ingredients are fully combined, about 1 minute.

• Then add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined and a thick dough forms, about 30 seconds. 

• Add half of the cookie batter to the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the chocolate chips on top, then add the remainder of the batter on top. Smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top.

• Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are set and the center is only slightly jiggly, akin to jello. 

• Allow the cookie bars to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then place into the refrigerator to cool completely to set, about 1-2 hours. Once cooled, lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper, slice into squares, and serve. If you’d like to enjoy them warm, place into the microwave for 10 seconds to give them a nice gooey chewy texture. 

Pro tip: For an extra indulgent treat, enjoy with a glass of milk or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Now that’s a decadent dessert!

Tips for Making the Best Double Chocolate Cookie Bars

• Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Room temperature butter, eggs, and oil make a huge difference in achieving that creamy, smooth cookie dough. It helps everything blend easily, giving your bars that coveted chewy texture.
• Don’t Over-Mix the Dough: Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix just until the dough comes together. Over-mixing can lead to tough bars instead of chewy cookie bars.
• Chill for Clean Slices: for the cleanest cut, let the bars chill completely before cutting. This allows the chocolate to set and makes slicing much easier.
• Customize Your Chocolate: Feel free to swap out semi-sweet chocolate chips for milk or dark chocolate, or even add a few chopped walnuts for a nutty crunch!
• Use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients! When using a measuring cup, the measurements aren’t always accurate.