Best Oatmeal Cookie Bars
Oatmeal Cookie Bars are a deliciously chewy, gooey, chocolaty dessert that the whole family will enjoy! They are easy to make and perfect for a potluck, party, picnic, or any occasion!
These oatmeal chocolate chip bars are versatile, and you can easily substitute add-in ingredients that you have available in your pantry!
Once you have tried this easy recipe, your kids will most likely request these bars for dessert on family movie night or game night. They won’t want to miss family night if you’re serving these bars!
What better way to create fun memories than drawing families together with yummy treats and time together?!
If you are looking for other tried and true sweet treats, be sure to try my delicious Hello Dolly Bars, healthy Peanut Butter Banana Cookies, or classic Chocolate chip Cookies.
What are Oatmeal Cookie Bars?
Oatmeal Cookie Bars are a moist, chewy, sweet treat.
The chocolate chips and oatmeal are held together with buttery goodness to create something like the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie you have ever tasted, but they are a bar cookies rather than drop cookies.
It’s easier and less time consuming to make and bake a chewy bar than individual cookies because the cookie dough is spread into a layer in a baking dish and later cut into bars.
It will easily become a family favorite, just don’t forget to add lots of chocolate chips!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- One bite of a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie bar will lead to more, because you can’t stop with just one bite!
- These bars will remind you of both oatmeal cookies and chocolate chip cookies all in one mouthful!
- This bar cookie recipe tastes like home and is a great treat for tea time or for after school.
- Oatmeal Cookie Bars can be made ahead of time, whipped up in a large bowl, dumped into a baking lined with parchment paper and baked in no time!
- This is a great recipe you can eat straight from the pan with a fork or with your hands!
- There are copious amounts of chocolate chips in every bite for chocolate lovers!
Tell me about Oatmeal Cookie Bars
- Taste- These oatmeal bars are sweet and reminiscent of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. The oatmeal cuts the sweetness so that they contain just the perfect amount of richness!
- Texture- Soft with a chewy texture would describe these oatmeal chocolate chip bars.
- Ease- The hardest part of baking this cookie bar recipe is waiting to bite into them; it’s as simple as mixing cookie batter!
- Time- After gathering all of the ingredients and supplies, this recipe takes only 15 minutes to prepare, from adding the first ingredient to popping them in the oven! Get the full recipe below!
Ingredients for Oatmeal Bars
- Unsalted Butter– Room temperature butter helps to hold all of the other ingredients together, also adding richness in flavor, and softening the dough.
- Light Brown Sugar– Light brown sugar adds a mild sweetness to the recipe.
- Granulated Sugar– This ingredient provides sweetness to the dessert.
- Eggs– Eggs provide hydration to the dough, bind the ingredients together, and aide in rising the dough during cooking.
- Vanilla– This ingredient adds wonderful flavor to the bars.
- Milk– Even though this recipe only requires a small amount of milk, it does provide moisture and adds softness to the end product.
- Salt– Salt adds flavor but also helps to bring out the other flavors in the bars.
- Baking Soda– Baking soda acts as a leavening agent in baked goods, helping the bars to rise upon baking.
- Baking Powder– Baking powder also acts as a leavening agent, but also provides the cookie bars with an airiness so that they aren’t too dense.
- Flour– Flour helps to give baked goods shape, substance, and structure.
- Old-Fashioned Oats– Oats add texture to the cookie bar.
- Milk Chocolate Chips– Milk chocolate chips contain milk and are sweeter than semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips– Semi-sweet chocolate chips are more like dark chocolate due to a higher cocoa amount. They taste slightly more bitter than milk chocolate. If you are looking for a more decadent flavor, try peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips.
Make these Oatmeal Chocolate Bars in 3 Easy Steps
- Mix wet ingredients– After creaming together the butter and sugar, mix in the wet ingredients until smooth, using your electric stand mixer.
- Combine dry ingredients– In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until combined. Next, add all of the chocolate chips to the mixture.
- Bake- Press the dough into the prepared 9×13 pan and bake until the bars are a golden brown. Allow them to cool completely on a cooling rack before cutting and serving. Enjoy!
Substitutions for Oatmeal Bars
- Quick Oats– This type of oats may be used instead of the old-fashioned oats. The texture may turn out a little bit different, but it will still work!
- Dark Brown Sugar– This can be used instead of light brown sugar. However, your dessert may look darker and almost burned. Dark brown sugar has more molasses in it and gives the sugar a stronger taste.
- Whole Wheat Flour– If you want to make these a bit healthier, you can half the flour mixture and use 1/2 all purpose flour and 1/2 whole wheat flour.
Add Ins for Oatmeal Cookie Bars
- White Chocolate or Butterscotch Chips– These add a decadent sweetness that make these bars feel ultra special.
- Chocolate Chunks– These are great if you prefer a large piece of chocolate in each bite!
- Raisins or Dried Cranberries– Dried fruit is often a favorite of young and old alike!
- M&M’S or crushed Heath Bars– Different types of candy available in your pantry can add a uniqueness to the bars!
- Nuts– Nut lovers would enjoy walnuts or pecans along with the chocolate chips!
- Coconut Flakes– Coconut tastes great with these chocolate chip oatmeal cookie bars. The subtle sweetness of the coconut and slight chew makes it a perfect addition.
Tips for Making the Best Oatmeal Cookie Bars
- For best results, be sure that your butter and eggs are at room temperature before making this recipe.
- When baking the bars, make sure that the center is cooked through before you take it out of the oven. The bars should be a golden brown!
- Oatmeal Cookie Bars are best when they are chewy and gooey! Even better, serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
- You can whip these up with a bit of elbow grease, but it makes it a lot easier and quicker to use an electric mixer.
- To cool these dessert bars, pull them out using the parchment paper and let them cool on a wire rack.
How do you store Oatmeal Cookie Bars?
After your Oatmeal Cookie Bars have sufficiently cooled, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature. If you prefer, you may also freeze them for up to a month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. However, quick oats are more processed than old-fashioned oats and do not provide as much texture or chewiness to the bars.
Yes, you can! It is best to wait until they have cooled. Wrap them in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil before placing them in an airtight container. They may be frozen for up to one month.
Yes, just use a gluten free 1:1 flour.
Oatmeal Cookie Bar Recipe
Oatmeal Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 1 electric mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 baking dish. Line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal.
- In your electric stand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the vanilla and milk.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl- salt, baking soda, baking powder, flour and rolled oats.
- Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and stir until just combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Press the dough into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the bars are golden brown.
- Allow to cool on a cooling rack completely before cutting.
Notes
- White Chocolate or Butterscotch Chips– These add a decadent sweetness that make these bars feel ultra special.
- Chocolate Chunks– These are great if you prefer a large piece of chocolate in each bite!
- Raisins or Dried Cranberries– Dried fruit is often a favorite of young and old alike!
- M&M’S or crushed Heath Bars– Different types of candy available in your pantry can add a uniqueness to the bars!
- Nuts– Nut lovers would enjoy walnuts or pecans along with the chocolate chips!
