Ultimate Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars

Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars are a truly irresistible dessert, effortlessly blending the classic crunch of Oreo cookies with the timeless comfort of chocolate chip cookies. These delightful bar cookies are a cinch to prepare and loaded with an abundance of rich chocolate chips and satisfying Oreo chunks, ensuring a delicious party in your mouth with every single bite! Prepare yourself for a dessert experience that is both familiar and exciting, perfect for satisfying any sweet tooth.

Imagine a dessert that offers the best of both worlds: a rich, chewy cookie base studded with creamy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate and generously packed with crunchy bits of your favorite sandwich cookie. These Cookies and Cream Bars perfectly capture that dream, giving you both your Oreo cookie fix along with relieving your deepest chocolate chip cookie cravings! It’s a double bonus for your taste buds, delivering an explosion of flavor and texture that will have everyone reaching for more.

Three Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars stacked on a white plate, showcasing their rich, chocolatey, and Oreo-filled texture.

Contents

Why These Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars Are an Absolute Must-Bake

If you’re looking for a dessert that consistently earns rave reviews and disappears faster than you can say “cookies and cream,” then these Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars are your answer. Here’s why this recipe should be at the top of your baking list:

You know you’ve hit a culinary home run when your significant other comes home from a work dinner at a fancy-schmancy restaurant, having specifically skipped dessert there because they knew the homemade “brownies” (aka these incredible bar cookies) were waiting for them at home. That’s the kind of memorable deliciousness these bars deliver!
These rich, incredibly chewy, and delightfully dense Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars take only minutes to whip up, making them a fantastic choice for busy schedules. Yet, their profound flavor and satisfying texture are memorable enough to easily trump the most elaborate eatery’s sweets menu.
Bar cookies are inherently simpler and less time-consuming to make than individual cookies, which often require scooping dozens of portions onto multiple baking sheets. This recipe is a terrific solution when you’re short on time but still want to create something truly special and homemade. They were always the sort of treat I’d whip up when my kids would come home from school with their buddies, and they’d disappear in a flash!
Beyond their ease, these bars are a fantastic crowd-pleaser, perfect for potlucks, parties, bake sales, or simply as an everyday treat to brighten your family’s day. The combination of classic chocolate chip cookie goodness with the beloved crunch of Oreos creates a universally adored dessert that appeals to all ages.
The recipe is also incredibly forgiving and adaptable. While it’s perfect as written, you can easily customize it with different types of chocolate chips or even other crushed cookies, allowing for endless creative variations.

And if you’re searching for another super simple, yet utterly decadent dessert that starts with a convenient shortcut, these Gooey Butter Bars use a box of yellow cake mix, transforming it into a rich, unbelievably tasty batch of bar cookies that are just as easy and impressive.

A sheet pan displaying all the essential ingredients for Oreo chocolate chip cookie bars, neatly labeled for easy identification.

Essential Ingredient Notes for Perfect Bar Cookies

Achieving the perfect texture and flavor in these Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars starts with understanding the role of each ingredient. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why:

Kitchen Staples: You’ll need granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, all-purpose flour, and brown sugar. These form the foundational structure and sweetness of our delicious cookie bars.
Butter: Use unsalted butter for better control over the saltiness, or salted butter if you prefer a slightly saltier contrast to the sweetness. Ensure it’s at room temperature for easier and more thorough blending with the sugars, which creates a lighter, fluffier base. Cold butter won’t cream properly, leading to a denser texture.
Eggs: Large eggs are standard for baking. Like the butter, having them at room temperature is crucial. Room temperature eggs emulsify more easily with the butter and sugar, resulting in a smoother, more uniform batter and a better overall texture in your finished bars.
Vanilla Extract: Always opt for real vanilla extract, never artificially flavored. The pure, rich aroma and taste of genuine vanilla significantly enhance the overall flavor profile of these bars, providing a warm, comforting background note that ties all the other flavors together beautifully.
Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix: This secret ingredient is a game-changer! A 3.4-ounce box of instant vanilla pudding mix adds incredible moisture to the bars, making them exceptionally soft and chewy. It also provides a significant boost of vanilla flavor, complementing the extract and creating a more complex taste.
Baking Powder: This recipe cleverly uses both baking soda and baking powder. Baking powder provides additional lift and lightness to the bars. Remember that baking powder has a shorter shelf life than baking soda and is not used as frequently, so it’s wise to ensure yours is fresh before you begin. An old, inactive leavening agent can result in flat, dense bars.
Milk Chocolate Chips and White Chocolate Chips: While any brand will work, using high-quality chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli, can elevate the taste. The combination of milk and white chocolate creates a delightful visual contrast and a balanced sweetness, but feel free to use your favorite chocolate chip varieties or even chopped chocolate bars.
Oreo Cookies: You’ll need about 16 regular Oreos, each broken into 4 pieces. The chunks provide wonderful texture and that iconic cookies and cream flavor. If you can find mini Oreos, cutting those in half instead of quartering regular Oreos can save you a bit of prep time and offer a slightly different texture distribution in the bars. Both options will taste absolutely fantastic!

Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Perfect Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars

Making these delicious cookie bars is straightforward and incredibly rewarding. Follow these simple steps for a flawless batch:

Step 1: Creaming butter and sugars until light and fluffy. — Begin by creaming together the softened butter and both types of sugar in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined. This step incorporates air, contributing to the bars’ texture.

Step 2: Mixing in eggs and vanilla extract. — Begin by creaming together the softened butter and both types of sugar in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined. This step incorporates air, contributing to the bars’ texture.

Expert Recipe Tips for Flawless Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars Every Time

Mastering these Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars is simple with a few smart techniques. These tips will help you achieve the perfect texture, maximize flavor, and make your baking process even smoother:

Proper Pan Preparation is Key: While I used to use non-stick foil to line my pans for easy removal, I found that it sometimes made it challenging to evenly press the thick dough into the lined pan. A superior option is to generously coat your baking pan with a high-quality non-stick baking spray, like Baker’s Joy, which often contains flour. This ensures a clean release without the hassle of wrestling with dough in a foil-lined pan.
PRO-Tip: Check Your Baking Powder’s Freshness: Baking powder is a crucial leavening agent, and its effectiveness can diminish over time. If you’re unsure whether your baking powder is still active, perform a quick test: place a spoonful into a cup of very hot water. If it’s fresh and potent, it will bubble vigorously. If you see only weak bubbles or none at all, it’s time to replace it before you start this recipe to ensure your bars rise properly and have the desired texture.
Simplify Oreo Prep with Minis: As I mentioned in the ingredient notes, if you can easily find mini Oreos at your local grocery store, consider using those! Cutting them in half instead of quartering regular Oreos can save you a significant amount of prep time. Both sizes will taste absolutely great in the bars, but the minis offer a convenient shortcut for busy bakers.
PRO-Tip: Avoid Overmixing the Dough: This is a golden rule for many cookie and bar recipes. If you’re using an electric mixer, blend the ingredients only until they are just combined. Overmixing the dough, especially once the flour is added, can develop the gluten too much, leading to tougher, more cake-like bars. For dense, perfectly chewy cookies and bars, a gentle mix is always best.
PRO-Tip: Ensure Room Temperature Ingredients: Having your butter and eggs at room temperature is essential for easier and more effective blending. Room temperature butter creams beautifully with sugar, incorporating air for a lighter texture, and room temperature eggs emulsify seamlessly into the mixture, creating a smooth, cohesive dough. If you forget to take your eggs out in advance, you can quickly bring them to room temperature by placing them in a bowl of very warm water (not boiling, or they may cook!) for about 5-10 minutes.
Achieve a Smooth Top: Before baking, use an offset spatula to smooth the top of the dough in the pan. This not only gives your bars a professional, even appearance but also ensures uniform baking.
For a Bakery-Style Finish: If you’re aiming for that extra special, professional look, reserve a small handful of the chopped Oreo pieces and chocolate chips. When the bars come out of the oven, immediately and carefully press these reserved pieces into the warm, soft top of the bars. Do this very carefully to avoid burning yourself. This technique gives your bars a beautiful, bakery-like appearance, which is especially nice when you’re gifting them to friends, neighbors, or taking them to a school event or potluck.
Don’t Overbake: The key to chewy bars is to slightly underbake them. The edges should be set and lightly golden, but the center should still look a little soft. They will continue to cook slightly as they cool in the hot pan. Overbaking will result in dry, crumbly bars.
Cool Completely Before Cutting: Patience is paramount here! Resist the urge to cut into the bars while they are still warm. Cooling completely, ideally for a few hours, allows the bars to set up properly, making them much easier to slice cleanly and preventing them from falling apart.

Frequently Asked Questions About Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars

Can I make a Half Batch of these Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars?

Absolutely! This recipe is very forgiving and scales down beautifully. All the ingredients will divide in half easily. Simply prepare half the recipe and spread the dough into an 8 x 8-inch baking pan instead of a 9×13 inch pan. The baking time may need to be decreased slightly, so start checking earlier. A good indication that they are done is when you smell the aroma of baked cookies wafting from your oven, the center of the bars looks set, and the top appears dull rather than shiny. If you’re still unsure, you can always carefully insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out with moist crumbs, but not wet batter.

How Long Will These Cookie Bars Keep and What’s the Best Way to Store Them?

These delicious cookie bars have a decent shelf life if stored properly. If you keep them covered airtight with foil or in an airtight container, they will remain fresh and chewy at room temperature for 3-4 days. For longer storage, these bars freeze exceptionally well. Wrap individual bars or the entire cooled slab tightly in plastic wrap, then again in aluminum foil, or place them in an airtight freezer-safe bag or container. Stored this way, they’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature when you’re ready to enjoy a delightful treat.

Can I customize the type of chocolate chips or cookies used?

Yes, absolutely! This recipe is incredibly versatile. While milk and white chocolate chips and Oreos are a winning combination, feel free to experiment. You can use dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet, butterscotch chips, or even peanut butter chips. For the “cream” component, consider other crunchy cream-filled cookies if you’re looking for a different flavor profile, though Oreos provide that classic cookies and cream taste everyone loves. Just ensure the total quantity remains similar to maintain the dough’s consistency.

Other Irresistible Treats You May Also Like

For another delightful Oreo-infused dessert, try my Oreo White Chocolate Fudge – it’s creamy, rich, and packed with cookie goodness.
If you’re a fan of the caramel-chocolate pairing, my Chocolate Caramel Bars offer an incredibly decadent and chewy experience that’s hard to resist.
And for a fun, no-bake treat that’s perfect for kids and adults alike, these Oreo Cookie Dough Sandwiches are a must-try!
Plus, make sure to check out my comprehensive post on How to Slice Cookie Bars for expert tips on achieving neat, perfectly proportioned servings every time.
Explore all my other Easy Bar Cookie Recipes for more simple and delicious baking inspiration!

I genuinely love making cookie bars. They offer a fantastic shortcut compared to scooping out countless individual cookie dough portions onto numerous baking sheets, which can be quite time-consuming. Instead, with bar cookies, the entire batch of dough is simply packed into a single 9 x 13-inch pan and popped into the oven for a mere 20-22 minutes. The hardest part, honestly, is waiting for them to cool completely before cutting into that glorious slab of deliciousness! The key to these, and most chewy cookie recipes, is to slightly underbake them. This results in that desirable dense, incredibly moist, and wonderfully chewy texture that everyone craves. My hubby, a discerning dessert critic, has certified these Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars as truly terrific – one of his highest ratings! This is a recipe I return to again and again because it’s consistently a winner.

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The Recipe:

Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars

Prep Time
20 minutes

Cook Time
22 minutes

Total Time
42 minutes

Yield
24 bars

Easy Bar Cookies chock full of chocolate chips and Oreo chunks! These chewy, flavorful bars are a perfect treat for any occasion.

Rating: 5 Stars (Based on 29 reviews)

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3.4 ounce box of instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder (ensure it’s fresh!)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips (high quality recommended)
1 cup white chocolate chips (high quality recommended)
16 Oreo cookies, each broken into 4 pieces (or mini Oreos cut in half)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Generously spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with a non-stick baking spray (like Baker’s Joy) to prevent sticking.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and both the brown and granulated sugars until light and fluffy. Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract. Then, add the instant vanilla pudding mix and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the dough. Gently fold in the milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and the chopped Oreo cookies until evenly distributed.
Scrape the thick dough into the prepared 9×13 inch pan. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 20-22 minutes. The bars may look slightly underdone and soft in the center, but the edges should be lightly golden and set. This is key for a chewy texture. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack.
Allow the cookie bars to cool completely in the pan for at least a few hours (or even longer) before attempting to slice them. This ensures they set properly and makes for clean, neat cuts. Once cooled, slice into 24 bars and enjoy!

Notes

Feel free to experiment with different types of chocolate chips, such as dark chocolate or butterscotch, to customize the flavor of these delightful bars. Always ensure your baking powder is fresh for optimal rise and texture.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 bar

Amount Per Serving (estimated):
Calories: 203Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 204mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 3g

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

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This fantastic recipe for Oreo Chocolate Chip Bars was inspired by Six Sisters’ Stuff. You can also explore Danielle’s delightful take on this recipe here and check out her engaging social media sites for more baking inspiration!