These copycat Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie bars are thick and chewy, studded with gooey chocolate chips. This recipe uses melted butter so you do not need a mixer and the dough comes together quickly by hand in a large mixing bowl. Want to make your own version of the nostalgic Nestle cookie bars? This is the recipe for you! Perfect for birthdays or potlucks, a sprinkle of flaky salt on top creates the perfect sweet and salty combo!
If you and your family like the original Nestle Toll House cookie bars, you’ll love this homemade version! I actually prefer the homemade version more, I think they come out a bit softer and chewier than the Nestle ones. Making these at home means you can customize them with different add ins or toppings. If you like your bars a bit more well done, simply bake them longer.
Think of these freshly baked, straight out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream! So decadent and delicious. This recipe would make a great cookie cake or skillet cookie, decorate with frosting or sprinkles and add candles for a fun birthday cake alternative!
Highlights Of The Bars
- One bowl recipe: this recipe uses melted butter so there is no need for an electric mixer or stand mixer. Simply mix together all ingredients by hand and pop these into the oven. Even better, this one bowl recipe means fewer dishes and easy clean up.
- Copycat to Nestle Toll House: these bars taste exactly like the Toll House cookie bars and the raw cookie dough taste just like the dough you get in the tub at the store! If you prefer to make your desserts from scratch, this is the perfect treat for you!
- Perfect for crowds: this recipe is a great dessert options for crowds or parties, the cookie bars can easily be transported directly in the baking pan and everyone is sure to love them! Add in different toppings as desired or decorate with holiday sprinkles and candies.
- No chill time: these bars do not require any chilling time, simply mix the dough and transfer directly into a baking dish and into the oven! These bake in about 30 minutes.
- Studded with chocolate: this is one mighty cookie bar, loaded with melty chocolate chips and topped with a sprinkle of flaky salt for a delicious sweet and salty combo. I like to top my cookie with a few more chips before baking.
Homemade Nestle Toll House Cookie Bars
Perfect for the chocolate lover in your life. Thick, fudgy, and so decadent you can be sure these are a hit at any gathering or holiday you bring them to! I like to skip the store-bought stuff and make these from scratch when possible.
Other types of chocolate can be mixed in or add in chopped candy and sprinkles for a fun, festive dessert. These can be stored in the freezer so make an extra batch, slice, and store for a later time!
Ingredient List & Substitutions
These cookie bars use simple ingredients, see below for ingredient substitutes if there are any as well as special notes:
- Unsalted Butter: if using salted butter, omit adding more salt later in the recipe. Do not substitute margarine.
- Granulated white sugar: I do not recommend swapping any other type of sugar for this recipe. Other sugars can impact the dough differently and change how the cookie bakes and rises.
- Brown sugar: make sure to pack your brown sugar. Light or dark brown sugar works.
- Whole eggs: I like fresh pasture raised farm eggs if available, but any kind will work for this cookie. Let your eggs come to room temperature for this recipe, this helps the eggs incorporate better.
- Pure vanilla extract: use homemade or store-bought vanilla extract.
- Baking powder: do not substitute baking soda and make sure your baking powder is fresh and not expired, after a couple months it will start to lose it’s potency.
- All-purpose flour: no substitution here, other types of flour will change the texture and affect baking differently.
- Chocolate chips: any kind of chocolate chips will work, semi-sweet, milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or white chocolate. Chopped chocolate bars work great as well.
How to Make The Cookie Bars
Let’s talk a little about how to make the Copycat Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Quick overview:
- Combine melted butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.
- Mix in dry ingredients and chocolate chips.
- Transfer to a prepped baking pan and bake.
- Let cool before slicing.
- In a large bowl combine cooled melted butter, whole eggs, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Use a whisk or flexible spatula to combine, the mixture should be smooth.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl with the wet ingredients, mix to combine until the dough is smooth and lump free.
3. Add chocolate chips into the mixing bowl with the cookie dough. Fold to combine.
4. Grease or line a 9″ x 13″ baking pan (I like to use cooking spray and parchment paper to ensure my bars don’t stick). Add the cookie dough into the prepared pan and press down until the cookie dough is evenly spread out. Top with extra or reserved chocolate chips if desired.
4. Bake the cookie bars at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with flaky salt after baking, if desired.
5. Allow bars to cool completely before slicing, this will help create cleaner cuts. Store leftover bars in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for 3-4 days!
More Homemade Desserts
If you’re a chocolate fan you have to try these decadent desserts below for more baking inspiration!
- Chocolate Espresso Muffins
- Protein Chocolate Pudding
- Edible Cookie Dough
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (the best classic chocolate chip cookie recipe)
- Loaded Monster Cookies
Tools I Use For The Easy Cookie Bars
- USA Pan 9×13 inch Baking Pan – another USA Pan product I love! The corners of my bars and cakes never stick and I love the squared of edges this pan creates.
- Rubber Spatula – a must have! I like these because they don’t come apart so I don’t have to worry about water getting inside the spatula and causing mold.
- Pyrex Mixing Bowl Set – I love this set of nesting bowls. I use them for everything, Pyrex glass does not break easily so you can trust on these bowls for years, plus they come in 3 useful sizes and can be stacked!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Even those these are made with melted butter and the butter does not need to be creamed. They can still be combined in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with a electric hand mixer.
I like rich, dark chocolate chips or a roughly chopped up chocolate bar. But any type of chocolate would work from white chocolate chips, to mini chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate.
No, the dough for these cookies bars does not need to be chilled – simply make and bake! If needed, it can be chilled for and hour or two up to 24 hours.
Yes, if you desire a thicker, more dense bar, these can be made in an 8″ x 8″ pan. The baking time will need to be increased to 45-50 minutes so the dough cooks through in the middle. Note, this may cause the edges of the bars to get a bite crispier due to the longer baking time.
The dough for cookie bars is the same as individual cookies, the difference is that cookie bars or blondies are spread out into a baking pan instead of scooped or dropped onto a baking sheet. Typically, dough for cookie bars is thick just like dough for individual cookies.
More Drool-Worthy Cookie Bar Recipes:
If you liked these chewy chocolate chip cookie bars, you’ll love these other easy bars and blondies – perfect for the sweets lover in your life!
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondies – the best combo of chocolate and peanut butter, these bars are loaded with chopped and whole Reese’s peanut butter cups!
- One-Bowl Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars – if you’re a oatmeal raisin fan, you’ll love these! Oatmeal raisin cookie dough with the perfect hint of cinnamon, topped with a crunchy streusel.
- One-Bowl Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Blondies – chewy cookie bars studded with oats, chocolate chips, and the perfect amount of peanut butter.
- One-Bowl Easter M&M’s Cookie Bars – a fun holiday dessert that is easy to make and transport!
Recipe Serving Suggestions
The best way to serve a cookie bar, in my opinion, is freshly bake with a scoop of vanilla or praline ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce! Some other easy ways to serve these Copycat Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are:
- Sandwich together with soft ice cream
- Serve with whipped cream, caramel or chocolate sauce, and sprinkles
- Add birthday candles and sprinkles for a fun cookie cake
- Chop bake bars up and serve over ice cream or blend into a malt
Copycat Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 9×13" Pan
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup Light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup Granulated white sugar
- 2 Eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
- 12 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate chips*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line a 9×13" baking pan, set aside. In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, stir to combine and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine melted butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk well to combine.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, transfer into the prepared baking pan. If desired, top with extra chocolate chips before baking.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
If you enjoyed this recipe, I would appreciate if you left a star rating on the recipe card above or a comment below sharing your experience! I value your feedback, it would also mean a lot if you could share this recipe or my website with friends or loved ones. Cheers!
I used 1/2 the cookie dough in an 8×8 pan to make bars for a dessert with a scoop of vanilla icecream on top. The other 1/2 was used to make cookies. Easy to make and tasted great!
Great idea, so happy to hear!