Chewy Buttery Chocolate Bars (Printable Version)

Chewy bars with buttery richness, brown sugar sweetness, chocolate chips, and crunchy nuts for a classic treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
06 - 1.5 cups packed light brown sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Mix-ins

09 - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
10 - 0.75 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans

# Method:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and packed light brown sugar until smooth and glossy. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - Fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients using a spatula until just combined.
05 - Gently fold in the semisweet chocolate chips and chopped toasted walnuts or pecans.
06 - Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
07 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the top turns golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
08 - Cool completely in the pan, then lift out using the parchment paper overhang and cut into 16 bars.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They bake in under 30 minutes and taste like you've been perfecting them for years.
  • The caramel-chocolate combination hits differently than traditional cookies—richer, more indulgent, less crumbly.
  • They stay soft and chewy for days, making them perfect for lunchboxes or late-night kitchen raids.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs are non-negotiable—cold eggs can break the emulsion and leave you with a separated, greasy batter.
  • The toothpick test is everything; overbaking by even two minutes dries out the chewy center that makes these bars special.
03 -
  • Toast your nuts yourself if you can—it takes five minutes in a dry skillet and transforms the flavor from good to unforgettable.
  • Use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly; it's the difference between bars that bake consistently and ones with over- and under-baked sections.
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