Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
These oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars are a quick and easy dessert that hardly last 24 hours in my house. With a moist and tender center but a delicate crumb, these cookie bars are a naturally gluten free dessert you’re going to love!
These oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars are absolutely amazing. They’re sweet, chocolatey, and even have over 5 grams of protein per serving so what’s not to love?!
They’re made with a base of quick cooking oats plus a bit of oat flour, eggs, almond butter, regular butter or coconut oil, brown sugar and a few other ingredients like vanilla and cinnamon to pack a whole lot of flavor.
They’re kind of like blondies, but with a bit more texture. Think oatmeal chocolate chip cookies but in bar form! They’re gooey, can easily be made vegan and secretly healthy!
This recipe is definitely meant to be a dessert, but with a few simple swaps, these are healthy enough for breakfast. Try my oatmeal breakfast cookies or gluten free sugar cookie bars next!
Before we get started…
- I suggest using quick cooking oats, but rolled oats will work if you’re in a pinch. Just depends on what kind of texture you like.
- I used butter, but you can swap for coconut oil for a dairy free version.
- If you prefer gooey bars, bake for less time (closer to 25 minutes). If you like them more set, bake for a bit longer.
How to make oatmeal cookie bars
Melt butter. Add the butter to the microwave and melt for about 20-30 seconds. You want it at the point where it’s just melted and no clumps remain.
Mix wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and all remaining wet ingredients. Whisk together until combined.
Add dry ingredients. Mix in the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Add to pan. Transfer to an 8×8 baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake. Bake for 25-35 minutes. 25 minutes will yield bars that are a bit gooier and slightly under baked, but at 30-35 minutes the bars will be more well done and cooked all the way through.
Keep an eye on them and remove from the oven when the edges are golden brown.
Cool. Let cool completely (annoying but important!) before slicing. As the bars cool, they seal together a bit and if you cut them prematurely they can more easily fall apart.
After about 20 minutes, slice and serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Rolled vs. Quick Oats
Rolled oats/Old Fashioned and quick oats are a bit different, and I prefer using quick oats for this recipe. If you prefer a bit more texture you can do half and half, but I prefer these cookie bars with all quick oats because they have a finer texture than rolled oats.
If you only have rolled oats, you can pulse them a few times in the food processor until broken up and use that! You are welcome to just use rolled oats, but keep in mind the texture will be a bit different.
The best pan
I make all brownies, blondies and other bars in an 8×8 aluminum pan. You can safely use a 9×9 dish if that’s all you have, just know the bars will be thinner and you will need to adjust the baking time slightly. Check the bars around 20 minutes.
Aluminum pans conduct heat more evenly than other pans, such as glass, I generally recommend sticking with aluminum for an even bake!
Can I make them vegan?
I have not tested these oatmeal chocolate chip bars with an egg replacer, but I do think it would work.
Brownies, blondies and bars of all kind are generally pretty forgiving, so I would suggest either using apple sauce (3 tablespoons for each egg) OR use flax eggs.
To make the flax eggs combine 1 tbsp of ground flax or flax meal with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water. Set aside to thicken, that mixture will equal one egg, and you need two for this recipe.
Ingredient tips and swaps
Sugar. You can use coconut sugar to make these bars refined sugar free if you prefer. Dark brown sugar should also be ok, but will change the color a bit. I used a mix of white and brown sugar.
Flour. If you don’t have any oat flour, just add some of the quick oats to a high speed blender and process until a fine flour forms.
How to store and freeze
Once prepared, these bars will keep for about 3-5 days in a container at room temperature. You can also store in the fridge for a bit longer.
You can also freeze these oatmeal cookie bars after they bake. Just let them cool, completely, slice and freeze in a freezer safe bag. Head in the oven until warmed through the center.
Try these next!
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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
by: claire cary
These oatmeal chocolate chip bars are a quick and easy dessert that hardly last 24 hours in my house. With a moist and tender center but a delicate crumb, these cookie bars are a naturally gluten free dessert you’re going to love!
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Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add the butter to the microwave and melt for about 30 seconds.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter and all remaining wet ingredients. Whisk together until combined.
Add in the dry ingredients and mix together until a batter forms. Fold in the chocolate chips and mix.
- Transfer to an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper. Spread evenly throughout the pan and sprinkle on additional chocolate chips if desired.
Bake for 25-35 minutes depending on your oven and how gooey you like the center. The top should look set/golden brown and nothing should jiggle if you move the pan. All ovens are different, so keep an eye on them! They will continue to cook a bit after taking out of the oven, so take them out early if you prefer a bit more gooey.
Let cool completely (annoying but important!) before slicing. Serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Notes
I highly recommend using quick oats for this recipe. Rolled (old fashioned) oats will work, but they give the bars a grainier texture that I personally am not a huge fan of. You can also do half and half if you like a bit more texture.
I like using butter in this recipe, but you can swap for coconut oil or dairy free butter. If you’re using coconut oil, just make sure it is refined so you don’t have any coconut flavor.
I have not tested this recipe with an egg replacer, but I do think it would work. Brownies, blondies and bars of all kind are generally pretty forgiving, so I would suggest either using apple sauce (3 tablespoons for each egg) OR use flax eggs. To make the flax eggs combine 1 tbsp of ground flax or flax meal with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water. Set aside to thicken, that mixture will equal one egg.
Serving: 1bar / Calories: 267kcal / Carbohydrates: 36g / Protein: 5.5g / Fat: 12.3g / Fiber: 3.1g / Sugar: 19.1g