Gluten-free chocolate chip bars have everything you love in a classic cookie, made even simpler. They're soft and chewy in the center, golden brown around the edges, and loaded with a rich chocolate flavor. No fuss to make, and always a crowd favorite!

A plate of chocolate chip cookie bars is stacked on a white plate with a gray rim, surrounded by loose chocolate chips and a bowl of chocolate chips in the background.

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Skill Level: Beginner

Flavor Remix: Mix in chopped nuts like pecans, or walnuts.

Allergy Watch: Gluten Free, Nut-Free

This recipe turns your favorite chocolate chip cookie into something even better: a thick, chewy cookie bar. It's even easier to make than a cookie, since there's no need to chill or scoop the dough.

This also makes a great base for a sundae. Simply heat a large cookie bar and top with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge.

Ingredient Notes

Gluten-Free Flour Blend: Use any 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum. Some good choices are Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur.
Butter: Use unsalted butter. If you're using salted, add half a teaspoon of salt instead.
Sugar: A mix of white sugar and brown sugar gives the bars the perfect balance of sweetness and moisture.
Eggs: Use one whole egg and add an extra egg yolk for a richer flavor.
Baking Soda: Don't skimp or use baking powder.
Chocolate Chips: I used semisweet chocolate chips, but you can swap them with dark chocolate chips, mini chips, or chopped milk chocolate bar.

Top-down view of labeled baking ingredients for gluten free chocolate cookie bars, including eggs, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, butter, brown sugar, sugar, gluten-free flour, salt, and baking soda arranged on a white surface.

How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Cookie Bars

A step-by-step visual guide for making gluten-free cookie bars. You can skip to the recipe for the full written instructions.

A metal bowl of flour mixture, a small bowl of chocolate chips, and a small bowl of vanilla extract on a white surface.

Dry Ingredients

Mixing together the dry ingredients first helps the bars bake up nice and consistent.

A whisk rests in a bowl of mixed batter on a white surface, with a small bowl of chocolate chips beside it.

Mix Wet Ingredients

The butter should be melted but slightly cooled. Think warm, not hot. If it’s too hot, it can cook the eggs or make the dough greasy.

A bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough is mixed and ready to bake, with a whisk lying on the counter beside it.

Combine

Mix the wet and dry ingredients until everything’s fully blended. Then stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula so they’re evenly mixed in.

Bake

Press in the cookie dough. Once baked, a toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.

Cool

The bars will firm up as they cool, making them way easier to slice without crumbling. Slice them into bite-sized pieces for snacking or big squares for a full-on treat.

Recipe Tips

Sprinkle in more chocolate chips during the last few minutes of baking.
It's better to slightly underbake the bars than to overbake them. They'll continue to set as they cool.
If the top is browning too quickly but the center isn’t done, loosely place a foil for the last 5–10 minutes.

More Bars and Brownies

Top-down view of chocolate chip cookie bars cut into squares on parchment paper, with a bowl of chocolate chips and scattered chips nearby.

Make Ahead and Storing

Make Ahead: You can prep the dough up to 2 days ahead. Cover it tightly, then store in the fridge. When ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before transferring to the pan.

Storing: Store the bars in an airtight container at room temp for up to a week.

Freezing: Layer the bars with parchment paper between slices, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for 2-3 months.

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