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. 

More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

Peanut Butter Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Orange Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

One Bowl No-Chill Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 16 Long Bars

Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Print

Rich, delicious, and chewy Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars made with extra egg yolks. A quick and simple recipe made to utilize those extra egg yolks 😉

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (226g) plant-based butter, softened
• 1 cup (208g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup (112g) 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

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a 9x13” baking pan with non-stick spray and parchment paper (see Note 1).
2. 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.
3. 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).
4. 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.
5. Bake the bars at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and the center no longer looks wet.
6. 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.
7. 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!
8. Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

1. 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? I would love to see!

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