These chocolate sugar cookie bars have a soft, buttery texture and rich cocoa flavor. The chocolate fudge frosting and chocolate sprinkles make these bars extra decadent and a true crowd pleaser! They're the perfect sweet treat for birthdays, dinner parties, or just for fun!
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Why you'll love these cookie bars
- Melt-In-Your-Mouth Texture
- Decadent Fudge Frosting
- Fun, Shareable Dessert
For more decadent, chocolate desserts try my Chocolate Nutella Cookies, Chocolate Soufflé for One, and Mini Chocolate Orange Cheesecakes.
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: Use a high quality, unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Butter: Fat equals flavor, so a European-style butter with a high fat percentage will yield the most delicious cookies.
- Oil: A touch of neutral oil gives these cookie bars a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Cocoa Powder: I recommend dutch-process cocoa powder for a richer chocolate flavor.
- Dark or Semisweet Chocolate: Use your favorite baking chocolate or chocolate chips.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this chocolate sugar cookie bar recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
STEP 1: Make the cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed until light & fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the large egg, large egg yolk, vanilla, and oil, and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients, and mix on low speed until fully combined.
STEP 2: Spread the cookie dough into the pan, then bake. Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared baking dish, and use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. Bake the sugar cookie bars for about 25 minutes or until they appear set. Allow the sugar cookie bars to cool in the pan completely.
STEP 3: Make the fudge frosting. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low-medium heat. Once melted, turn the heat off, then add the chocolate, heavy cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla. Stir constantly until everything is melted and fully combined. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Place in the fridge to cool, stirring every 10 minutes or so until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Leave at room temperature until ready to use.
STEP 4: Decorate. Spread the fudge frosting onto the cooled cookie bars, then top with chocolate sprinkles. Cut into 16 squares, and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Underbake the cookie bars slightly. To achieve fudgy cookie bars, we want to underbake them slightly. I found that 25 minutes was the perfect amount of time. I know it can be difficult to tell due to the dark color, but as long as you don't go past 30 minutes, they shouldn't be over-baked!
- If the frosting is chilled too long... microwave it in 10 second increments until it softens up, then use an electric mixer to beat on low speed until smooth.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, replace the all-purpose flour with an equal amount of gluten free 1:1 flour.
Yes! You can bake the cookie bars and freeze them for up to three months. I would recommend waiting to make the frosting until the day before or day of serving.
Store these chocolate sugar cookie bars in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to three months.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other brownie & bar recipes to try
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
For the chocolate sugar cookie bars:
- 227 g (16 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
- 300 g (1 ½ cups) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 24 g (2 tablespoon) neutral oil
- 280 g (2 ⅓ cups) all-purpose flour
- 63 g (¾ cup) dutch process cocoa powder
For the chocolate fudge frosting:
- 85 g (6 tablespoon) unsalted butter
- 170 g (6 oz) dark chocolate
- 89 g (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) heavy cream
- 56 g (½ cup) powdered sugar, sifted
- 10 g (2 tablespoon) dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- chocolate sprinkles, for topping
Instructions
For the chocolate sugar cookie bars:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a 9" square pan with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed until light & fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and oil, and mix until well combined.
- Add the flour and cocoa powder, and mix on low speed until fully combined.
- Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared square pan, and use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer.
- Bake the sugar cookie bars for about 25 minutes or until they appear set.
- Allow the sugar cookie bars to cool in the pan completely.
For the chocolate fudge frosting:
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low-medium heat.
- Once melted, turn the heat off, then add the chocolate, heavy cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla. Stir constantly until everything is melted and fully combined.
- Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Place in the fridge to cool, stirring every 10 minutes or so until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Leave at room temperature until ready to use.
For assembly:
- Spread the fudge frosting onto the cooled sugar cookie bars, then top with chocolate sprinkles.
- Cut into 16 squares, and enjoy!
Notes
- Underbake the cookie bars slightly. To achieve fudgy cookie bars, we want to underbake them slightly. I found that 25 minutes was the perfect amount of time. I know it can be difficult to tell due to the dark color, but as long as you don't go past 30 minutes, they shouldn't be over-baked!
- If the frosting is chilled too long... microwave it in 10 second increments until it softens up, then use an electric mixer to beat on low speed until smooth.
Gina L B says
these are lovely! made them in little patty cases for a party, and they we're a real treat! 4cm scoop of cookie dough, baked at 165 C fan for 17 minutes. then a 1 1/4 batch of fudge frosting, 3cm scoop topping each little one. don't forget the rainbow sprinkles