Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookie Bars
“Let’s see how much butter I can cram into an 8×8-inch pan” was what I was thinking when I made the bars. The more butter, the merrier. Just a half pound, no biggie. These gooey chocolate chip cookie bars have a buttery soft shortbread crust and are topped with a gooey, creamy, buttery topping that’s studded with chocolate chips. It’s soft, luscious, and just melts in your mouth. It reminds me of the inside of a custard-filled donut that’s squishy and wonderful. The texture contrast between the lighter filling and the heartier crust is fabulous. I used the same crust I’ve used for these Tagalongs Cookie Bars and these Lemon Bars. One tablespoon of cornstarch helps the crust from turning overly crunchy and helps to minimize cracking and crumbling when you slice these buttery babies that live up to their gooey, buttery name.
What’s in the Gooey Shortbread Bars?
To make the chocolate chip shortbread cookie bars, you’ll need:
Unsalted butter All-purpose flour Confectioners’ sugar Cornstarch Vanilla extract Salt Light corn syrup Granulated sugar Eggs Semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
How to Make Gooey Shortbread Bars
First, make the shortbread crust. Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until combined. Press the dough into the bottom of an 8×8-inch pan. Bake until the crust is just set, but not yet golden. While the crust bakes, make the gooey butter filling. In the same bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and salt. Add the eggs, followed by the remaining ingredients. Fold the chocolate chips in last. Turn the filling over the crust, then sprinkle with additional chocolate chips. Return the bars to the oven to finish baking.
Can I Double This Recipe?
I imagine so, yes. Double the ingredients and bake in a 9×13-inch pan. Note that these bars are very rich, so a pan that size will make about 24 servings.
Tips for Making Gooey Shortbread Bars
I used mini chocolate chips because they stay suspended in the filling better than regular size and there’s a better chocolate ratio in every bite. But use regular chocolate chips, if that’s what you have. Note that this recipe calls for light colored corn syrup and not lite (i.e. lower sugar) corn syrup. These bars freeze really well, or they’ll last about a week at room temperature.
More Easy Dessert Bars:
Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Gooey Bars – Keep the napkins handy for these soft, gooey bars dripping with the best caramel-peanut butter sauce! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Gooey Bars — They’re incredibly easy to make, packed with the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor, and lots of semi-sweet chocolate to balance the sweet glaze.
Carmelitas — For the serious caramel lover, these soft and chewy layered bars are dripping with caramel and stuffed with chocolate! Easy one-bowl, no-mixer recipe that everyone loves!
Chocolate Chip S’mores Cookie Bars — Between layers of super soft chocolate chip cookie dough there’s chocolate, marshmallows, and graham cracker crumbs for the most DECADENT smores ever!!
Chocolate Chip Nutella Bars — Super soft, buttery bars STUFFED with NUTELLA and topped with CHOCOLATE chips! Easy, no mixer recipe that puts a smile on everyone’s face!!
Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies — The tender dough with rich browned butter flavor, a crackly top almost like brownies have, and the melted chocolate chips is an irresistible combination.
Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars — Between the butter, peanut butter, and salted caramel drizzle, the bars are supremely moist, gooey, and packed with salty-and-sweet flavor.
