Mint Chocolate Chip Bars

If you love a chewy, chocolatey bar situation, these Mint Chocolate Chip Bars are about to be your new obsession. They are decadent, refreshing, and dangerously easy to make. If you are new to What's Gaby Cooking and you love bars, I would also suggest taking a look at these delicious bars: Cheesecake Cookie Bars, M&M Cheesecake Cookie Bars, Snickerdoodle Blondie Brownies, and my personal favorite Perfect S'more Blondies.

Why I Love This Recipe

Mint chocolate anything has my heart (I am my dads daughter!), but these bars take it to another level. They are soft and chewy in the center, have those crispy edges everyone fights over, and the minty chocolate pockets make every bite feel special. This is one of those recipes that tastes nostalgic yet elevated, great for holiday gifting, bake sales, or whenever you want a dessert that feels a little extra. Plus you only need one bowl and the chill time makes them slice like an absolute dream.

Ingredients

Substituions

🍫 Chocolate Swaps

• Regular chocolate chips — if you can’t find mint chocolate, just add a splash of peppermint extract to the dough.
• Dark chocolate — for a richer, more sophisticated flavor.
• Milk chocolate — for a sweeter, classic cookie bar feel.
• White chocolate chips — pair beautifully with mint and make them extra festive.
• Chopped Andes mints, peppermint bark, or mint M&Ms — perfect seasonal swaps.

🌿 Mint Flavor Options

• Peppermint extract — a few drops go a long way if you’re subbing out the mint chocolate.
• Mint baking chips or crushed candy canes — add both flavor and crunch.
• Skip the mint entirely — and make these into double chocolate bars!

🧈 Butter + Sugar Variations

• Salted butter — totally fine, just skip any extra salt in the recipe.
• Brown butter — adds caramel depth and a slightly nutty flavor.
• Dark brown sugar — for deeper molasses flavor and extra chew.
• Coconut sugar — a less refined, toasty swap that works well in bars.

🍫 Cocoa Powder Swaps

• Dutch processed cocoa — gives the richest color and flavor.
• Natural cocoa powder — works fine; just expect a slightly lighter taste and color.
• Black cocoa powder — for a dramatic, Oreo-style twist.

🧁 Flavor Boosters + Add-Ins

• Espresso powder — intensifies the chocolate without making it taste like coffee.
• Crushed Oreos — mix them into the batter for extra texture.
• Mini marshmallows — turns these into a minty rocky road situation.
• Chopped nuts — like pecans, walnuts, or almonds for crunch.
• Flaky sea salt — sprinkle on top before baking for that perfect sweet-salty balance.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 by 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until fully combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix until just combined.
5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the chocolate mint chips and chocolate chips by hand.
6. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
8. Let the bars cool to room temperature, then transfer the pan to the fridge and chill for 1 hour before slicing and serving.

🍫🌿✨ 10 Tips + Tricks for the Best Mint Chocolate Chip Bars

• Cream the butter and sugar fully. Don’t rush this step, you want the mixture pale and fluffy so the bars bake up thicker and chewier instead of dense.
• Use room-temperature eggs. They mix in more smoothly and help the batter come together without overworking it. Cold eggs can make the butter seize.
• Mix the dry ingredients separately. This keeps the cocoa, baking soda, and salt evenly distributed so you don’t end up with pockets of bitterness or flat spots.
• Don’t overmix once the flour goes in. As soon as the streaks disappear, you’re done. Overmixing activates gluten and can make the bars tough instead of soft and fudgy.
• Fold the chocolate in by hand. A mixer can break the chips and overwork the batter. Folding keeps everything evenly studded with chocolatey mint goodness.
• Line your pan with parchment. Leave a little overhang so you can lift the bars out cleanly. It makes slicing WAY easier and gives perfect, bakery-level edges.
• Slightly underbake for gooey centers. Pull them when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. They’ll finish setting as they cool and stay wonderfully chewy.
• Chill before slicing. This is the secret to clean, gorgeous bar cuts. Cooling firms the chocolate and helps the texture finish developing.
• Customize your chocolate. Use chopped mint chocolate bars, Andes mints, dark chocolate chunks… these bars are super flexible. Mint + chocolate = no wrong answers.
• Serve at room temp for peak chewy magic. Cold bars are firmer; room-temp bars are soft, melty, and basically irresistible.