Frosted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (Self Frosting!)

Indulge in these delicious self-frosting chocolate chip cookie bars. Perfect for any occasion and sure to satisfy your sweet tooth! My kids eat the entire pan in one sitting because they’re that good!

Chocolate Self Frosting Cookies Ingredients

Just when I thought I had made every version of chocolate chip cookies possible, I find this oldie but goodie recipe in Ellettsville, Indiana High School Band Cook Book for Chocolate Self Frosting Cookies. I was intrigued by the self-frosting bit, and boy am I glad I gave them a shot.

• Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature
• Light Brown Sugar
• Large Egg
• Vanilla Extract
• Water
• All Purpose Flour
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Chopped Nuts
• Chocolate Chips

I decided to whip these up as an afterschool treat for my three kiddos and my two nephews. Well let’s just say that they were a hit, because the entire pan vanished before my eyes.

The outer edge is a little more chewy while the center is soft. If you cut these correctly, you can have a bite of each sides in one cookie.

What Makes These So Great

1. Self Frosting – Half of the chocolate chips get melted and swirled over top of these as they bake creating its own tasty chocolate frosting.
2. Double Chocolate – There’s two parts of delicious chocolate in these simple cookie bars. Chocolate chips are mixed into the base and melted over top.
3. Chopped Nuts – The addition of chopped nuts gives these the perfect amount of texture. I typically use chopped walnuts or chopped pecans.
4. Small Batch – This recipe makes an 8 x 8 inch baking dish which is the perfect amount for my family. I don’t always like to have tons and tons of cookies just sitting around because I end up eating them all!
5. Easily Doubled – This recipe is also very easy to double if you did need a bigger batch. Double them and bake in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

How to make chocolate chip cookie bars?

Step by Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prep your pan. Grease and flour a 8 x 8 inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper and grease the side of the dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Using a stand mixer or a large bowl and a hand mixer, cream softened butter and brown sugar.
3. Add egg, vanilla and water, and mix until blending, scraping down the sides with a spatula.
4. Add flour, baking soda and salt (dry ingredients), and blend into the wet ingredients.
5. Stir in nuts and 1/2 cup chocolate chips into the cookie dough.
6. Spoon into prepared baking dish; sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over top.
7. Bake for 2 minutes; remove from the oven.
8. Using a knife, run the tip in a zigzag motion through the mix.
9. Return to the oven, and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
10. Let cool before removing from the pan. Cut into chocolate chip cookie bars.
11. Try serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Storage Instructions

Let cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Store at room temperature.

For the full ingredient amounts and recipe steps, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Chocolate Chip Bars Recipe FAQs

• Grease and flour or use nonstick cooking spray to prepare the baking pan. I personally like to line the bottom with parchment paper, but I still grease the sides. This allows the cookies to come out of the dish easily, allowing you to cut them on a wooden cutting board.
• Be sure to soften the butter so that it creams easily.
• Nuts are optional but highly recommended.
• I love how the chocolate chips melt over top to form its own icing.
• This is a 2-step baking process. Bake for 2 minutes and then remove from the oven to spread the chocolate over top. Then return the pan to the oven to finish baking.

Recipe Variations for Chocolate Chip Bars

• Swap semi-sweet chocolate chips with milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips or white chocolate chips. Or use a combination. Try one variety in the base and another melted over top.
• Use chocolate chunks or chocolate bits instead of chips.
• Omit nuts, if desired.
• Use whatever nuts you prefer. Walnuts or pecans are my go-tos.
• Substitute almond extract for vanilla extract.
• Add sprinkles.
• After spreading the melted chocolate chips, add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt over top.
• Double the recipe to make a big pan.

Kitchen Utensils Needed

• Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
• Large Bowl
• Spoonula
• Dry measuring cups
• Parchment Paper
• 8 x 8 inch baking dish
• Large Knife
• Cutting Board

Bar Cookie Recipes

We love a good bar cookie. They are so much easier than putting pan after pan of cookies in the oven. Sheet pan bar cookies are also a great pitch-in option. We love these Chocolate Ganache Cookie Bars from Beyer Eats & Drinks! Here are some of our favorite bar cookie recipes from our site.

Old-Fashioned Graham Cracker Brownies

Sheet Pan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Molasses Bars

Three Layer Chocolate Squares

Fudge Nut Bars

Sweet Walnut Maple Bars

What rack is best to bake chocolate chip cookies?

The middle rack is ideal for baking. If you use the bottom rack, you risk the cookies getting too brown on the bottom.

Can you use Hershey bar instead of chocolate chips?

Unless your recipe specifically suggests using a Hershey Bar, I would avoid using one as a substitute for chocolate chips in cookie recipes. The reason being is because the melting qualities are completely different in chocolate chips compared to Hershey Bars. You risk changing the entire texture of the cookies.