I still remember the first time my kitchen filled with the smell of these Lazy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. It was a rainy Sunday, and my motivation to scoop dozens of individual cookies was precisely zero. I wanted that gooey, chocolatey comfort with the absolute minimum fuss. Throwing these ingredients together in one bowl and pressing them into a pan felt almost like a kitchen hack. An hour later, as I pulled that golden, bubbling slab from the oven, I knew I’d found my new favorite dessert. The smell was pure nostalgia—brown sugar caramelizing, butter toasting, and melted chocolate promises. It was the soul of a chocolate chip cookie, but in the effortlessly shareable, gloriously chewy form of a bar. This recipe is for those days when you need a hug from the oven, but you don’t have the energy for a lengthy affair.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Now, let’s talk ingredients from my own trial and error. That softened butter is non-negotiable; I’ve tried melting it for ultimate laziness, and it changes the texture completely, making the bars greasy. Leave it out on the counter for an hour. For the brown sugar, pack it firmly into your measuring cup—this moisture is key for that signature chew. And please, don’t skip the sea salt. I used table salt once and regretted it. The fine sea salt disperses evenly and cuts the sweetness perfectly, making the chocolate flavor pop. Finally, for the chocolate chips, I’ve found a mix of semi-sweet and a handful of dark chocolate chunks creates little pockets of varying richness that is absolutely worth the tiny extra step.(See the next page below to continue…)