Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

A close up of a stack of chocolate chip cookie bars.

5 from 1 vote

Quick and easy vegan chocolate chip cookie bars that are soft, chewy, gooey and so delicious! This simple recipe is just like the classic cookies you love, except there’s no scooping and they’re in bar form. You can make them vegan gluten-free if you’d like and of course, they’re dairy-free and egg-free.

Prep Time10

Cook Time23

Cooling Time:1

Total Time1 33

Servings:

Author: Gwen Leron

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
3 tablespoons water
1 ½ cups (188g) all-purpose flour OR gluten free flour blend (If using the gluten-free flour blend, use 1 ½ cups (222g) (**see important notes about flour below**)
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup / 1 stick (113g) vegan butter (softened, see note below)
⅓ cup (67g) brown sugar
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup (135g) chocolate chips
¼ cup (45g) extra chocolate chips, optional (for sprinkling on top)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
Line an 8" x 8" square baking pan with parchment paper and make an overhang on all sides, set aside.
Prepare your flax egg by whisking together ground flax seeds and water. Set aside to thicken.
In a small bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of your bowl when needed. Add flax egg and vanilla extract, blend again for 1 minute.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed with your electric mixer or with a wooden spoon until a soft dough has formed. Don't over mix.
Add chocolate chips and stir until they have combined with the dough.
Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared baking pan and use a spatula to press the cookie dough into an even layer all the way to the edges of the pan, smooth the top, and if using, sprinkle the extra chocolate chips on top.
Bake for 23 minutes. The sides will rise slightly above the middle and be golden.
Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before removing and transferring them to a cooling rack.
After 30 minutes, using the parchment overhang, carefully remove the bars from the pan and place it on a cooling rack. Allow them to rest for another 15-20 minutes before attempting to slice.
Slice into squares, 12, 16, or 24, depending on how big you want them to be.

Notes

Please read all of the helpful information above and below before making this recipe.
The cup amount for both types of flour is the same but the weights are different because they have different properties and densities. If you are baking by weight, please take note of each weight and weigh your flour correctly.
If you will be making the vegan gluten-free version, it's important to know that different gluten-free flour blends use different ingredients and ratios, so results will always vary if you substitute. I have never used any other brand of flour to make this recipe (other than Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour (Amazon link) in the blue bag, NOT the red bag), so please know that your results may not be the same as mine if you substitute with another gluten-free flour blend. This recipe will NOT work with coconut flour or any other single gluten-free flour.
Store your cookie bars for up to six days in an airtight container at room temperature. They will begin to dry out the longer they are kept.
Freezing Baked Cookie Bars: Freeze the bars in single layers in a freezer bag or airtight container, with parchment paper separating each layer, for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter and when you’re ready to serve, place them on a plate, bring them to room temperature, and enjoy.
Nutrition info is based on 1 of 16 cookie bars with the recipe made as written and is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.

Nutrition