These gluten free chocolate chip cookie bars are one of my favorite things to bake. They’re chewy, buttery, loaded with chocolate chips, and so easy to make.

The whole recipe comes together in one bowl. No mixer needed, no chilling the dough, no rolling anything into balls. You just spread the batter in a pan and bake.

And yes, they are completely gluten free. You’d honestly never know it though. The texture is soft and rich, just like classic cookie bars should be.

I like to top them with a little flaky sea salt right before baking. It adds the perfect contrast to all that brown sugar and chocolate.

Whether you eat gluten free by choice or necessity, these cookie bars are a recipe you’ll want to keep on hand. They’re that good.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Gluten Free and Delicious – These cookie bars prove that gluten free baking can taste just as amazing as the regular version, so nobody at the table will even know the difference.

Loaded With Chocolate Chips – With 1 1/4 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips packed into a 9×9 pan, every single bite is rich and chocolatey.

Chewy and Gooey Center – The extra egg yolk and slightly underbaked center give these bars that soft, fudgy, melt-in-your-mouth texture that everyone loves in a chocolate chip cookie.

Only One Bowl Needed – You mix everything in a single large bowl, which means way less cleanup and more time actually enjoying these bars.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, melted
1 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
1 Large Egg
1 Large Egg Yolk
2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 3/4 cups Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/4 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Flaky Sea Salt, for topping

How to Make

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides.

Step 2

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and whisk until well combined and slightly thickened.

Step 3

Add the gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.

Step 4

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the top and sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt.

Step 5

Bake for 22 to 26 minutes until the edges are golden and set but the center still looks slightly underdone. Let cool completely in the pan before lifting out using the parchment and slicing into bars.

Helpful Tips

Let the Melted Butter Cool Down a Bit

After you melt the butter, give it about 5 minutes to cool before you start whisking it with the brown sugar. You don’t want it to be hot when you add the egg and egg yolk, because hot butter can partially cook the egg and leave you with little scrambled bits in your batter.

It should still be warm and liquid, just not steaming. Warm butter actually helps dissolve the brown sugar better, so you get a smoother batter with no lumps.

Pack the Brown Sugar the Right Way

When the recipe says “packed” brown sugar, it means you should press the sugar firmly into the measuring cup with the back of a spoon until it’s tightly compacted, then level it off. If you just scoop it loosely, you’ll end up with less sugar than you need and your bars won’t be as chewy or sweet.

A good test is that when you flip the measuring cup over, the brown sugar should hold its shape for a second before crumbling. That’s how you know you packed it enough.

Use a Gluten Free Flour That Has Xanthan Gum

The recipe calls for gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour, and most of these blends already include xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is what replaces the “glue” that gluten normally provides, so it’s what keeps your bars from being crumbly and falling apart when you slice them.

Check the ingredient list on your flour bag before you start. Brands like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 and King Arthur Measure for Measure both have xanthan gum built in.

If your flour doesn’t contain it, you can add about 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum to the dry ingredients. Without it, these bars won’t hold together properly and you’ll end up with a crumbly mess instead of clean slices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this recipe use an extra egg yolk?

The extra egg yolk adds richness and helps create that thick, chewy, fudgy texture you want in a cookie bar. Without it, the bars can turn out a little cakey or dry.

Don’t skip it – it really makes a difference. If you only have whole eggs on hand, you can crack one and separate the yolk from the white. Save the leftover egg white for smoothies or scrambled eggs.