Name: Cheater Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 24 bars
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 package yellow cake mix (I used Betty Crocker); 2 eggs; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup butter (melted); 1/4 cup water; 2 cups chocolate chips (divided); 1 tablespoon shortening or coconut oil

For bakers and non-bakers alike, thesechocolate chip cookie barscome together effortlessly with the use of a cake mix and a handful of additional ingredients!

chocolate chip cookie bars on a white piece of parchment paper with a chocolate covered knife beside and a bowl of chocolate chips and two eggs beside it.

TheseCheater Chocolate Chip Cookie Barscouldn’t be simpler. You start with a cake mix and add a few more things, and voila! You’ll look like a pro baker with minimal effort and time. That’s why these have “cheater” in the name—they practically make themselves.

Not only do they come together in a hurry, but they are so, so good. Theystay soft and moistand pair nicely with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

chocolate chip cookie bars on a white piece of parchment paper.

24 Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes Ever!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

A few simple ingredients are all it takes to whip up a batch of these bars!
Cookie bars are so much easier to make than regular cookies—only one pan to put in and take out of the oven.
These bars are perfect for snacks and are perfect formaking ahead on the weekends for lunchboxes.

Recipe Ingredients

Yellow cake mix –I used Betty Crocker
Eggs
Brown sugar
Butter
Chocolate chips –use your favorite chocolate chips!
Shortening or coconut oil

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

chocolate chip cookie bars in a blue and white pan with a bowl of chocolate chips and two eggs beside it on a black and white checkered towel.

How to Make Cheater Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Combine all ingredientsexcept 1/2 cup chocolate chips and shorteningor coconut oil.
Spread into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until light brown.
Melt the shortening (or coconut oil) and the remaining chocolate chips anddrizzle or spreadover the top of the bars.

Recipe FAQs

What are cookie bars?

Cookie bars take all the goodness of cookies and turn them into a simplified single-layer dessert. Rather than having to roll dough into balls and bake all the cookies separately, you simply pour the cookie batter into a greased baking dish. It allows you to make a bulk dessert that’s easy to travel with and share with others!

When should you cut cookie bars?

Wait until the cookie bars have cooled for at least 20 minutes and the chocolate drizzle has settled before cutting into them. You don’t want them to be so warm that they lose their shape or the chocolate slides off into a gooey mess. (Although, isn’t that the best sort of mess?)

How long will Cheater Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars last?

These are such a fantastic dessert to bring to gatherings or potlucks, and if you have any remaining afterwards, they’ll keep for up to a week covered in the fridge! You can also freeze them for a month or two, and they’ll be just fine.

Expert Tips

Don’t be nervous about the cake mix;they aren’t cake-y in flavorwhen you are done, and the mix allows you to get a solid head-start on this easy-as-piecake recipe.
Change up the flavor by usingdifferent chocolate chipslike white or mint, or try apeanut butter-oatmeal cookie barthat’s almost as easy!