Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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: 8/4/26

These 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

Yield: 24 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 25 MinInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 45 Min

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

1. Melt butter then set aside to cool just a bit. 3/4 cup butter (1.5 sticks)
2. 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.
3. 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
4. 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 powder 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
5. 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)
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until starting to brown around the edges and set in the center.
7. 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

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2026/08/old-fashioned-oatmeal-chocolate-chip.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2026

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Peanut Butter Sandies

Home » Cookies » Peanut Butter Sandies

The ultimate peanut butter cookie that melts in your mouth like tender-crisp shortbread, chocked full of peanut butter morsels and sprinkled lightly with kosher salt and sugar.

Mama is the biggest peanut butter cookie fan I've ever known. I'd be willing to wager money that she's tried more recipes than anyone else I know. Maybe on earth.

Through all her experimenting and recipe testing over the years, she's never found The One. You know? That one best recipe that hits all the notes. Maybe that's why she's always trying new recipes. She'd never found The One.

Until she did. Well, she found something pretty dang close. She stumbled upon a New York Times recipe (was not happy that she had to buy a subscription to view it online), made it and liked it a lot.

She liked it a lot - more than most others she had tried - but it wasn't quite perfect yet so she made a few more batches, tweaking as she went.

The original recipe uses unsweetened peanut butter, unsalted "cultured" butter (whatever that is) and has no leavening agents or vanilla.

She kept at it until she landed on this final recipe, added peanut butter morsels and WHAM-O finally made the perfect peanut butter cookie.

These cookies are very much like Pecan Sandies, in that they have a shortbread vibe. They sort of melt in your mouth in the best way. There is a tiny pinch of sugar and salt on top that makes them "sandy" too.

And those few crystals of sugar and salt on top really wake up your taste buds! The kosher salt signals your brain make your mouth water so that tender-crisp crumb will literally melt in your mouth.

Mama went all in and added peanut butter morsels and I am HERE FOR IT! The morsels add another element to the texture and the flavor and I think the cookies are all the better for them!

3 FAQ ON THE PEANUT BUTTER

1 - What type of peanut butter should I use?  Only use "traditional" peanut butter (Jif, Skippy, Peter Pan, etc.). You might be able to use "natural" peanut butter but I haven't tested it so I can't confirm the results would be the same.

2 - Which brand of peanut butter is best in this recipe?  I am a die-hard Jif peanut butter fan and have literally never baked with anything else. I can't say which is best in this recipe but I know Jif is awesome!

3 - Can I use crunchy peanut butter?  Yes! But if you do, increase the amount by 2 tablespoons. 

OTHER FAQ ON PEANUT BUTTER SANDIES

1 - What is the point of sprinkling on the salt/sugar combo?  There are two really! The most important is that the crystals will really "wake up" your taste buds when you take a bite, activating the sweet and salty flavor receptors simultaneously. The sprinkling also helps prevent the fork from sticking to the dough when making the crosshatch pattern.

2 - What if I don't have parchment paper or baking mats?  You can use aluminum foil. Because these cookies are so much like shortbread, we need to be able move them from the pan before they completely cool without disturbing them much. They can crumble if disturbed before they have set but may dry out if left to cool on the hot pan.

3 - Salted or unsalted butter?  Real, salted butter in this. TIP: if a recipe doesn't specify to use unsalted butter, it is has been written to use regular, salted butter.

4 - Can I add chopped peanuts?  Heck yes! I'd add about 1 cup of finely chopped roasted peanuts.

5 - Can I omit the peanut butter morsels?  Yes, you surely can.

6 - Can I substitute chocolate chips or other flavors of morsels?  Also yes! I haven't but I'm sure chocolate chips or butterscotch morsels would be lovely.

MORE PEANUT BUTTER RECIPES TO TRY

Nanny's Peanut Butter Cream Pie - A simple no-bake peanut butter pie recipe that's silky smooth, luxuriously rich and packed with peanut butter flavor.  

Peanut Butter Chocolate Frito Munch - A quick 4-ingredient sweet and salty recipe of Fritos corn chips and chocolate morsels covered in white chocolate and peanut butter. 

Nutter Butter Icebox Cake - A layered dessert recipe with chocolate pudding, peanut butter cookies, whipped cream and peanut butter drizzle like a chocolate peanut butter lasagna! 

Fluffernutter Squares - Super easy no-bake bars with peanut butter and mini marshmallows that will leave you craving more! 

Peanut Butter Buckeye Brownie Cheesecake - No-bake peanut butter cheesecake layered between brownie chunks and hot fudge sauce with peanut butter cups on top.

Recipe for Peanut Butter Sandies

Peanut Butter Sandies

Yield: 38 Cookies (approx)

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 27 Min

The ultimate peanut butter cookie that melts in your mouth like tender-crisp shortbread, chocked full of peanut butter morsels and sprinkled lightly with kosher salt and sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 10-oz bag peanut butter morsels (about 1.5 cups)
• Kosher salt and sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or baking mat.
2. With the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or a traditional hand-held mixer, cream the butter and sugars until smooth and fluffy, (about 3 minutes). 1 c. butter, 3/4 c. each sugar and brown sugar
3. Add peanut butter, eggs and vanilla then mix until well incorporated. 2 c. peanut butter, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla 
4. Add flour and baking soda then mix until well combined. 2 c. flour, 1 tsp baking soda
5. Mix in peanut butter morsels.
6. Using a medium cookie scoop (1.25-oz capacity), scoop dough onto prepared pan about 2 inches apart.
7. Combine equal parts kosher salt and sugar (about 1 tablespoon each) in a small bowl then stir well. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of the salt/sugar combo.
8. Using the tines of a standard dinner fork, press down slightly on each cookie then rotate 90 degrees and make another indentation, ultimately pressing the rounded tops of the cookies down but not flattening them so much that they spread.
9. Bake at 350 degrees 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies are just starting to brown on the bottom edges. Remove from oven, let cool 1-2 minutes then carefully lift or slide off baking pans then cool completely.
10. Once cool, store in an air-tight container up to one week.

Notes

• You can bake 2 pans at once if using convection mode on your oven. Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees, bake on the center two racks and rotate pans halfway through cooking.
• I use real, salted butter in this (and all my recipes).
• Aluminum foil can be used instead of parchment paper.
• Light or dark brown sugar can be used.
• See article above for TIPS and FAQ.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2026/04/peanut-butter-sandies.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2026

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Oatmeal Cream Pie Bars

Home » Brownies & Bars » Oatmeal Cream Pie Bars

A soft and chewy oatmeal cookie bar with a generous slathering of marshmallow buttercream frosting that will remind you of the classic Little Debbie sandwich cookies. 

Oatmeal Creme Pies are, hands down, my absolute favorite Little Debbie snack! When I first made the Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting I use on the Easy Cookie Sandwiches, I knew I'd have to figure out a copycat recipe for the oatmeal creme pies because the frosting tastes (and feels) JUST like the creamy filling.

I tried and tried to make a cookie as soft, chewy and moist as Little Debbie's but they would never hold their shape. And any adjustments I made changed the chewiness too much (making them too dry to compare to Little Debbie's).

So I decided to make them into cookie bars! This was the perfect solution because the bars are easy to handle and keep their share but still have the chewy, moist texture. I loooooove them!

The batter may seem a little odd to you when you first mix it up. Since we're using melted butter and vegetable oil, it may seem more like a cake batter than a cookie batter.

But once it has cooked and set, you'll see it's more like a cookie. You'll pick these up and eat them just like a cookie... or, I should say, just like a Little Debbie!

These keep and travel well. If you're planning on taking them somewhere, leave them in the pan (and skip the parchment paper). They will stay fresher longer if you leave them in the pan as well (less cookie surface area exposed).

KEY INGREDIENTS & WHY WE USE THEM

BUTTER AND OIL - We use butter for the flavor and body (and melting it helps makes the cookie bar chewy). The vegetable oil also makes the cookie bars chewy but its most important function is keeping them moist.

BROWN SUGAR - You can use either light or dark brown sugar but I highly recommend using dark brown sugar because it has more molasses in it which helps with flavor and color.

SPICES - I'm not 100% sure what exact spices are used in the Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies but I think this combo of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger gets us pretty close! Feel free to experiment. I imagine you could even use some pumpkin pie spice.

QUICK-COOKING OATS - Also called "instant" oats, quick-cooking oats make for a much more tender cookie base. If you need to use traditional old-fashioned rolled oats, pulse in a food processor once or twice to break the larger grains down a bit.

ABOUT THAT MARSHMALLOW BUTTERCREAM FROSTING...

NOT TOO SWEET - You may look at this and think TOOTHACHE but it's not overly sweet.

CREME VS. FLUFF  This recipe was created using Marshmallow Creme (not Fluff). Marshmallow Fluff is a little stiffer but I imagine you could still use it if you reduce the sugar. I'd start with 3/4 of a 1-lb bag/box of sugar then add more if needed.

CONSISTENCY - This has a springy consistency that really holds up (which is why it's so great in cookie sandwiches). It also pipes like a dream if you'd like to use it on cakes!

WHOA, THAT'S A LOT - This recipe does make a generous amount of frosting but it can't easily be halved (1 tub of marshmallow creme and 1 pound of powdered sugar). You don't have to use all of it (I do because I LOVE it). You could probably frost two pan of cookie bars with one recipe of frosting if you'd prefer.

IS IT CREAM OR CREME?  They are the same and can be used interchangeably. I use Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme because it's easy to find. Other brands spell it "cream" but it's all the same (yummy) stuff. Interestingly, Little Debbie spells it this way in their Oatmeal Creme Pies so maybe that's confirmation that the filling is, in fact, made with marshmallow creme like I've always suspected. 

A FEW RECIPE NOTES WORTH READING

1. DO NOT use the "spoon and sweep" method when measuring the flour for this recipe. Use the measuring cup to scoop the flour from your bin to really pack the flour. If you'd prefer to weigh the flour, we want 150 grams.
2. Don't add the marshmallow creme before the butter or it will stick to the mixing bowl.
3. Heat the marshmallow creme 15-20 seconds in the microwave and it will be MUCH easier to spoon out of the container and less sticky to work with. Remove lid and seal before heating.
4. Unfortunately, you will not be able to use the cookie bar recipe to make individual cookies. Individual portions would spread too much.

MORE DESSERT BAR RECIPES TO TRY!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars - An easy chocolate chip cookie bar with peanut butter fudge sandwiched between an oatmeal cookie crumble layer. 

Sno Ball Brownies - An easy recipe for fudgy brownies, marshmallow buttercream and coconut just like the classic Hostess Sno Ball snack cakes! 

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars - All the goodness of chocolate chip cookies made easy in one big easy batch of chewy bars. 

Man Bars - An easy and unique cookie bar made with graham cracker crumbs, sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips, cut and rolled in powdered sugar. 

Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Cake Squares - A dessert recipe with easy-to-find ingredients for pistachio cake topped with a crispy chocolate pistachio butter layer. 

Almond Joy Magic Cookie Bars - A true spin on the original classic recipe for Seven Layer Hello Dolly Magic Cookie Bars that Almond Joy fans will love!

Recipe for Oatmeal Cream Pie Bars

Oatmeal Cream Pie Bars

Yield: 24 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

A soft and chewy oatmeal cookie bar with a generous slathering of marshmallow buttercream frosting that will remind you of the classic Little Debbie sandwich cookies. 

Ingredients

Oatmeal Cookie Bars

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1 cup flour, packed (see notes)
• 1.75 cups quick-cook oats

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

• 1 7-oz. tub marshmallow creme
• 1 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon milk or cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1-lb. box powdered sugar

Instructions

Oatmeal Cookie Bars

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray. Optional: line pan with a parchment paper sling (covering the bottom and long sides of the pan with enough overhang to lift the cookie base out of the pan in one piece). If you'd like to leave the bars in the pan to frost and store, you can omit this step.
2. Combine butter, oil, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl then mix until well combined using a hand mixer. 1 stick butter, 1/4 c. oil, 1 c. brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 Tbsp vanilla
3. Add cinnamon, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and ginger then mix again. 1.5 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp each nutmeg and ginger
4. Add flour and oats then mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. 1 c. flour (packed), 1.75 c. oats
5. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan then bake at 325 degrees 20-25 minutes or until edges are starting to brown.
6. Cool completely in the pan then lift cookie base from pan and ice with Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting.
7. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

1. Add butter to a mixing bowl then blend on medium speed with a hand-held mixer until fluffy and smooth. 1 c. butter
2. PRO TIP: Remove lid and seal from marshmallow creme then microwave for 15 seconds (optional but this makes it MUCH easier to spoon from the tub).
3. Spoon marshmallow creme into bowl with butter then mix until well incorporated. 1 tub marshmallow creme
4. Add milk, vanilla and powdered sugar then mix on low until smooth and spreadable. Add more milk or cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed to reach a spreadable consistency. 1 Tbsp milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 lb powdered sugar

Notes

• DO NOT use the "spoon and sweep" method when measuring the flour for this recipe. Use the measuring cup to scoop the flour from your bin to really pack the flour. If you'd prefer to weigh the flour, we want 150 grams.
• Use salted butter in this recipe (plus the salt). Just trust me.
• Use light or dark brown sugar (I used dark brown in this batch).
• I use Jet-Puffed brand marshmallow creme.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2026/03/oatmeal-cream-pie-bars.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2026

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Mediterranean Cookies

Home » Cookies » Mediterranean Cookies

Chewy, chunky oatmeal cookies with coconut, walnuts, dates and one unexpected ingredient that adds a subtle, uniquely Mediterranean flavor.

Author: Mandy Rivers | Updated: 8/16/26

My absolute favorite thing to order at our local bakery is their Mediterranean cookies! They are hearty, chewy cookies with coconut, pecans and dates and I LIVE for them!

I have come up with my own version of these special cookies because I love them so much and I want to share them with everyone who likes unique cookies like I do!

Theirs are gluten free but I can't, for the life of me, figure out how, unless they're using coconut or oat flour because there's definitely a dough base. If any of you try this recipe with coconut or oat flour let me know how they turn out!

In creating this recipe, I veered a little toward a different direction than the cookies I was basing this recipe on but the more test batches I made, the more I knew where these needed to go... somewhere extra special!

These are chunkier and chewier but I think that's why I love them so much! The original are crispier with less texture but I love all the contrasts with the chunky add-ins.

There's a LOT going on in these cookies and it all works together to make something unique and delicious!

INGREDIENTS IN MEDITERRANEAN COOKIES

These Mediterranean cookies are all about combining chunky add-ins into a chewy, richly flavored oatmeal based cookie. Here's what we're making these with:

• Butter (real, salted)
• Dark brown & white sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Eggs
• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Baking soda & powder
• Rolled oats
• Walnuts
• Coconut
• Dates

SIX FAQ ABOUT MEDITERRANEAN COOKIES

1. Can I use less sugar?  You can probably reduce the total sugar by 1/2 cup BUT, keep in mind, this recipe makes a big batch, using 2 cups flour AND two cups oats.

2. Can I use unsalted butter?  Yes, but increase the salt to 2 teaspoons. It may seem like a lot but see the above response about the sugar... there's a LOT going on in these cookies!

3. Ummm... olive oil?  Yes, ma'am! The touch of extra virgin olive oil gives the cookies a decidedly Mediterranean taste. It's subtle but it's there and it tastes amazing with the other ingredients!

4. Can I substitute something for the dates?  Try raisins or dried cranberries if you don't want to use dates.

5. Can I omit the nuts, coconut or dates?  Technically, yes, but each of these elements are what give the cookies their chunky, chewy texture. Consider adding more of one of the other add-ins if you decide to omit something.

6. Won't the powdered sugar make these too sweet?  Not at all. There's just a dusting and it helps balance the savory elements of the recipe.

MORE UNIQUE DESSERT RECIPES

Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Cake Squares - Pistachio cake topped with a crispy chocolate pistachio butter layer with the same flavors as the famous, viral Dubai Chocolate Bars. 

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. 

Vintage Sour Cream Raisin Pie - An old-fashioned raisin cream pie recipe made with sour cream, warm spices, pecans (or walnuts) topped with whipped cream. 

Italian Bakeless Cake - A no-bake dessert with vanilla wafers and creamy pineapple “pudding” topped with cool whip, coconut, cherries and pecans. 

Old-Fashioned Raisin Cake - A vintage Depression-Era snack cake made with raisins, molasses and cozy spices that’s super moist and perfectly sweet. 

Recipe for Mediterranean Cookies

Mediterranean Cookies

Yield: 60 Cookies

Author: Mandy Rivers

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Chewy, chunky oatmeal cookies with coconut, walnuts, dates and one unexpected ingredient that adds a subtle, uniquely Mediterranean flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 8 oz pitted dates, diced
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugars with an electric mixer (paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) until smooth on medium-low speed. 1 c. each butter, brown sugar, white sugar
2. Add vanilla, olive oil and eggs then continue mixing until well combined. 1 Tbsp each olive oil and vanilla, 2 eggs
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and oats. 2 c. flour, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp each baking soda and powder, 2 c. oats
4. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to wet ingredients then mix until just combined.
5. Add walnuts, coconut and dates then continue mixing until well incorporated. 1 c. each walnuts and coconut, 8-oz dates.
6. Refrigerate dough at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Using a cookie scoop or 2 spoons, portion out dough then place on an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
8. Bake 10 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown at the bottom.
9. Rest cookies on the hot pan 5 minutes then remove and dust with powdered sugar.

Notes

• The olive oil adds a subtle, uniquely Mediterranean flavor. If you don't have any, just omit the oil (no need to add another type of oil).
• Light brown sugar can also be used.
• These don't spread too much so I am able to fit 15 cookies on a standard-sized baking tray. I cook two pans at once using convection mode and rotate the pans halfway through cooking.
• I use quick-cooking oats but old-fashioned can be used as well.
• Pecans, pistachios or macadamia nuts can be substituted for the walnuts.
• 8 ounces of pitted dates yields about 1.75 cups of diced dates.
• Raisins or dried cranberries can be substituted for the dates.
• Use a small mesh strainer to dust the powdered sugar on for even distribution.
• I actually use 2 teaspoons of salt in these (plus salted butter) and think it's perfect but the dough walks a fine line between just right and a skosh salty so I wrote the recipe for 1.5 teaspoons. 

Author: Mandy Rivers

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2025/12/mediterranean-cookies.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2025

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