The Ultimate Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars: A Nostalgic Twist!
If chocolate chip cookies and blondies had a love child, you’d find them in these delightful cookie bars. But wait, there’s a secret ingredient that takes them to a whole new level: orange! It’s a classic flavor combination that has stood the test of time, and honestly, I might even prefer it over chocolate and berries (I know, I’m a monster, LOL).
But seriously, there’s something truly special about how the delicate citrus nuance of orange brings out the floral notes in dark, or as it’s more commonly known, semi-sweet chocolate. And let’s be real, “semi-sweet” perfectly describes it. Plus, experts tout its antioxidant properties, making us feel even better about indulging in our chocolate cravings. At least I do!
A Trip Down Memory Lane: The Inspiration Behind These Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
So, what about these amazing cookie bars? The other day, before whipping up a batch, I found myself reminiscing about my earliest kitchen memories. I’m talking about when I was two or almost three, helping my neighbor and godmother, Celestia. She always had something cooking and was brilliant at getting me to try new things. One of my favorites? Simple, yet incredibly delicious, chocolate-covered oranges. It was her ingenious way of getting me to eat fruit AND serving it as a dessert!
And then there’s the classic chocolate chip cookie – an instant reminder of my mom. That undeniably intoxicating scent of freshly baked cookies filling the house? It’s the very definition of “home” to me.
After this wonderful journey through my childhood, I looked at my own two-year-old daughter and knew exactly what I had to do: a mash-up of these cherished memories.
Taking it One Step Further: Why Bars?
After deciding on my mini-dessert mash-up, I thought, “Why not take it one step further and make bars instead of old-fashioned cookies?” And let me tell you, it was the right call. The best part about bars is you truly get the best of both worlds: crunchy and soft. The outer edges are delightfully crisp, while the inner cookie bars remain perfectly soft and chewy.
With the subtle citrus notes from the orange zest and extract, these easy chocolate chip cookie bars are a simple, surprising, and utterly delightful treat. While they may look like your average chocolate chip cookie bar, they offer so much more flavor with that fantastic orange twist.
And yes, they’re still AMAZING to dunk in milk. Just sayin’.
Let’s Get Baking: Your Easy Orange Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars!
Ready to bring those delicious memories to life? Making these easy chocolate chip cookie bars is super straightforward, even if you’re a beginner baker. Just follow these simple steps, and you’ll be enjoying these incredible treats in no time!
Here’s What You’ll Need:
- 2 Sticks (1 cup) Unsalted Butter, softened
- ¾ Cup Brown Sugar, packed
- ¾ Cup Granulated (White) Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- Zest of 1 Large Orange
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Teaspoon Orange Extract
- 2 ¼ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 Cups Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 Cup Walnuts, chopped (optional, but highly recommended!)
Simple Steps to Cookie Bar Bliss:
Step One: Cream it Up
Grab your stand mixer and fit it with the paddle attachment. Toss your softened butter into the bowl. Start beating the butter on medium speed until it’s wonderfully light and fluffy. Now, add both your brown and granulated sugars, the salt, and that bright orange zest. Mix well until everything is nicely combined and creamy.
Step Two: Eggs and Extracts – The Wet Crew
Next, crack your eggs (room temperature) into the mixture. Beat them on medium speed. After about a minute, hit pause and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl – this ensures everything gets mixed in evenly. Then, continue mixing on medium to high speed until the eggs are fully incorporated. Finally, pour in both the vanilla and orange extracts and mix them in.
Step Three: Dry ingredients and Chocolate
Switch your mixer to a low speed. Slowly add the flour and baking soda to the wet ingredients. Mix just until everything is combined – be careful not to overmix! Once the flour disappears, take the bowl off the mixer. Now for the fun part: gently fold in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts by hand. A spatula or wooden spoon works perfectly for this!
Step Four: Pan It Out
Get a lipped baking sheet pan (sometimes called a jelly roll pan) and generously grease it with butter. You can use butter or shortening; I personally love using butter for that extra flavor. Once your dough is evenly mixed, spread it out onto the prepared pan. Aim for an even layer from edge to edge.
Step Five: Bake and Cool
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Pop your cookie bars into the hot oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they’re beautifully golden brown. To check if they’re done, stick a toothpick into the middle – if it comes out clean, you’re good to go! Remove them from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 30 minutes.
Step Six: Cut and Enjoy
Once the bars have cooled slightly, it’s time to cut them. Slice them into individual bars – whatever size you prefer! Then, transfer the cut bars onto a wire rack to cool down completely.
Here’s a pro tip: the orange flavor really shines after at least two hours of cooling, and these bars are often even better the next day!
Give these easy chocolate chip cookie bars a try – I promise, they’ll become a new favorite!
Orange Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Delicate hints of orange + semi-sweet chocolate chips = winning. If chocolate chip cookies and blondies had a love child, it would be these! The orange flavor becomes more pronounced as the bars cool.
Ingredients
- 2 Sticks Butter, Softened
- 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 3/4 White Sugar
- 1 Tsp Salt
- Zest, 1 Orange
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tsp Orange Extract
- 2 1/4 Cup Flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- 2 Cups Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 Cup Walnuts, Chopped
Instructions
- Step One
With a stand mixer, place softened butter into the bowl. Using the paddle attachment, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add both the white and brown sugars along with the salt and orange zest. Mix well.
Step Two
Add eggs to the mixture beating on medium speed. Pause mixer after about a minute to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Proceed to mix on medium to high speed until eggs are fully combined. Add both extracts.
Step Three
On low speed, slowly add the flour and baking soda. Mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from mixer. Fold the chocolate chips and walnuts into the cookie dough by hand.
Step Four
Once cookie dough is mixed evenly, spread mixture evenly onto a generously greased baking sheet pan with a lipped edge (jelly roll pan). You can use butter or shortening to grease the sheet pan; I used butter.
Step Five
Bake the cookie dough in a preheated oven 350 F for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. After toothpick comes out clean from the middle, remove from oven and let cool 30 minutes.
Step Six
Cut cookie dough into bars. Transfer cookie bars onto a wire rack to cool further. Orange flavor comes out best after at least two hours of cooling and are even better the next day!
Notes
If you want to make these into individual cookies, increase the oven temperature to 375 F. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your cookies. I'd guess 10-13 minutes for average size cookies.
If using a dark or non-stick pan, you may want to stay at 350 F or do a small test batch first.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 244Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 219mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 14gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is estimated and may not be accurate.
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