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April 10, 2020

The Best Oatmeal Cookie Bars

These are the BEST Oatmeal Cookie Bars you’ll ever bake! Soft, chewy, and loaded with rolled oats and chocolate, this is a great recipe the whole family will love! Super easy and no mixer required!

These are the BEST Oatmeal Cookie Bars you'll ever bake! Soft, chewy, and loaded with rolled oats and chocolate, this is a great recipe the whole family will love! Super easy and no mixer required!

Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Last week I posted my Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars and you guys went CRAZY for them! So I figured… why not make an oatmeal version?!

Yesterday, I took a quick peek into our pantry, and was relieved we had all required ingredients already on hand! A blessing right now, since we’re still sheltering in place and only hitting up the grocery store once every 2 weeks.

These are the BEST Oatmeal Cookie Bars you'll ever bake! Soft, chewy, and loaded with rolled oats and chocolate, this is a great recipe the whole family will love! Super easy and no mixer required! Another perk? No electric mixer required! I broke my kitchenaid glass mixing bowl a few weeks ago and with haven’t been able to replace it yet. So all of the recipes I’ve been creating for you are truly 100% HAND made lol.

These are the BEST Oatmeal Cookie Bars you'll ever bake! Soft, chewy, and loaded with rolled oats and chocolate, this is a great recipe the whole family will love! Super easy and no mixer required!

As you can see, my mix-in of choice for these bars were giant chunks of gooey dark chocolate. I had a bunch of random pieces from other recipes and this was the perfect was to use them up!

But you can use any mix-in you’d like! Here are some ideas:

  • semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
  • chopped dark, milk, or white chocolate
  • peanut butter chips or peanut butter cups
  • raisins (they’ll taste just like my brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies!)
  • dried cranberries and white chocolate chips
  • toffee bits
  • finely chopped chocolate covered espresso beans
  • Reese’s pieces
  • M&M’s
  • pretzels
  • pecans, walnuts, or even peanuts
  • shredded coconut

Now I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. Just don’t exceed 1 and 1/4 cups of whatever you mix-in you add or it’ll be too heavy.

These are the BEST Oatmeal Cookie Bars you'll ever bake! Soft, chewy, and loaded with rolled oats and chocolate, this is a great recipe the whole family will love! Super easy and no mixer required!

The flaky sea salt on top is also 100% optional! But a really nice touch if you like the whole salty/sweet thing. Plus, it makes these cookie bars look so pretty and posh!

These are the BEST Oatmeal Cookie Bars you'll ever bake! Soft, chewy, and loaded with rolled oats and chocolate, this is a great recipe the whole family will love! Super easy and no mixer required!

Can I use Quick Oats?

Yes! If you only have quick oats on hand, they’ll work just fine! The texture will be a little different, but ultimately, it’ll work! Just use the same amount called for in the recipe!

How to Make Oatmeal Cookie Bars

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line an 9×13-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl combine melted butter and both sugars. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk well to combine.
  3. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, oats, and cinnamon. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture until just combined. Don’t over mix here or you’ll get cakey bars!!! Fold in chocolate chips (or whatever add-ins you’re using).
  4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown, about 24 minutes. Maybe a little longer, depending on your oven.
  5. Cool completely in the pan, placed on a cooling rack. Slice, devour, enjoy!

Just a quick note on cooling… if you don’t mind a gooier bar, feel free to cut in after about 35 minutes. But they will still be soft! If you want a very structured bar (clean slices), cool COMPLETELY.

These are the BEST Oatmeal Cookie Bars you'll ever bake! Soft, chewy, and loaded with rolled oats and chocolate, this is a great recipe the whole family will love! Super easy and no mixer required!

Full recipe (and print recipe option) below!

More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes:

  • Brown Butter Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
  • Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
  • Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies
  • Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the BEST Oatmeal Cookie Bars you'll ever bake! Soft, chewy, and loaded with rolled oats and chocolate, this is a great recipe the whole family will love! Super easy and no mixer required!

I served these soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chunk cookie bars with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and they were a TOTAL hit! So I know this recipe will be in heavy rotation around here for years to come! They also travel great! So I’m planning on a baking a batch later today to ship to friends and family I’m missing dearly right now! – xoxo

These are the BEST Oatmeal Cookie Bars you'll ever bake! Soft, chewy, and loaded with rolled oats and chocolate, this is a great recipe the whole family will love! Super easy and no mixer required!

And if you try this recipe for Oatmeal Cookie Bars, please let me know! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bakerbynature on instagram! Seeing your kitchen creations makes my day and are so helpful to your fellow bakers ♥

These are the BEST Oatmeal Cookie Bars you'll ever bake! Soft, chewy, and loaded with rolled oats and chocolate, this is a great recipe the whole family will love! Super easy and no mixer required!

15 votes

Print

The Best Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Prep 15 mins

Cook 46 mins

Inactive 1 hour

Total 2 hours, 1 min

Author Ashley Manila

Yield 9x13 Pan

These are the BEST Oatmeal Cookie Bars you'll ever bake! Soft, chewy, and loaded with rolled oats and chocolate, this is a great recipe the whole family will love! Super easy and no mixer required!

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks (8 ounces, 1 cup) unsalted butter, melted 
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 and 1/4 cups chopped dark chocolate OR your mix-in of choice (see post for ideas!)
  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, optional 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line an 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spray lightly with non-stick spray and set aside.
  2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then continue to cook it, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Keep an eye here, you don't want burnt butter! Remove from heat and scrape the butter into a large heat proof mixing bowl.
  3. Whisk in both sugars and mix until well combined. Stir in the vanilla. Then add in the eggs and egg yolk, beating until combined. Stir in the milk.
  4. Using a rubber spatula, add in the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and rolled oats, mixing until just combined. Finally, fold in the chocolate chunks. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. 
  5. Bake for 24 to 30 minutes, or until the edges are firm and golden. Press extra chocolate chunks on top of the warm bars, if desired. 
  6. Cool in pan for at least 1 hour before cutting. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt before serving, if desired. 

Courses Dessert

Cuisine American

10K Shares

Filed Under: Bars, Buns and Brownies, Chocolate, Cookies, Holiday

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kelly | Maverick Baking says

    April 11, 2020 at 1:29 pm

    These look incredible – those melty chocolate shots! 😮

    Reply
    • bakerbynature says

      April 11, 2020 at 8:16 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  2. Ruby says

    April 11, 2020 at 11:03 pm

    These look amazing!! Do you have any recommendations for a vegan version of These?

    Reply
    • Tyas says

      July 14, 2020 at 2:12 pm

      I used half vegan butter and half coconut oil, and replaced the eggs with 3/4 cup of applesauce. Came out great and tasted wonderful!

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        August 14, 2020 at 5:30 pm

        Thanks for the vegan alterations! Just made these today and they are amazing! I topped with some pecans for an extra crunch.

        Reply
    • Kg says

      February 20, 2021 at 1:56 am

      You know granulated sugar is not vegan right??

      Reply
  3. Ghulam Mohyudin says

    April 12, 2020 at 5:04 am

    Good to know that works too! I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.

    Reply
    • Brent says

      December 22, 2020 at 10:35 pm

      Just made these, I had these bags of dried fruit and walnut bag. There were dried cranberries, dates, figs, and raisins, and the walnuts in the bag. I added a cup and a half of that and they are outstanding.

      Reply
    • Kg says

      February 20, 2021 at 1:57 am

      You know granulated sugar is not vegan right??

      Reply
  4. Lindsey | Salty Lemon Sister says

    April 12, 2020 at 1:55 pm

    I saw these on Instagram and just had to try them! The photo is so beautiful and the chocolate so melty, I couldn’t pass it up. They are absolutely delicious! I love the chewiness of the oats and the slightly gooey center. I can’t wait to try more recipes from your site. Thanks Ashley!

    Reply
  5. Allie says

    April 13, 2020 at 3:58 pm

    Yum!! Can these be frozen after they are baked?? We have our diet cheat day once a week, so it would be awesome if they lasted us a few of them!

    Reply
    • bakerbynature says

      April 14, 2020 at 4:47 pm

      Hi Allie! I think they should freeze fine 🙂

      Reply
  6. AstroTalk says

    April 14, 2020 at 8:39 am

    Oat meal never tasted so good. Loved it absoultely

    Reply
  7. Mona says

    April 14, 2020 at 11:58 am

    Hey .. I liked this recipe … it is yummy but not as much as the brown butter blondies …
    by the way … in the recipe you asked for 8”/8” pan and then 9” pan … so when I used 8”/8” pan it seems too much so I put one third in another pan … maybe there is a printing mistake .. just to let you know ❤️

    Reply
    • bakerbynature says

      April 14, 2020 at 4:29 pm

      Hi Mona. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. These cookie bars are definitely much different than the brown butter blondies. Also, I took a second look but both places I reference the pan I note 9″ so I’m not sure why it was coming up 8/8 for you!

      Reply
  8. Michelle says

    April 27, 2020 at 3:38 am

    It’s the best dessert I’ve ever made. So yummy and gooey!!! I’ll make it again very soon for my family when I get to see them.

    THANKS SO MUCH!!

    Reply
  9. Digi Media says

    May 2, 2020 at 6:31 am

    This is the best thing I have ever done to oatmeal. Thank you so much for this recipe. Amid the lockdown in my country. I tried this recipe and was flattered with the taste. It was so good. Please share more of your recipes like this. Loved it.

    Reply
  10. Neha says

    May 8, 2020 at 5:35 pm

    Hi , wanted to ask if I can make a small batch by using all ingredients in half of their quantity .little unsure as how will it turn out to be as have never tried brownies/ bars made out of oats .Though we make granola at home which my kids love to eat.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      January 17, 2021 at 2:35 am

      I cooked it with half the recipe and it was delicious just watch the cooking time with your pan. Best of luck!

      Reply
  11. Geshna says

    May 9, 2020 at 12:44 pm

    Hi. Can I use coconut oil To replace the butter? If yes then please specify the quantity I should take .
    Thanks and lots of love to you ❤️

    Reply
  12. Lydia Wong says

    May 19, 2020 at 3:11 pm

    Love these, and my family does too. I do have a problem with the center not cooking thoroughly, even when I use the correct size pan (bought it just for these!) and temp and cooked 33-34 minutes. The edges brown a lot, though. Should I do lower temp for a slightly longer time? I don’t mind a bit gooey, but do mind borderline raw middle. Thanks for any advice!

    Reply
  13. Bads says

    June 17, 2020 at 7:37 am

    Tried this recipe. I’m generally a great Baker. It was so dry and not so great..dont waste your time.

    Reply
  14. Jean says

    July 8, 2020 at 3:50 am

    Disappointing. These are really thick, like cake. They are not like a bar cookie at all.

    Reply
  15. Tyas says

    July 14, 2020 at 2:16 pm

    I found a half forgotten bag of oats so I decided to go through your oatmeal recipes, this was my first stop and boy it did not disappoint. I halved the recipe and made it vegan by replacing the butter with half vegan butter + half coconut oil and the eggs with applesauce. Also cut the sugar in half, and threw in some toasted coconut flakes, chocolate, and peanut butter for the filling. It was amazing! Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
  16. Leslie Timm says

    July 14, 2020 at 11:25 pm

    I have made these 4 times now and they are amazing every time!
    Thanks for the epic recipe

    Reply
  17. Dave Parker says

    October 18, 2020 at 7:55 pm

    Made those today and they smell amazing! I added walnuts, cranberries and dark chocolate. Waiting for it to cool now!

    Reply
  18. Astrobell says

    November 27, 2020 at 9:46 am

    I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. they are amazing every time! Thanks for the epic recipe.

    Reply
  19. Mary says

    December 5, 2020 at 3:17 pm

    Hi I notice at the top of your recipe you have Cook:46 minutes but in the body of the recipe you say 24-30 minutes. Am I reading this correctly?
    Thanks

    Reply
  20. Morgan Pierce says

    January 24, 2021 at 11:50 pm

    Made them exactly as written and even managed to wait the full hour to cut into them. It was worth it. They are delicious.

    Reply
  21. Janet says

    February 13, 2021 at 3:18 pm

    Made these and totally yum yum . Easy to make. Soft and chewy.

    Reply
  22. James Jones says

    March 1, 2021 at 5:08 pm

    I love your brown butter oatmeal rasin cookies. I tweeked it a bit with some vanilla sugar, I also used the base for some oatmeal scotchies. I was going to make this recipe but was thinking about adding some banana puree. What do you think?

    Reply
  23. Trisha says

    March 2, 2021 at 4:41 am

    Made these today and they are so good! Ooey, gooey, chocolate goodness! One question – why don’t you do your recipes by weight?

    Reply
  24. Zaz says

    March 5, 2021 at 7:39 pm

    Can I replace the sugar with honey/maple syrup?

    Reply

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Meet Ashley

Hey! I’m Ashley, a creative spirit with a major sweet tooth. Most days you can find me in my happy place: the kitchen. If I’m not there, I’m probably snapping photos of food, planning a party… or dreaming about my next trip to Paris (AKA my favorite place in the entire world). I’m a story teller, recipe developer, and photographer who firmly believes that a homemade life is a happy life. Learn More.

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