Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with Maple Sugar (Chewy, Gooey 9-Inch Pan Bars)

Albert Wood
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with Maple Sugar (Chewy, Gooey 9-Inch Pan Bars)

If you love chocolate chip cookies but don’t love scooping 47 little dough blobs like you’re working the night shift at a cookie factory… these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are your new best friend.

They’re thick, chewy, and studded with chocolate chips—baked in one pan, sliced into perfect squares, and gone suspiciously fast. And the not-so-secret upgrade? Wood’s Vermont Maple Sugar, which adds a warm, caramel-maple depth that makes these bars taste a little more “bakery” and a little less “I made these during a minor craving emergency.”

Why Maple Sugar Makes Cookie Bars Taste Extra Cozy

Chocolate chip cookie flavor is all about the sugar blend. Brown sugar gives chew. White sugar gives crisp edges. And maple sugar? Maple sugar gives character.

Wood’s Vermont Maple Sugar brings a toasted, caramel-like sweetness that plays ridiculously well with melted butter and vanilla. It doesn’t scream “maple!”—it whispers “wow” in the background like a tiny dessert hype person.

  • Deeper sweetness than plain sugar
  • Cozy caramel notes that pair perfectly with chocolate
  • Bakery-style flavor without extra effort

The Texture: Chewy, Soft, and Not Here to Be Cakey

These bars are meant to be slightly underbaked. That’s not a suggestion, it’s a lifestyle choice.

When you pull them at the right moment, the edges are golden and set, and the center stays soft and chewy. Overbake them and they’ll turn a little dry and cakey… and we are not gathering here today to eat cake pretending to be cookies.

Pro tip: If a toothpick comes out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs are fine), you’re in the sweet spot.

Flaky Sea Salt: Optional, But a Power Move

Sprinkling flaky sea salt on top is the quickest way to make these taste like you bought them from a place with exposed brick and a line out the door.

Salt + chocolate + caramel-maple sweetness = that irresistible “one more bite” effect that turns into “wait, where did the pan go?”

Make Them Pretty (With Zero Extra Work)

Want that bakery-photo look? Press a few extra chocolate chips into the top right before baking. It takes 10 seconds and makes the bars look like they’re ready for their close-up.

Also, this is a great time to practice saying, “Oh these? Just something I threw together.”

Make-Ahead + Freezer Friendly (Snack Insurance)

These bars are perfect for planning ahead—or for pretending you plan ahead.

  • Make-ahead dough: chill up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
  • Baked bars: freeze up to 3 months.
  • Thawing: thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temp before serving.

Translation: you can have “emergency cookie bars” ready whenever life demands a treat. Which is… often.

Ready to skip the cookie scoop and go straight to chewy chocolate-chip bliss? Bake these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with Wood’s Vermont Maple Sugar, sprinkle a little flaky salt (if you’re feeling fancy), and tag us when someone asks for the recipe before the pan is even cool. 🍁🍪


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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with Maple Sugar (Chewy, Gooey 9-Inch Pan Bars)

Albert Wood

Servings

16 Bars

Prep Time

35 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Calories

261

Cuisine

American

Category

Dessert

These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are thick, chewy, and loaded with chocolate chips—sweetened with Wood’s Vermont Maple Sugar for warm caramel depth. Baked in a 9-inch pan for easy slicing, freezer-friendly, and dangerously snackable.

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup Wood's Vermont Maple Sugar
  • ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Optional: Flaky sea salt

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, maple sugar, and granulated sugar together until no sugar lumps remain. Add the egg, extra egg yolk, and vanilla extract. The mixture will be thick. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together until combined. The dough will be soft and slick, yet thick. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  4. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press it into an even layer. Lightly sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt, if desired. Also, I like to press a few more chocolate chips into the dough once it’s in the prepared baking pan and press them into the top before baking; this is just for looks.
  5. Bake for 27 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. Err on the side of under-baking and do NOT over-bake, or the cookie bars will taste a little dry and cakey. Use a toothpick to test for doneness; if it comes out mostly clean from the center of the pan, the bars are done.
  6. Allow the bars to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for at least an hour. Once relatively cool, cut into squares.
    Cover and store leftover bars at room temperature for up to 1 week.
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