Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. Contains brown sugar, oats, chocolate chips, and a hint of cinnamon. 

Why You’ll Love These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

• Easy-to-make. This a one-bowl recipe is great for weeknight baking.
• Soft and chewy. 
• Filled with chocolate chips, not raisins. (You can use raisins if you love them!)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars: The Important Ingredients Explained.

• Oatmeal. You can use either traditional oats or quick cook oats. Traditional oats give the bars a slightly chewier texture, while quick cook oats give you a softer, cakey texture. Avoid steel-cut oats. They don’t work in this recipe.
• Brown sugar: Adds flavor and sweetness. Use either light or dark brown sugar. Both work. (Dark brown sugar adds a bit more molasses flavor than light brown.)
• Chocolate chips. Adds yum. If you want to omit the chocolate chips and replace them with raisins, go ahead. You could also use half chocolate chips and half dried fruit, like raisins or cranberries. (Cranberries are especially wonderful.) You could also use chocolate-covered raisins. 
• Butter. Adds flavor and texture to the bars. Replace it with dairy-free margarine if you’re on a dairy-free diet. 
• Salt. Although the recipe only calls for a little bit of salt, it plays an important role. It boosts flavor and controls sweetness. If you like sweet-salty desserts, add a sprinkle of flaky salt to the top of the bars before baking. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars: Mixing and Baking

It’s easy to make these bars. It’s basically a three-step recipe.

1. Stir. Grab a large bowl and a wooden spoon. (Or an electric mixer if that’s easier for you.) Mix the dough. (full recipe below)
2. Press. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Press the dough into the dish. 
3. Bake. The cookie bars take about 30 minutes to bake. 

The dough comes together quickly thanks to using melted butter. Before adding the oatmeal and chocolate chips, the mixture will look soft. It gets thick (really thick) once you add the oatmeal and chocolate chips. 

Did I mention this dough is thick? Because it is! That means that it takes a minute to press it evenly into the baking dish. You can do this with a wooden spoon but, honestly, it’s easier to wet your hands with cold water and press the dough into the pan. The cold water prevents the dough from sticking to your hands. 

After pressing the dough into the pan, you can sprinkle some chocolate chips or kosher salt on top of the bars if you’re feeling like it.

Ta-da! Once baked, let the bars cool and cut into squares. 

Other Easy Brown Sugar Desserts You’ll Love

• Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
• Banana Bread with Brown Sugar
• Brown Sugar Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Easy-to-make oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars. Made with brown sugar and loaded with oats and chocolate chips, these thick and chewy bars have a hint of cinnamon.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 16 bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted (8 ounces; 226 grams)
• 1 ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar,see note
• 2 large eggs (out of shell: 4 ounces; 113 grams)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (8 ¾ ounces; 250 grams)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ cups quick or old fashioned oats, uncooked (7 ½ ounces; 212 grams)
• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (9 ounces; 225 grams)

Instructions

1. Heat Oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Make Dough. Mix together melted butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until thick. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until smooth. Add the oats and chocolate chips. Mix until combined.

3. Bake. Press dough into prepared baking dish. The dough will be thick. To make this easier, wet your hands with cool water. This prevents the dough from sticking to your hands.

   Bake until bars are golden brown and set, about 30 minutes.

4. Cool and Cut. Cool bars in the pan. Cut into squares. Store bars wrapped on the counter for up to four days. Freeze cooled bars for up to three months.

Recipe Notes

Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar work well in these bars.  Dark brown sugar adds more molasses flavor and makes the bars slightly softer than those made with light brown sugar. 

Freezing Directions: Allow the bars to cool. Cut into squares.  Place the bars in even layers in a freezer container. Place a piece of parchment paper between the layers. Thaw the bars overnight on the counter.