These gluten free chocolate chip cookie bars are your favorite chocolate chip cookie turned into buttery little handheld bars. They're packed with semisweet chocolate, a good amount of salt, and plenty of brown sugar - it's impossible to stop at just one!
Buttery and tender, these gluten free chocolate chip cookie bars are loaded with the good stuff: dark chocolate, whole grain oat flour, pure vanilla extract, and enough salt to balance out the sweetness of the brown sugar. These bars are chewy, crisp on top, and so easy to make gluten free. They may even trump your favorite gluten free chocolate chip cookies recipe! Make my oat flour chocolate chip cookies and gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, too!
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What You'll Love
Who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies? And when they're baked into delightfully chewy handheld bars that are reminiscent of brownies, you will find it impossible to eat just one. I speak from experience here. Here's why you'll love this recipe:
- Easy. I don't mind forming individual chocolate chip cookies, but it's certainly easier to bake them in one pan. These bars taste just like chocolate chip cookies (and maybe even better?), and they are easily made all at once.
- No mixer needed. Following along in that "easy" vibe, you won't need a mixer to make these cookie bars! Just a whisk and a spoon is all that's necessary.
- Great for a crowd. This recipe makes a lot, about 24 cookie bars to be exact. I love bringing these for school parties, and they pack up beautifully to tuck into lunch boxes for a little sweet treat.
What You'll Need
I've outlined what you'll find in these cookie bars below. The full ingredient amounts and detailed instructions are in the recipe card lower down - this is just an overview.
- Oat flour - Learn how to make oat flour, or pick up a package at the store (certified gluten-free if necessary). If you can't eat oats, use brown rice flour.
- Salt - I always use fine sea salt in my recipes.
- Leavening agents - A blend of baking powder and baking soda.
- Butter - I use unsalted butter, but if you like a bit more salt, use salted butter.
- Brown sugar - You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract - We use a lot of pure vanilla extract in this recipe to give it extra flavor.
- Eggs - Use large eggs.
- Chocolate chips - I prefer semisweet chocolate chips - try milk chocolate or even white chocolate chips if you like.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow along with the photos below as you make this recipe:
1. Cream butter: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars, then beat in the eggs.
2. Add dry ingredients: Separately, whisk together the dry ingredients, then beat them into the creamed butter. Add the chocolate chips.
3. Add to pan: Butter and line a 9x13-inch pan, line with parchment, then add the dough. Rest the dough.
4. Bake: Place in a 325F oven and bake for about 35 minutes. Cool, cut, and serve!
Tips & Variation Ideas
These bars are perfect as the recipe is written, and they also take well to a little playing around! Add nuts, a different type of chocolate - there are so many possibilities.
- Make them dairy-free - Swap your favorite non-dairy butter for the butter.
- Egg substitute - I haven't tried to make these cookie bars with an egg substitute, but you could try 2 flax eggs in place of the eggs.
- Go refined sugar-free - Instead of brown sugar and granulated sugar, use coconut sugar to make these bars refined sugar-free.
- Rest the dough - As in all gluten-free bakes, dough or batter benefits from a short rest before it's baked to hydrate the flour. This is easily accomplished by letting the chocolate chip cookie bar dough rest in the pan while the oven preheats. Try not to skip this step - it really does help!
- Add-ins - You can add to this recipe by stirring in some chopped walnuts or pistachios, 1 cup of unsweetened flaked coconut, chopped candy, and more.
- Other chocolate options - A classic chocolate chip cookie features semisweet chocolate chips, and my recipe includes them as well. However, you can use milk chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, a combination, chopped chocolate from your favorite chocolate bar, or M&Ms!
- Salt - There's a good amount of salt in these bars, and if you like a sweet-salty combo, I encourage you to add up to 1 teaspoon of fine salt. Alternatively, you could lower the salt a bit if you like less of a salty flavor. And, you can always scatter flaked sea salt over the top of the bars!
Serving Suggestions
You don't need much more than a cold glass of milk of your choice to pair with a chocolate chip cookie bar, but you don't have to stop there. Try a few of my serving suggestions:
- Ice cream. Serve a warm chocolate chip cookie bar a la mode, with a scoop of vanilla or peanut butter chocolate ice cream.
- Make a sundae. Or, make a sundae! Use a chocolate chip cookie bar as your base, then top it with ice cream, whipped cream, and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
- Add caramel sauce. Dress up a gluten free chocolate chip cookie bar with a generous spoonful of salted caramel sauce.
Storage Options
These chocolate chip cookie bars keep amazingly well, and you have several ways to store them:
- Counter - Keep the cookie bars in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
- Fridge - The bars will keep longer in the fridge - store them in an airtight container for up to 1 week. They are delicious cold or warmed up a bit!
- Freezer - Place the bars in a freezer-safe container or sealable bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the bars thoroughly in the fridge before eating.
Happy baking! If you make this gluten free chocolate chip cookie bars recipe, I'd love to know. Please leave a comment below, reach out with any questions, and tag me on Instagram @Cucina Nicolina ❤️
Recipe
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups oat flour (300 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Grease a 13x9" baking pan with oil or butter and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 ½ cups oat flour, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, and ¾ teaspoon baking soda.
- Melt the ¾ cup unsalted butter and let cool slightly. Then whisk in the 1 cup packed dark brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract until the sugar slightly dissolves. Whisk in the 2 large eggs one at a time until smooth.
- Stir in the dry ingredient mix until a soft dough forms. Fold in the 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips.
- Spread the dough into the baking pan, using your hands or a rubber spatula to press it out into an even layer. Preheat the oven to 325°.
- Rest the dough while the oven heats, then place the pan in the oven and bake until the top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean apart from any smudges of melted chocolate, 30-35 minutes.
- Let cool in pan at least 1 hour before cutting into an 8x3 grid to make 24 rectangles.
Notes
- Make them dairy-free - Swap your favorite non-dairy butter for the butter.
- Egg substitute - I haven't tried to make these cookie bars with an egg substitute, but you could try 2 flax eggs in place of the eggs.
- Go refined sugar-free - Instead of brown sugar and granulated sugar, use coconut sugar to make these bars refined sugar-free.
- Rest the dough - As in all gluten-free bakes, dough or batter benefits from a short rest before it's baked to hydrate the flour. This is easily accomplished by letting the chocolate chip cookie bar dough rest in the pan while the oven preheats. Try not to skip this step - it really does help!
- Add-ins - You can add to this recipe by stirring in some chopped walnuts or pistachios, 1 cup of unsweetened flaked coconut, chopped candy, and more.
- Other chocolate options - A classic chocolate chip cookie features semisweet chocolate chips, and my recipe includes them as well. However, you can use milk chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, a combination, chopped chocolate from your favorite chocolate bar, or M&Ms!
- Salt - There's a good amount of salt in these bars, and if you like a sweet-salty combo, I encourage you to add up to 1 teaspoon of fine salt. Alternatively, you could lower the salt a bit if you like less of a salty flavor. And, you can always scatter flaked sea salt over the top of the bars!
Nutrition
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Sandy says
These are ok. They are a little dry and crumbly, but my nephew is gluten-free and I needed a treat that he could eat for our family camping trip. (So glad I can eat gluten without any problems!) I wonder if sour cream might make them a little chewier like a real cookie? (I put sour cream in my cake recipes and they are thick and yummy!)
Amy says
These are wonderful cookies!!! I actually doubled the recipe and used a deep cookie sheet. I baked them for 40 to 45 minutes.
Nicole Spiridakis says
Great idea! So glad you like these!