Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13" baking pan with cooking spray or butter or line it with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together melted butter and egg until well combined.
Add cake mix and mix together until combined. The mixture will be thick and doughy.
Gently fold in chocolate chips if using.
Transfer the batter to prepared baking pan. Use a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to evenly spread the batter in the pan. Since dough is thick, you may need to press it into the pan to even it out.
Bake for 18-21 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden. The center of the bars should still be slightly soft.
Let cookie bars cool in pan on a wire rack before removing from pan and slicing into squares.