Soft-Baked Lunch Box Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
A quick and easy soft-baked chocolate chip cookie bars recipe perfect for kids’ lunch boxes, featuring a chewy texture and simple pantry ingredients.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22-26 minutes
- Total Time: 40-45 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (45g) rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips, semi-sweet or milk chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy lifting.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, rolled oats, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed or folding with a spatula just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the chocolate chips evenly throughout the batter. If desired, fold in optional nuts or mini marshmallows.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan using a spatula.
- Bake for 22-26 minutes, starting to check at 22 minutes. The edges should be golden and the center set but still soft. A toothpick inserted should come out with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack, about 30 minutes.
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Slice into squares or rectangles and serve.
Notes
Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough bars. Use room temperature ingredients for better texture. Start checking baking time early to keep bars soft and chewy. Let bars cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling. Optional additions include nuts, mini marshmallows, or dried fruit. For gluten-free, use gluten-free flour blend and oats. For vegan, use dairy-free butter and chocolate chips.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 15
- Fat: 9
- Carbohydrates: 25
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
Keywords: chocolate chip cookie bars, soft baked cookie bars, lunch box treats, easy cookie bars, kids snacks, chewy cookie bars