Home » Cookies » Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
The absolute best cookie bar recipe with nostalgic flavors from malty rolled oats, brown sugar and chocolate chips easy to make in one big batch.
Author: Mandy Rivers | Published: 8/4/26These oatmeal cookie bars have everything I love in a cookie: they are moist on the inside with a nice chewiness on the bottom, a butter-crisp top and chocked full of chocolate chips!
We make these once a week on average because they're just so simple. You won't need a mixer and everything cooks in one big perfect batch!
And the VERY best part? My baby girl created the recipe!
I am not a baker by nature (preferring, instead, to dabble in the savory arts) but I managed to raise one! Baby Girl (who's 21 now and not a baby anymore) is an exceptional baker and this is her recipe!
Where I like the free-range of adding this and that to a pot of something on the stove, Baby Girl is a scientist at heart and loves the precision and chemistry required for baking. She'll be a scientist for real when she's done with grad school!
She also has all the patience needed for the details (hand-dipping things in chocolate, measuring ingredients by weight, perfectly piping frosting, etc.) whereas those things make me break out in a sweat and start swearing.
WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL
- ALL BROWN SUGAR - This recipe uses all brown sugar (no plain white sugar) which gives it more of a caramel flavor and makes them chewy.
- OLD-FASHIONED OATS - The "toothiness" of old-fashioned oats (vs. softer quick-cook oats) plays well with the rich dough and has a malty flavor that is so delicious with the brown sugar and chocolate.
- A LOT OF VANILLA - Baby Girl turned me onto doubling (and sometimes tripling) vanilla in cookie recipes and I've never looked back!
- SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS - The deeper, darker chocolate flavor in semi-sweet chocolate is perfect with the brown sugar, caramel and malty notes. You can use dark chocolate too!
FAQ ABOUT THE RECIPE
1. Can I use quick-cooking oats instead of old-fashioned? Technically, yes, but the old-fashioned oats work best with this dough.
2. Light or dark brown sugar? You can use either but I only use dark brown in these. I just make a habit of only ever buying dark brown sugar because it's almost always best in recipes.
3. Can I add cinnamon? Of course you can! I only like cinnamon in oatmeal cookies when there are raisins involved but make them however you like!
4. Do I use salted or unsalted butter? I only use salted butter in this and all my recipes.
5. Can I mix in _________? If you'd like to add flaked coconut, chopped pecans/walnuts or raisins, add 1 cup total. If you'd like to add more than 1 cup of mix-ins, reduce the amount of chocolate chips.
6. Do I have to use semi-sweet chocolate chips? I think so (or dark chocolate). Milk chocolate chips are too sweet and don't stand up to the caramelly dough.
7. Can I use raisins instead of chocolate chips? I'm sure that would be lovely! If you do, consider adding a teaspoon of cinnamon.
A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT MEASURING THE FLOUR
Typically, we would use the "spoon and sweep" method to measure flour when baking, but in this recipe we're going to scoop the flour (which will pack a little more into the cup). We need 135 grams which is about what you'll get by scooping the flour (vs the 120 grams you'd get from using the more delicate measuring method of spooning the flour into the cup then sweeping it off level). Baby Girl is not happy at my figuring out a workaround to weighing the flour - if you're a scientific baker like her, by all means, weigh the flour (135g)!
3 MORE COOKIE BAR RECIPES TO TRY!
Oatmeal Cream Pie Bars - A soft and chewy oatmeal cookie bar with a generous slathering of marshmallow buttercream frosting that will remind you of Little Debbie!
Man Bars - An easy and unique cookie bar recipe made with graham cracker crumbs, sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips, cut and rolled in powdered sugar.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars - All the goodness of chocolate chip cookies made easy in one big easy batch of chewy bars.
Recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
The absolute best cookie bar recipe with nostalgic flavors from malty rolled oats, brown sugar and chocolate chips that are easy to make in one big batch.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter (1.5 sticks)
- 1.5 cups brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1.5 cups old-fashioned oats
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Melt butter then set aside to cool just a bit. 3/4 cup butter (1.5 sticks)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9 metal pan with parchment paper or foil (optional - it just makes them easy to lift out of the pan to cut) then spray with cooking spray.
- Combine melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla to a mixing bowl then whisk together until well combined and smooth. 1.5 c. packed brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 Tbsp vanilla
- Scoop flour to measure (don't use the "spoon and sweep" method - we need 135 grams which is about what you'll get by scooping the flour). Add flour, baking soda and salt to wet ingredients then stir with a spoon until well combined. 1 c. scooped flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Stir in oats and 1.5 cups chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared pan then sprinkle remaining chocolate chips evenly over top. 1.5 c. oats, 2 c. chocolate chips (divided)
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until starting to brown around the edges and set in the center.
- If you plan on removing the whole slab from the pan before cutting, let cool at least 30 minutes first.
Notes
- Scoop flour to measure (don't use the "spoon and sweep" method - we need 135 grams which is about what you'll get by scooping the flour).
- The butter needs to be completely melted, just not hot to the touch.
- For this (and all my recipes) use salted butter.
- Light or dark brown sugar can be used (but I always use dark).
- See FAQ above the recipe cards for more information.
Author: Mandy Rivers
No comments:
Post a Comment
Did you try this recipe? Please rate it above in the recipe card and let me know what you thought!