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Crème Fraîche Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars. Sweet, doughy, buttery, filled with chocolate chunks, and swirled with a creamy crème fraîche that’s almost custard-like. If your day needs a sweet, chocolatey treat, you should be making these bars…Because sometimes all you need to brighten your day is a really good cookie! These bars are the BEST, and just a bit more elevated than your average cookie bar.
I know that it’s summer, and I know that I probably should be sharing a berry or peach filled recipe today. It’s the seasonal thing to do. But you know something? Even in the summertime when the fruit is oh so perfect, and oh so delicious, there are still days when you just need chocolate. Really, you do.
Today is that Friday in July when we just need to enjoy a chocolate cookie bar, not a berry crisp. Everyone on board with this?
I’m hoping so, because these cookie bars are some of the best ever. Bold statement, but when I made them earlier this week to satisfy some chocolate cravings I knew I was onto something. The secret…Crème Fraîche.
PS. when I said “chocolate cravings”, what I really meant is that our mini teenager, Asher (she’s 10 going on 16) has been begging me to make her cookie bars all summer long. She’s not that into fruity desserts, she really just wants cookies. All. The Time. Can you blame her? NOPE. I finally ditched the berries and caved into her chocolate cravings. This all happened yesterday, when Asher stopped into the studio specifically looking for chocolate chip pancakes…in the middle of the day. After the pancakes, we decided to just keep the chocolate flowing!
That little girl has me wrapped around her tiny finger. It’s a problem, but she’s too cute and I love her.
OK. Moving along here.
These bars…honestly? I cannot believe how one simple ingredient can change a recipe so drastically, and in such a delicious way.
Think chocolate chip cookie bar meets cheesecake bar, meets baked custard, but with the tang and creaminess of Crème Fraîche. It might be a little hard to imagine, but you need to trust me here. I promise these cookie bars are SO GOOD.
I used my mom’s base recipe for the cookie dough, which is the very same recipe that’s listed on the back of the Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, you know?
This is the base recipe I used all throughout my childhood, so it has a special place in my heart.
Here is how this goes.
Cream the butter and sugar. Add your eggs, vanilla, and dry ingredients. Stir in lots of chocolate chunks. You can also use chocolate chips, but let’s be real, chocolate chunks are far better.
Now, the very special Crème Fraîche custardy layer. It’s simple. Beat some Crème Fraîche with an egg and a touch of sugar. Essentially the filling of cheesecake, but with Crème Fraîche instead of cream cheese. it’s creamier, tangier, and better.
To assemble, spread the cookie dough in a baking dish. Drizzle with the Crème Fraîche, add the remaining cookie dough, and bake. Then smell the deliciousness wafting from your oven. Wait (impatiently) for 30 minutes or so, maybe scroll Instagram, maybe take a quick nap (PLEASE SET A TIMER THOUGH), bask in the sun, who knows, just find something to do while these bake. Then when the time is up, grab the bars from the oven, and look forward to their deliciousness…
Now, the toughest part of this recipe.
You need to let the bars chill…completely…before cutting. I mean, sure you can certainly go to town on these with a spoon and eat them all warm and gooey, kind of skillet cookie style…minus the skillet.
Guaranteed that will be delicious, but it will messy.
Very important note: If you do eat these warm, be sure to add ice cream.
However, if you let the bars cool and then chill in the fridge they are perfect for cutting and sharing. Meaning, yes these are a great cookie bar to pack up for picnics or serve at your next dinner party. They’re exciting because at first glance everyone thinks they’re a chocolate chip cookie bar. And who doesn’t love that?
But, upon first bite? Everyone realizes these bars are so much more than your average cookie bar. They’re buttery, heavy on the chocolate, oh so soft and gooey, and swirled with a delicious, creamy and sweet, Crème Fraîche.
And my favorite part? These bars take almost no time to make, and aside from the Crème Fraîche, use all pantry staple ingredients. Does not get any easier.
So with that, let’s all agree that our weekends need some chocolate. Save the berries for breakfast, the peaches for dinner, and bake these cookie bars for dessert. Promise, it’s the right thing to do.
If you make these crème fraîche chocolate chunk cookie bars be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crème Fraîche Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars
Servings: 24 bars
Calories Per Serving: 1616 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2-3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips
- flaky sea salt, for topping
crème fraîche custard
- 8 ounces crème fraîche (mascarpone or cream cheese can be used in an equal amount)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and line with parchment paper.2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined and creamy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour, and baking soda, beat until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.3. To make the crème fraîche custard. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the crème fraîche, 1 egg, and sugar until combined.4. Spread 1/2 the dough out in the prepared dish. Drizzle the crème fraîche over the dough. Add the remaining cookie dough overtop, don't worry if the dough doesn't fully cover the crème fraîche (see above photo). Transfer to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until just set in the center. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let cool and then transfer to the fridge to chill, at least 1 hour. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
I made these with white chocolate chips and they were amazing!!
Hey Alexa,
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks a lot for giving it a try and happy Sunday! xTieghan
These were very easy to make (made with my six year old) and delicious. Have a rich taste and not dry at all. They’ve held up well for several days now.
I am really happy to hear that, Sonya! Thank you! xTieghan
How would I cut the custard part of the recipe in half
Hey Madeline,
Just use half of the listed ingredients:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These are THE BEST cookie bars I have ever made. These will be in my rotation of baking all year round. It’s almost like Creme brûlée had a baby with a chocolate chip cookie. It’s amazing.
Yes! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
Such a gooood recipe! Thank you for sharing it with us! I adjusted it to be gluten free by using gluten free flour and a bit of almond flour. I m loving the result and eating it with a spoon from the baking tray (please, don t judge me too much :DD).
No judgment here!! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Ugne! Thank you! xTieghan
Super good – a nice change to an old staple. I think I might have a smaller 9×13 (if that exists) b/c mine were a little thicker than yours from the looks of the picture… also I think I over-baked slightly, which I regret (my fault, not yours). STILL, they are awesome. Can’t wait to reheat and add some vanilla ice cream tonight for a cozy Quarantine treat. You’ve done it again. Thanks!
Aw I am really glad this one turned out so well for you Shannon! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
I just made these and oh my goodness they’re unbelievable ? I was a bit sceptical because I’ve never tried anything like this, never even made cookies! and didn’t know if it’d work but now I just want to try ALL the cookie bar recipes haha. I used a mix of milk and dark choc and swapped half the chocolate for walnuts for extra texture points and because we aren’t big chocolate fans. Also I was trying to use up a 300ml tub of creme fraiche, which is 80ml more than the recipe, but chucked it all in anyway and it still came out amazing! Also sorry for asking the same question twice- wasn’t sure if it’d gone through! Plan on freezing most of them and they’ll hopefully serve as treats throughout Ramadhan ❤xx thank you for sharing ??
Hi Sobia! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! I hope you continue to love these and other recipes of mine! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Hey can these be frozen? X
Yes of course! I hope you love these! xTieghan
Hi there I wanted to ask, can you freeze these? Thank you x
Hi Sobia,
Yes you can freeze the cookies, I would recommend to cut them first and warm for a few minutes before enjoying. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
LOVE this recipe. Making it for the 2nd weekend in a row for dinner guests. I substituted cream cheese and it made a perfect cheesecake swirl.
That is so great! I am really glad everyone loved this! Thank you! xTieghan
Thank you so much! I made this for my office today and everybody loved it! Some people even came by my desk later to say how much they had enjoyed the cake. Definitely going to make this one again.
Thanks for making (and sharing) amazing stuff like this! 🙂
You’re so welcome Inge! What a wonderful treat for you to bring some tasty joy to work. Thank you!
Ive made these twice now and both times they went down an absolute treat! Since a tub of creme fraiche in the UK isn’t big enough, I topped it up with either yoghurt or marscapone.
Lovely!! So glad you have been enjoying these bars Charlotte! xTieghan
Oh goodness these were everything I wanted and more! The texture of the creme fraiche “cheesecake” on top of the cookie brings these to a whole other level. Brought to a family party and everyone raved and asked how I did it. I used good butter and cut my own chocolate chunks from different good quality candy bars (some dark, some milk)! Sally, this is the second recipe I’ve tried from your blog and both have been spot on. Thank you!!
Hi! I am really glad you enjoyed this recipe, Debra! Thank you! xTieghan
These were SO GOOD Tieghan- just had another one with my afternoon coffee. These remind me of the filling for your chocolate chip cookie pie which is so delicious and one of my favorites as well. I did not enjoy them warm initially, however I still served mine up last night with ice cream?. I’m with Asher- chocolate is THE all season fruit!! P.S. Disappointed with the one & only negative thought shared from someone on this comment thread- don’t ever be affected by such statements, just keep standing in love, keep your spirit shining as you do, and adore your little sis with all your heart! ❤️Xo
Hi Gia! I am so glad you loved these bars!! Thank you so much for trying them.. and yes chocolate is the best! Also, thank you for the kind words, they mean so much! xTieghan
Okay – I’m never making “regular” cookie bars again! These are the BEST! I used dark chocolate chunks instead and that custard layer adds that extra something.. like you said, it’s amazing how the addition of one thing can make a huge difference. Thank you for constantly re-inventing the classics that I grew up with!
Ah that is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much Kari! So glad you loved these! xTieghan