Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
I first heard of baking cookies with only egg yolks a little while ago when I saw Buttermilk By Sam’s post over on Instagram. She’d made her cookies with egg yolks (no whites), and when I found myself with some extra yolks on hand, I whipped up my go-to chocolate chip cookies with only the yolks and WHOA. The flavor. The texture. The richness. I was blown away that I hadn’t thought to do this – so many of my extra yolks went to straight to scrambled eggs (I’d rather have cookies!).
The swap from whole eggs to yolks only is so simple, but it wasn’t until Sam’s post that a little “egg yolk cookie” seed was planted in my baking repertoire. So when I made a cake recipe a couple of weeks ago that utilizes only egg whites, I knew I needed a cookie bar recipe (hello, single batch!) made with the extra yolks. If you’re a fan of gooey, soft chocolate chip cookies with major flavor then you will love these easy and quick egg yolk cookie bars.
Why You’ll Love These Cookie Bars
- You only need one bowl
- The dough takes only minutes to mix together
- The baked bars have the best chewy texture
- You can easily halve the recipe if desired
What You’ll Need
- Plant-based butter mixes with the sugars to create that classic cookie texture. You can use regular salted butter in its place.
- Brown sugar adds moisture and flavor to these bars. I love the added molasses in brown sugar and prefer it in my cookies. Light or dark brown sugar will do.
- White granulated sugar is standard for cookies. Feel free to use coconut sugar, raw sugar, or unrefined cane sugar instead – just note that the gram measurement will vary depending on the sugar.
- Egg yolks (duh) make these cookie bars. The yolks add a rich (non-eggy!) flavor and a chewy, soft texture to these bars. If you’re halving the recipe, I recommend using 2 1/2 egg yolks (using a scale would be the easiest way to do this).
- Vanilla extract adds flavor. I like to add a whopping two teaspoons because I love vanilla flavor in my chocolate chip cookies.
- Baking soda and baking powder are used in these cookie bars to provide lift.
- Salt enhances flavor and cuts sweetness.
- All-purpose flour is the standard cookie flour. You can use a bleached or unbleached variety. For “healthier” cookie bars, you can replace up to 1/2 of the flour with white whole wheat flour or spelt flour.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) plant-based butter, softened (or regular butter)
- 1 cup (220g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup (100g) white granulated sugar
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 (325g) cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (390g) chocolate chips, divided
- Flakey sea salt to sprinkle (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a 9×13” baking pan with non-stick spray and parchment paper (see Note 1).
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until combined and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Then beat in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt.1 cup (226g) plant-based butter, softened1 cup (220g) light brown sugar, packed1/2 cup (100g) white granulated sugar5 large egg yolks2 tsp vanilla extract3/4 tsp baking soda3/4 tsp baking powder1 tsp salt
- Add the flour and use a large spoon or spatula to mix the dough together. Stir in 1 3/4 cup (341g) of the chocolate chips (the rest will go on top).2 1/2 (325g) cups all-purpose flour2 cups (390g) chocolate chips, divided
- Spoon the dough into your prepared baking pan. Use the spoon to evenly spread and gently flatten the dough. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup (49g) of chocolate chips on top and gently press them into the dough.
- Bake the bars at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and the center no longer looks wet.
- Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan, on a cooling rack. If you’re feeling eager to dig in (and you don’t need the bars to look pretty) go ahead and scoop a spoonful out to eat warm.
- Once the bars are cool, carefully lift the whole thing up and out of the pan (use the parchment paper “tabs”). Slice into rectangles or squares, sprinkle with a little flakey sea salt if desired, and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Parchment Paper: I like to cut one piece of parchment paper that's long enough to hang over two of the pan sides. Fold and crease the excess paper over the sides and trim to about a 1/2".
Did you make this recipe?
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These are so so good! Making for the second time today for a potluck tonight. Positive they will get the same rave reviews as the first time I made them.
These were extremely good. They were the 1st to go on a cookie tray I took to a grad party. I will definitely make them again!!
I’m so glad you loved these, MaryLou! 🙂
This was a great recipe and I’m a pastry chef. I accidentally nearly doubled the amount of yolks to 8 or 9, as I had some leftover after making buttercream this weekend. Well, my 2-year-old dumped the full container in before I could stop him. Even if that “minor” change, these turned out marvelous. I was afraid they’d be greasy from the extra fat, but they weren’t. So, if you’re on the fence about adding in your extra yolks instead of wasting them, I’d recommend going for it.
Wow! This is such a compliment! I’m so glad you loved these. And I’m glad the extra egg yolks didn’t throw anything off 😉
?This is great I also am left with 9 yolks from making macarons and buttercream. Was only contemplating adding 1 or 2 extra yolks. Thanks for adding your accidental success.
I had five beautiful egg yolks left over from a coconut cake that uses only egg whites and found this recipe. It is the perfect companion recipe! At first following the recipe for me was going down a road I wasn’t familiar with….when you said dough, you really meant dough. I thought I had made a mistake (no liquid?) but just kept following along trusting that it would take me to a good place. And it did!. The result is out-of-this-world delicious.
I’m so glad these worked for you! It really is just a simple cookie dough 🙂 Happy you love them!
I am here after making probably the same coconut cake with 5 egg whites! Excited to try these cookies!
These look delicious. Do these freeze well once they’ve been cooked ?
Wondering if it’s worth making a big batch or just sticking to what I can eat in a few days.
Hi Ruth! You can definitely freeze these! Halving the recipe may also be of interest to you 🙂
These are phenomenal! My trainer has me on a lot of egg whites and now I have a use for the yolks. They tasted even better the next day. I’m going to make some batches of dough to freeze, and I’m also going to make them with M&M’s in seasonal colors around Halloween and Christmas. Thanks so much for the great & easy recipe!
I’m so glad you love these, Jennifer! M&Ms sound like a great addition (and an easy to way to dress these up for the holidays) 😉
I was in search of a weeknight dessert recipe that would use up 4 egg yolks. Google search lead me to your recipe and I’m very glad it did. I only used 4 egg yolks because that’s all I had. Baked for 27 minutes and cut into them after ~50 minutes of cooling. They were delicious. They’ll probably taste better once fully cooled tomorrow. Hope they last the next 2 nights. They are indeed rich- in the best way. Thanks for sharing!
Yay! I’m so glad you were able to use up those extra yolks (I know I hate wasting them)! Thanks for taking the time to leave such a kind review 🙂
Made them a few times. They are very good. It’s a big batch so I freeze half. They come out of the freezer just as good.
Glad you’ve enjoyed these, Linda! Freezing half the bars is a great idea 🙂
Great recipe!
Thank you!! 🙂
This is my go to recipe to use up Easter eggs and or yolks
Everybody loves them , every party I’m always asked for the recipe .
I’ve also baked it in a large round cake tin as a giant cookie for a different sort of birthday cake !
Thank you, Trish!! Love the idea of baking them in a cake tin…I could totally see this as a cookie cake!
I am allergic to gluten, dairy, and chicken eggs, so baking anything is always a bit of a risk, but these bar cookies are hands down one of the BEST cookies I have made with my dietary restrictions. I have a white cake recipe I’ve nailed, but I’m always left with 5 yolks after, and this is going to be my default companion recipe to use them up. Seriously, these cookies are amazing.
I bake with duck eggs, which have thicker and slightly larger yolk compared to chicken eggs, and the bar cookies turned out so thick and fluffy. To account for my gluten free 1:1 flour substitution, I also increased the baking powder and soda just a bit (a trick I learned from a GF blog somewhere a few years ago). Cannot recommend these enough! Thank you!!
Thank you so much for the lovely review! I’m so glad this recipe helps you put those extra yolks to use 😉
My new favorite chocolate chip anything! Rich, creamy and easy to make. I actually added 2 extra yolks as I had seven to use up…they came out beautifully. Thanks for sharing.
Yay! I’m so happy you love these, Gina! Thanks for sharing your review 🙂